Willo Davis Roberts (1928–2004)

Kidlet contemporary scifi!

I was gifted this by a friend who really liked this when they were younger. I made a joke about Matilda at the time, but this predates it re: precocious girls who have telekinetic abilities. The story is dated in some ways (using a phonebook to find someone? The across the hall neighbor considers astronauts as a thing that were science fiction twenty years prior?) but the feelings of being alone and wanting to find others like you are timeless, as is suddenly living with an estranged parent.

I have some questions about the world the story takes place in that aren't addressed, but that's what imagination is for I suppose (and would a ten year old be super curious about Big Pharma?) Anyway, good elementary level science fiction.… (altro)

A Classic Worth Revisiting

I read this for the first time nearly 30 years ago, when I was just a bit younger than Katie's age of 9. Its not overly invested in explaining why Katie is as she is, its more interested in showing us about how she relates to world around her.

In that way I can see how some folk have revisited this within the scope of Roberts exploring autism. Much like the X-Men were stand ins for everything from racial tensions to being gay, Katie's struggles with adapting to the world at large make her relatable on multiple levels.

She's gifted, quiet, precocious and emotionally detached (at least, against how other kids are). She draws comfort from reading, and wonders why exactly others find her disturbing. Including her mother, who she hasn't seen for six years (at least not regularly).

The first time I read this was also the first time I stayed awake all night reading. I barely noticed the time I was so absorbed in finding out of Katie would resolve the mystery of who she is.

Some of it is dated - there was no modernizing this as new editions released. Discussions about long distance telephone charges, having to use multiple maps to figure out where something was, and a phone book to find a person is all...well...a thing of the past. Certainly folk still use maps or phone books, but they would not be the first thing a kid Katie's age would suggest.

Left largely unexplored is Katie's father, Joe. He appears to be an adventurer some kind, as Katie mentions he was sometimes in Montana and sometimes in Texas. Maybe a salesman? Its left pretty vague other than "he was always on the move".… (altro)