May Flowers...

Just finished Bloomability by Sharon Creech. Creech is an award-winning author of both Children's and Young Adult books, but strangely enough, I had never read any of her books. I found myself really enjoying Bloomability. It tells the story of 13-year old Domenica Santolina Doone (Dinnie), and the year she spends at a boarding school in Switzerland. Dinnie has spent her whole life moving, as her family bounces from one state to the next. Although her family is transient and can be chaotic, she is very close to them and loves being with them. When the book opens, Dinnie is being taken to Switzerland by her Aunt and Uncle, to an International Boarding School where her Uncle will serve as headmaster. Dinnie is very unhappy about this (she insists she is being "kidnapped") and resistant to the idea, but eventually she learns to give Switzerland a chance and appreciate her surroundings. It was fun going on this journey with Dinnie, as she learns more about herself, her family and the world around her. There are some great secondary characters in this book, I especially enjoyed Guthrie and Keisuke. I would recommend this book for middle-school readers, or anyone who is interested in travel or world cultures. It definitely made me want to go to Switzerland!