DiCamillo, Kate. Ferris. Candlewick, 03/2024. 226pp. Fiction. Trade $18.99. 978-1-5362-3105-2. GRADES 3–5. OUTSTANDING.
Rising fifth grader Ferris is navigating a lot of changes in her family and home. Her aging grandma is beginning to suffer from heart disease and is also being visited in her upstairs room by a mysterious ghost. Her uncle is living in the basement away from his wife while he tries to paint the entire history of the world onto a single canvas. And her little sister Pinky is determined to become an “outlaw” and decides the best way to do this is to rob the local bank. This story is full of slightly absurdist dark humor, family pathos, real and anticipated losses, and sweet loving relationships. The quick dialogue and skilled descriptions make this an excellent classroom readaloud. All of the relationships are complex, especially Ferris’s connections to her grandma and to Billy Jackson, her best friend. Ferris and her family are white; her best friend, Billy, is Black.
Rachael Reiley—Hillcrest Elementary K–8 / Oakland Unified School District