Watch the sky
Description
The signs are everywhere, Jory's stepfather, Caleb, says.Red leaves in the springtime. Pages torn from a library book. All the fish in the aquarium facing the same way. A cracked egg with twin yolks. Everywhere and anywhere. And because of them Jory's life is far from ordinary. He must follow a very specific set of rules: don't trust anyone outside the family, have your works at the ready just in case, and always, always watch out for the signs. The end is coming, and they must be prepared.
School is Jory's only escape from Caleb's tight grasp, and with the help of new friends Jory begins to explore a world beyond his family's farm. As Jory's friendships grow, Caleb notifies Jory's mother and siblings that the time has come for final preparations.
They begin an exhausting schedule digging a mysterious tunnel in anticipation of the disaster. But as the hold gets deeper, so does the family's doubt about whether Caleb's prophecy is true. When the stark reality of his stepfather's plans becomes clear, Jory must choose between living his own life or following Caleb, shutting his eyes to the bright world he's just begun to see.
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Published Reviews
Booklist Review
Twelve-year-old Jory knows his family is different. His mother cannot handle crowds, preferring to stay home and care for her family, and his sister, Kit, joined the family the day she showed up in their pumpkin patch. She and Jory are close, in spite of Kit's muteness. But what definitively sets the family apart is Jory's stepfather, Caleb. Caleb is a veteran of an unnamed desert war who is suspicious of anyone outside the family, taking seriously his responsibility to keep the family safe. When Caleb begins to see Signs of the impending Crisis, he leads the family to dig out a bunker in the canyon behind their house. Jory's friendships suffer, his grades plummet, and, worst of all, his trust in Caleb begins to waver. Hubbard gets Jory's emotions just right: curious in school, wary of bullies, careful in navigating friendship, protective of Kit and his mom, and wanting to be thought brave and capable by Caleb. The pacing moves smoothly, balancing the everyday with the impending Crisis, and the ending ties up every loose thread. An excellent choice for discussion.--Moore, Melissa Copyright 2010 Booklist
Publisher's Weekly Review
Life has taken strange turns ever since 11-year-old Jory's father ran off and his mother remarried. Jory's stepfather Caleb, a veteran "of a desert war Jory didn't know much about," has instituted many rules in the name of protecting Jory, his mother, and his siblings. From what, they are not sure. Caleb insists they watch for "signs" (which could be just about anything), always wear work boots, trust no one, and remain reclusive to avoid "the Officials" he claims are trying to regulate their lives. After Caleb announces that a meteor shower is the sign they've been waiting for, he insists the family begin to dig a hole in the canyon behind their farmhouse. Readers will recognize long before Jory does that Caleb is paranoid and dangerous, but also realize how little power Jory is able to exercise. In a haunting, tense, and moving story, Hubbard (Wanderlove) spotlights the unpredictability of life with someone suffering from mental illness. Caleb's efforts to safeguard himself and his family will stay with readers, as will his tender relationship with his unspeaking, adoptive sister, Kit. Ages 8-12. Agent: Michelle Andelman, Regal Literary. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-6-Jory's family has secrets. Not exciting we're-wizards-or-superheroes secrets, but ominous something-bad-is-coming secrets. "Signs are everywhere," says his stepfather Caleb. But signs of what? Twelve-year-old Jory and his younger siblings aren't given an explanation. Caleb's paranoia isolates the family through grueling preparations for a catastrophic event just as a new friend and a caring teacher open up Jory's world. He learns to think for himself and begins to question the well-intentioned secrets that have dominated his family's life. Caleb's tightening grip is on a collision course with Jory's expanding views and reaches a crisis in an emotionally charged standoff at the novel's climax. Which man, Jory or Caleb, knows what is best for the family? Strong characters drive the carefully crafted novel and readers feel and understand their conflicts. Caleb is no villain but a sympathetic, tragic figure, misguided but sincere in the desire to keep his family safe. It's clear why Jory's mother, loving but fragile, married him. Sister Kit, an enigma to everyone but her brother, embodies the novel's otherworldly feel. Readers can't help but root for Jory as he warily lets his guard down, discovering the simple joys of friendship and that the outside world isn't something to be feared. Hubbard's sparse, elegant prose captures the rural landscape's desolate beauty as well as its dangers and palpably expresses the family's escalating tensions. VERDICT Unanswered questions will intrigue readers in this atmospheric, ultimately hopeful novel.