A Small Free Kiss in the Dark

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Two young boys, an old tramp, a beautiful teenage dancer, and the girl's baby--ragtag survivors of a sudden war--form a fragile family, hiding out in the ruins of an amusement park. As they scavenge for good, diapers, and baby formula, they must stay out of sight of vicious gangs and lawless soldiers. At first they rely on Billy, the only adult in the group. But as civil life deteriorates, Billy starts to fall apart. Skip, who is barely into his teens, must take over and lead them on a search for sanctuary. This complex and haunting exploration of life on the edge and what it takes to triumph over adversity is a story about the indomitable nature of hope.From School Library JournalStarred Review. Grade 6–8—Millard's latest offering is a touching story of paradoxes—destruction and beauty, war and love, homelessness and family. Skip is a runaway foster child living on the streets when an explosion overturns the Dumpster in which he is sleeping. War has broken out, and he finds himself in a city of broken buildings and terrified survivors. He and his friend Billy, a resourceful and kindhearted homeless man, attempt to escape the chaos and avoid enemy soldiers by hiding in an abandoned amusement park. Joined by an orphan boy and a teenage mother, they huddle in the House of Horrors while the world collapses around them. Through it all, Skip comforts himself by drawing chalk pictures and thinking about his favorite works of art. He narrates with an artist's attention to detail and rich use of visual metaphor, depicting horrific scenes of bombing and devastation in poetic and surprising language. He finds beauty in everything, particularly in his companions, who become his longed-for surrogate family. Skip's optimism against the apocalyptic background lends the story a haunting quality that is not to be easily forgotten.—Emma Burkhart, Springside School, Philadelphia, PA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From BooklistWhen a war comes without warning, Skip, an abused 12-year-old runaway, finds an unlikely family in a homeless elderly man, an abandoned child, and a young dancer who, though only 15, is already the mother of a baby girl. They find a home in an abandoned amusement park until the soldiers come and their very existence is threatened. Though untrained, Skip is a gifted artist and a careful observer who sees the world like a painting, always searching for “line, color and movement, light and shade.” As a result, his words—as he describes them—are “like falling stars tumbling through the universe—bright, burning things that can’t be stopped.” Accordingly, this affecting dystopian novel by Australian writer Millard is often beautifully written but just as often seems to strive too hard for effect, while Skip’s voice is too clearly that of the author. Similarly, the plot is sometimes predictable and, despite the ever-present element of danger, somewhat slowly paced. Nevertheless, Skip is a captivating presence and his story is deeply affecting. Fans of David Almond will embrace this heartfelt effort. Grades 7-10. --Michael Cart