Module 7, Close to Famous by Joan Bauer

Close to Famous is a realistic fiction novel for middle school students.

Summary

 Twelve year old Foster and her mother are on the run from her mother’s abusive Elvis impersonator boyfriend.  With the help of a kind couple, they land in the small town of Culpepper, West Virginia.  As they unpack their belongings, Foster realizes she does not have her pillow case of memorabilia from her father, who was a soldier killed in Iraq. 

It becomes clear that Foster has a secret, she can barely read.  She got through sixth grade “by the skin of her teeth”.  However, she copes with her disability by baking the best cupcakes, muffins, and pastries anyone has ever tasted.  In fact, she has big dreams of becoming a TV cooking show host.  She pretends she is her idol, Sonny Kroll, when life becomes too stressful.

Foster becomes friends with Macon, who has his own big dreams of making documentary films.  Macon, works for Miss Charleena, a washed out movie star who is hiding out in her hometown of Culpepper.  Miss Charleena recognizes Foster’s reading disability and proposes to teach Foster how to read in exchange for cooking lessons. 

In the end, Foster uses her cooking ability to con a con and ultimately learns an important lesson about perseverance.

Impression

Foster is an endearing character.  She is so frustrated with her reading problems and tries to hide her disability or run away from the difficult work of overcoming the problem.  She becomes authentic because she struggles and becomes discouraged.  The author does not let her off the hook easily, and young readers will be able to connect with this.

The problems in this story are very real.  This is a middle school novel and speaks, although lightly, of some heavy issues.  The solutions are borderline realistic, but most important, they are what we want to believe could happen.  Foster experiences some bullying, but also a lot of kindness.  The theme of the novel is to never give up, keep trying, even when it doesn't seem possible.  All of the characters in the novel have their own issues they are facing so the theme is pretty consistent throughout. 

The best part of this novel is that it is hopeful. Reading novels like this can be helpful for students who are facing various problems.  Sometimes if we just recognize the people that are there to help us, accept their help, and move forward life is better. 

Library Uses

Close to Famous would be a good novel for librarians to keep in their back pockets for school counselors who may be looking for novels about abuse, loss of a parent, or school problems.  Since the character is so nonthreatening and the mood of the novel, despite some heavy issues, is light, this novel could be used in conjunction with individual or group counseling.  A librarian could also suggest the novel to students whom they know of who are experiencing personal problems. 

Professional Reviews

When a domestic relationship turns abusive, 12-year-old Foster McKee and her mother flee Memphis, stowing whatever they can carry in their Chevy, including Foster’s treasured baking supplies and a few fresh-baked muffins for the road. Upon stumbling into the small town of Culpepper, W.Va., Foster’s baking talents win the hearts of the townspeople, among whom number such quirky and colorful personalities as Angry Wayne, Perseverance Wilson and Miss Charleena, a retired—but still very dramatic—Hollywood star. Woven throughout her baking adventures is Foster’s dream to be the Food Network’s first kid host of a cooking show, and silly scenes of Foster hamming it up for an imaginary camera punctuate the text. Amid this agreeable foolishness, heavy issues of domestic violence, mental illness, illiteracy and the pain of the recent economic downturn make themselves felt. Bauer expertly balances these grim realities with Foster’s ebullient personality and spunk, which could convince anyone that she will be able “make the world a better place one cupcake at a time.” (Fiction. 10-14)

--Kirkus, 2011

References

Bauer, J. (2011). Close to famous. New York: Viking.

CLOSE TO FAMOUS by Joan Bauer | Kirkus. (2011, February 3). Retrieved April 17, 2015, from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/joan-bauer/close-famous/