Melissa Sarno

The story itself was heartbreaking, but the characters are what truly make it shine. Cora took on the weight of the world, a hard task as an adult, much less in the high tops of a little girl, and despite feeling unmoored, was still able to glean the joys from life one lesson at a time. Adare with her gentle ways and curiosity, may not be able to express everything in a way we are able to understand so easily, but it doesn't make it any less important, or profound when she does. Their mother was certainly a depiction of a caring parent struggling to find her way when the rug was pulled from under her world, while being reminded of the important things in life she was still responsible for. Even Willa, with her take charge attitude and sometimes judgy aire, was able to leave her mark on the story as she tried to help the best way she knew how, only to discover things about herself, and areas in which she could grow.

All in all, I've got to say it's a surprising little story with a whole lot of heart. Even though all the pieces may not be a perfect fit, it reminds us that those differences, those unique angles, are all beautiful contributions to the overall picture. Home is truly where the heart is, and while it may not define a space, it defines a feeling, an ideal where we feel safe to be ourselves and let our possibilities grow.


**copy received for review… (more)

Just Under the Clouds is an engaging story that follows a young middle school aged girl named Cora and her family consisting of a single mother and her special needs sister who are homeless and constantly moving. She longs for consistency in her life and muses about what it would be like to live in one home, but finds that the only thing consistent is the tree book her father meticulously kept and her desire to climb trees to see the world from a different view.
This book is a good way to introduce poverty and how it affects children with an unstable home life. It may not be suitable for students that get bored easily as it does get a bit scientific at times with her explaining about trees four the fourth time in what seems like the same chapter. For an experienced reader they would be able to pick out that the trees may symbolize her need for consistency and trees do not move therefore they are consistent. But some readers who would not enjoy that may find that it is a slow part of the book and lose interest in it all together.… (more)