After her parents' divorce, Rain and her mother relocate from a bustling Australian metropolis to her late grandmother's delapitated house in the country. With a slow combustion cooker instead of a normal stove and no pizza joint for miles around, Rain tries to convince her mom that they shouldn't even bother unpacking. They should just rent out the old Clarksville house and move back to the city. Slowly, though, memories of time spent with her grandma in the garden and eating delicious, home-cooked meals return. Rain also meets the quirky but charming neighbor, Daniel, who is one year younger and proclaims himself "phenomenally bright." When Daniel eventually reveals a secret to Rain, she realizes that perhaps she doesn't have as much to complain about as she thought. This is a moving story about two isolated kids who find friendship and solace with the other. Adding to the story are the many different forms of writing. As the cover art suggests, Rain and her mother communicate through refrigerator magnet poetry. This is their forum to express all the emotions that are difficult to share with eachother elsewhere. The point of view also switches from Rain in traditional prose format to Daniel, who communicates through his Star Trek-esque Captain's Log. Presenting both characters points of view makes this story feel "whole" and makes it a great book for girls and boys alike. And at 138 pages, Stranded in Boringsville is an excellent addition to lists of recommended short books.
Bateson, C. (2002). Stranded in Boringsville. New York: Holiday House. ISBN 0-8234-1969-X
Thank you for your lovely review! This book was my first foray in writing for younger readers and it was so much fun to write. My son and I watched Star Trek together for background information and the poems in it were written using a magnetic poetry kit - and no cheating!
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