A PLACE FOR ANGELS

Claudine's father creates an angel that looks like her dead mother and then a series of angel sculptures that take on a special significance for her when she goes to live with her aunt after her father's death

Grade 3-5?Following her mother's death, Claudine's artist father begins a series of angel sculptures. Working on them together helps both of them find new hope and joy in life. When her father then becomes ill and dies, the angels become a legacy for Claudine to help her find her way back to happiness. She is forced to live with her Aunt Lona, a bitter, snobbish woman who wants Claudine to forget about her father immediately and start a new life with her. Friends of the family invite Claudine to live with them and she gladly goes. Aunt Lona shrugs, "I wanted to keep you. I thought I wanted to keep you. Now I can see we never had much of a future together." All of the characterizations are sketchy, with each person seeming to serve one purpose in the narrative. Father is kind, loving, and comforting; Aunt Lona is self-absorbed and nasty. Although the angel imagery is appealing and uplifting, it is not enough to sustain the slight story. Noonan's delicate pencil illustrations match the ethereal quality of the narrative but do not elevate it to greater heights. A simple, sweet selection that lacks lasting impact.?Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 3^-6. Claudine loves the life-size angels made by her father, an artist. When her father dies, the orphaned Claudine must go to live with her aunt Lona, who tries to destroy the angels and to mold her niece in the image of a society child. Claudine takes charge, letting the angels go and finding a new home with family friends who love her as she is. One full-page, shaded drawing appears in each chapter, interpreting the characters with a subtle grace of gesture and expression. Readers looking for a short novel will find this an involving and effective piece of writing. The cogency and simplicity of style make it accessible to a wide age range. Carolyn Phelan