The Key to Every Thing

Gr 4–6—This heartfelt and often sad story follows the coming-of-age of 11-year-old Tash. Uncle Kevin, her legal guardian, is off on a monthlong trip to New Zealand and Tash is forced to spend the summer in a camp. She's initially resistant and takes out her anger on Uncle Kevin and Cap'n Jackie, her elderly and curmudgeonly next-door neighbor with whom she shares a deep bond. Upon returning from camp, Tash is distressed to find that Cap'n Jackie is gone—she's in a rehab facility after breaking her hip. This is a simple tale about loving and letting go, showing deep levels of understanding, forgiveness, and love between a close-knit family defined on its own terms. Schmatz takes the axiom of "show, not tell" seriously in the quest to avoid defining people by their histories and legal relationships; as the story unfolds these things slowly become clear. After an opening section written through letters and emails, the pacing steadies, unfolding Tash's realistic character growth through single-scene, short chapters.