Overview
In this bittersweet story, 13-year-old Barbara and her little sister, Livvy, have lost their mother. They live with their father and grandmother, both alcoholics, in an inner-city neighborhood. Barbara spends much of her time as the family’s chief cook, bottle washer, and nursemaid, isolated from the normal experiences of adolescence. One afternoon, Livvy chases a ball into the street and collides with a bicyclist — the charming, exotic Cosmo. This young man teaches a clown workshop for teenagers and invites Barbara to participate. There she learns the joys of music, books, and dressing up. But she also learns that Cosmo has AIDS. When Barbara’s father discovers that she’s joined the workshop, he reacts violently. She flees to Cosmo, who gets her the help she needs before he dies.Synopsis
One July afternoon, as Barbara Kobleimer is walking home from the park in her shabby inner- city neighborhood, her little sister chases a ball into the street and collides with a man riding a bike. The accident turns out to be the best thing that ever happens to them. The girls, who have lost their mother, forge a unique friendship with the exotic Cosmo, who introduces them to the joys of music, cooking, books, and dressing up. Eventually, Barbara's participation in Cosmo's teen clown workshop upsets her father, forcing her to make some hard decisions.
KLIATT
Barbara has learned to make her own way in the world. Her alcoholic grandmother and father rely on her for the care of her little sister, Livvy, and she accepts this responsibility and many others. This is just the way life is since her mother died. So, Barbara tries very hard to please everyone. When Barbara meets Garson Farber, officially known as Cosmo the clown, some wonderful changes happen in her life. She joins Cosmo's clown class and Livvy gets to be part of a painting class. Barbara meets new friends, some with troubles as big as her own. One of her friends is Nathan, a young man on the verge of joining a gang just to get away from the drinking and violence of his home life. But Barbara's world falls to pieces when her father finds out that she has been sneaking off to the clown classes. Barbara also discovers that Cosmo, who has become her best friend in the world, is dying of AIDS. Cosmo brings such richness to children's lives. He is a warm, multi-layered character who offers security and hope. His sickness does not deter him from his mission, which is to bring light, love and insight. The treatment of AIDS here is handled with sympathy and intelligence. As this book winds to its end, the reader is sad to say goodbye to these wonderful characters. Even the father and grandmother, vividly drawn, manage to evoke our sympathies. Huser has succeeded in bringing us a terrific story of struggle and survival against high odds. He has created characters you hope will appear in other stories. Barbara is as spunky and determined as Cynthia Voight's character Dicey in Dicey's Song. An easy read and a wonderful story, this book will be enjoyed by readers in grades 6 and up. KLIATTCodes: JS—Recommended for junior and senior high school students. 1999, Publishers Group West/Douglas & McIntyre/A Groundwood Book, 223p, 19cm, $5.95. Ages 13 to 18. Reviewer: Sally M. Tibbetts; Audio Visual/LRC, Maine West H.S., Des Plaines, IL, May 2001 (Vol. 35 No. 3)