-Marybeth Kozikowski, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY © Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Jory's stepfather keeps his family steeped in fear on their ranch as they prepare for a mysterious event that he says will spare them but spell the end for everyone else. Jory wrestles with the complications of loyalty while he (naturally) begins to question the family's mission. This slightly scary examination of us-versus-them paranoia is a page-turner that ends a bit too neatly. (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Reviews
Twelve-year-old Jory knows his family is different. His mother cannot handle crowds, preferring to stay home and care for her family, and his sister, Kit, joined the family the day she showed up in their pumpkin patch. She and Jory are close, in spite of Kit's muteness. But what definitively sets the family apart is Jory's stepfather, Caleb. Caleb is a veteran of an unnamed desert war who is suspicious of anyone outside the family, taking seriously his responsibility to keep the family safe. When Caleb begins to see Signs of the impending Crisis, he leads the family to dig out a bunker in the canyon behind their house. Jory's friendships suffer, his grades plummet, and, worst of all, his trust in Caleb begins to waver. Hubbard gets Jory's emotions just right: curious in school, wary of bullies, careful in navigating friendship, protective of Kit and his mom, and wanting to be thought brave and capable by Caleb. The pacing moves smoothly, balancing the everyday with the impending Crisis, and the ending ties up every loose thread. An excellent choice for discussion. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.
Publishers Weekly Reviews
Life has taken strange turns ever since 11-year-old Jory's father ran off and his mother remarried. Jory's stepfather Caleb, a veteran "of a desert war Jory didn't know much about," has instituted many rules in the name of protecting Jory, his mother, and his siblings. From what, they are not sure. Caleb insists they watch for "signs" (which could be just about anything), always wear work boots, trust no one, and remain reclusive to avoid "the Officials" he claims are trying to regulate their lives. After Caleb announces that a meteor shower is the sign they've been waiting for, he insists the family begin to dig a hole in the canyon behind their farmhouse. Readers will recognize long before Jory does that Caleb is paranoid and dangerous, but also realize how little power Jory is able to exercise. In a haunting, tense, and moving story, Hubbard (Wanderlove) spotlights the unpredictability of life with someone suffering from mental illness. Caleb's efforts to safeguard himself and his family will stay with readers, as will his tender relationship with his unspeaking, adoptive sister, Kit. Ages 8–12. Agent: Michelle Andelman, Regal Literary. (Apr.)
[Page ]. Copyright 2014 PWxyz LLCSchool Library Journal Reviews
Gr 4–6—Jory's family has secrets. Not exciting we're-wizards-or-superheroes secrets, but ominous something-bad-is-coming secrets. "Signs are everywhere," says his stepfather Caleb. But signs of what? Twelve-year-old Jory and his younger siblings aren't given an explanation. Caleb's paranoia isolates the family through grueling preparations for a catastrophic event just as a new friend and a caring teacher open up Jory's world. He learns to think for himself and begins to question the well-intentioned secrets that have dominated his family's life. Caleb's tightening grip is on a collision course with Jory's expanding views and reaches a crisis in an emotionally charged standoff at the novel's climax. Which man, Jory or Caleb, knows what is best for the family? Strong characters drive the carefully crafted novel and readers feel and understand their conflicts. Caleb is no villain but a sympathetic, tragic figure, misguided but sincere in the desire to keep his family safe. It's clear why Jory's mother, loving but fragile, married him. Sister Kit, an enigma to everyone but her brother, embodies the novel's otherworldly feel. Readers can't help but root for Jory as he warily lets his guard down, discovering the simple joys of friendship and that the outside world isn't something to be feared. Hubbard's sparse, elegant prose captures the rural landscape's desolate beauty as well as its dangers and palpably expresses the family's escalating tensions. VERDICT Unanswered questions will intrigue readers in this atmospheric, ultimately hopeful novel.—Marybeth Kozikowski, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY
[Page 146]. (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.