Baby Blue

By Michelle D. Kwasney

Book Overview

We sat at the kitchen table, across from each other. In the same spots we sat for dinner up till a month ago. The shadows on the table looked like prison bars again. This time it was Star being caged. Star, who thought leaving made her free. That life would be all hunky-dory shampooing heads and sweeping floors while Mama got slapped around-far enough away so she wouldn't have to hear the screams. That's when I knew for sure-I couldn't leave Mama. And Star couldn't make me any more than I could make her stay. A painfully beautiful novel that exposes the haunting world of spousal abuse Blue's family is coming apart at the seams. After Pa drowned in the river, Mama up and married Jinx, whom Blue and Star know is big trouble. And now Star has run away, leaving Blue behind. It was hard enough to watch Mama get knocked around when Jinx was in one of his "moods," but now, with Star gone, Jinx has spun out of control. It's up to Blue to find Star and get help for Mama, to piece the family back together again. But Blue is running out of time. With biting realism and poignancy, this compelling young-adult novel explores Blue's struggle to protect her family and stand up against what she knows is wrong.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805070508
• ISBN13: 9780805070507
• Release Date: April 2004
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.6" x 0.9" x 5.6"
• Age Range: 12 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 7 to 12

Customer Reviews

Excellent resource for teachers!

Baby Blue is a very realistic and emotional story with a strong message. It lets all the "Blues" of the world realize that they are not alone, and it may give them the strength to look for a solution to their situation. Michelle Kwasney writes in a manner that allows the reader to feel the emotions experienced by Blue and her sister Star. As a teacher, it has helped me to better understand the plight of children living in an abusive setting. This book is an excellent resouce for teachers!

Sensitive, Realistic, Unforgetable

This wonderful novel gripped me from the first page. I literally could not put it down. The character development was so realistic and so compelling that I feel as if I know Star, Blue, Ceil, and even Jinx and Pa like family. I remember that as I read the first chapters I wished I could hurry the story along because I was so invested in the story as it unfolded. Then, as I got to the end of the book, I didn't want it to end. I got a decaf, a popsicle, etc... just trying to prolong the beautiful drama and emotions I felt as I read it. Also, the author's descriptions, like the "fruit stripe gum" lamp, just etched this clear picture in my mind that is unforgetable. I hope this is just the beginning for this author, as I am looking forward to more. As a teacher, I can see how this novel, with it's sensitive handling of a difficult topic, could be ideal for the curriculum of most middle schools and high schools. I honestly haven't felt so caught up in a book since I re-read Jane Eyre last summer. I hope many others will read it and post their reviews, as I will be interested in your impressions.