Funerals and Fly Fishing

FSchool Library JournalGrade 4-7–It's hard adjusting to a new place and a new school; when your last name is Stanislawski, things are really tough. The last day of sixth grade finally arrives, and Brad looks forward to summer vacation, to getting away from teasing classmates who call him "Stan-is-lousy." When his mother is awarded a vacation in California, she sends Brad to visit her estranged father, a man he's never met. He enters his grandfather's home not knowing what to expect. He discovers that there's one thing his mother neglected to mention: his grandfather runs and lives in a funeral home. As the week unfolds, Brad learns things about his grandfather and his mother as a child. He gains respect for the man, and for the name that causes so much teasing. In the end, he begins to stand up for himself, is able to bring about reconciliation between his mother and grandfather, and is proud that he is a Stanislawski. In a style similar to the work of Jerry Spinelli and Sharon Creech, this story provides a subtle lesson. The characters are believable and well developed. Anyone who has visited distant relatives and experienced the unknown will identify with Brad's hesitancy. There is enough action to keep children's attention, and because of the uncomplicated plot and short time span of the story, reluctant readers will also find it satisfying.–Denise Moore, O'Gorman Junior High School, Sioux Falls, SD