Laura E. Williams

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Reviews and Honors

 up a creek

From Booklist

Gr. 7-10. Miracle Bott always has a cause, and she always includes her 13-year-old daughter, Starshine, in her activist projects. But this time, in Starshine's opinion, Miracle has gone too far. Determined to save the old oak trees in the city square, she has camped out in one of the trees, refusing to come down until the mayor assures her the trees will not be cut down to build a new city hall. It seems nothing can coax Miracle down from her perch, not Starshine getting her period for the first time, not Starshine's grandmother collapsing from the Louisiana heat and being rushed to the hospital. Only when Starshine asks about her father is Miracle affected. Then, she falls while climbing down and ends up in the hospital herself. In the end, the trees are cut down, and Starshine realizes that her mother and grandmother are all the family she needs. Starshine is a typical teenage girl, wishing desperately to be like everyone else but beginning to understand and appreciate the unusual strength and character of both her mother and grandmother. A quick read, sure to appeal to girls struggling to define themselves and their relationships with their mothers. Karen Hutt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

From School Library Journal

Gr 5-8-As the daughter of a young, single-mother activist, 13-year-old Starshine Bott helps her mother tackle social issues. Starshine and Miracle live with Memaw, Miracle's mother, a strong woman who supports her daughter's causes. As the book opens, Miracle has turned her attention to local concerns and has settled into the branches of an ancient oak in an attempt to save a stand of trees from being cut down for a new town hall. This act of defiance draws the attention of the press, which embarrasses Starshine. When Miracle refuses to come down from the tree even when Memaw is hospitalized, the girl begins to think that her mother's causes are more important to her than family. When Miracle falls from her perch, the mayor immediately begins chopping down the trees. Starshine and her classmates then spring into action and climb the trees, and the drone of chainsaws ceases as the novel ends. Starshine's first-person narrative is conversational and fresh. The teen faces difficult decisions and gradually matures; her maturation is physical as well as emotional and she learns that becoming a woman means taking a stand and finding one's voice. Williams's characters are well realized and multidimensional; readers will especially enjoy the plucky Memaw, who serves up wisdom and advice with her generous slices of homemade pie. A celebration of family and feminine strength, Up a Creek encourages readers to examine their own hearts and think about the critical issues in their lives.-Shawn Brommer, Southern Tier Library System, Painted Post, NY

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