by Gary Schmidt
Clarion Books, 2019. I FIC. 217 p.
Carter's father is serving in Afghanistan, and his mother is struggling to make ends meet. Carter helps out with his little sisters when he can but he can tell life is hard for his mom. Then one day, Mr. Bowls-Fitzpatrick, a butler from England who drives a eggplant colored Bentley, shows up on the doorstep. The butler quickly takes the family in hand and with courtesy, decorum, and a bit of self importance, starts to sort things out. He is determined to make Carter into a gentleman, and one way to do that, in his opinion, is to teach Carter and his friends to play cricket. Carter resists at first, but little does he know that the game, and the butler, is just what he needs to get through the challenges headed for his life.
I love Gary Schmidt (Wednesday Wars, and Okay for Now) and, as bizarre as the premise for this book is, I loved it, too. When it comes to tender adult/child relationships, Schmidt just has the velvet touch. It is all about good people helping other good people get through tough times. I also liked Schmidt's emphasis on what is means to be a gentleman, and how dignity and decorum can make life run more smoothly. It is a lesson any of us would do well to remember.
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