"I'm obsessed with abandoned things." Siena's obsession began a year and a half ago, around the time her two-year-old brother Lucca stopped talking. Now Mom and Dad are moving the family from Brooklyn to Maine hoping that it will mean a whole new start for Lucca and Siena. She soon realizes that their wonderful old house on the beach holds secrets. When Siena writes in her diary with an old pen she found in her closet, the pen writes its own story, of Sarah and Joshua, a brother and sister who lived in the same house during World War II. As the two stories unfold, amazing parallels begin to appear, and Siena senses that Sarah and Joshua's story might contain the key to unlocking Lucca's voice.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful.
Delightful!
By K.Wagner
Listening for Lucca is a well written story that has every requirement for a good juvenile read! Good families, good intentions and even a ghost or two! Well, maybe not ghosts, but it sure is fun trying to decide. Lucca, an intelligent three year old stopped talking for no reason, just when words were beginning to become part of his world. There was no reason, no diagnosis,, he just didn't talk. Of course him mother blamed herself, and sadly, his sister blamed herself, too. Lucca is a mostly sweet tempered boy and his family loves him. His sister has had some unusual experiences and feel somewhat outside the norm for kids her age. A family decision to move frombrooklyn New York, to Maine, thinking it would be good for both of the children is accomplished and that is when things become even more interesting.This was a very enjoyable book, and I think it would be a great read for 9-12 year olds particularly.Recommended
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
Mixed feelings. Gems mixed in with unrealistic elements that may give false hope.
By Miss Darcy
Let me say up front that I really loved some things about the story. The ending is wonderful. The main character, Sienna, has a habit of picking up and keeping things that others have lost because she can't bear for them to simply be abandoned, and in the end she develops the sense of trust in the universe that is required to let them go and see the future. I also loved the relationship between Sam and Lucca. The scene in which they swap socks captures their affection extremely well.The next paragraph contains spoilers.In terms of unrealistic elements, it's a type of ghost story, and I'm not actually referring to that. (Although at times it can be a bit hard to follow, because Sienna seems to be "channeling" more than one person.) Instead, I'm referring to the fact that Lucca suddenly stops talking, as if he has developed autism, and then ends up speaking again. I think the fact that everyone in the family feels guilt is realistic. But I also think this may give readers false hope if they have siblings with autism. It also seems unrealistic that the family is suddenly able to drop everything in New York and find an affordable home (no matter the condition) on the Maine coast in the middle of summer---along with a local teaching job---and it's extremely convenient that her new friends aren't dating after all.Sienna also has a pretty disrespectful relationship with her mom. This probably reflects the age level (8th grade), but at the same time, as a parent I hate the fact that my daughter is picking up books that basically say (or at least suggest strongly through example) that a parent is the most annoying person on the planet.Re: the reading level, the kids in this book are about to enter 8th grade. I think the book would have been acceptable for younger readers if the author had left out the paragraphs about how kids often ask questions about where Sienna was conceived. From p. 56: "When kids my age hear I have a place-name, they all want to talk about my conception . . . I don't really care about sex. Though I would prefer it if we didn't have to talk about my parents having sex." It really didn't seem like those paragraphs contributed to the book at all, and I don't think sex would have entered the readers' minds, so why bring it up?I didn't exactly dislike the story, but somehow I never warmed up to Sienna, so I guess I wasn't really drawn in. The author tackles the complexities pretty well, but it's not something I'd pick up again--or hand to my daughter to read. For all of these reasons, no more than 3 stars.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful.
Dreamy beach scene cover for thoughtful novel
By Maggie Knapp
Siena is an independent young teen, and though she was an unhappy outsider at her middle school, that doesn't mean she's thrilled with her parents' decision to move the family to a large old house on the coast of Maine. The move happens early in the story, and Siena, Lucca (her 3-year-old brother who doesn't speak) and her interesting parents pack up and go.Siena likes the house (and especially the beach) more than she expected, although she gets the feeling (which Lucca shares) that the house is somehow "haunted." She has strange dreams of a young soldier in World War, and finds a pen that writes out stories perhaps connected to the house. The magical elements don't overwhelm the present day, where Siena is slowly making a friend or two in the small town, and spending time with Lucca, hoping to discover the secret (if there is one) behind his silence.I enjoyed this rather gentle story, with its historical elements (in Siena's dreams and the pen's stories) and present day struggles of a growing teen feeling hemmed in by parents who love her and worry about their younger son. Suggest to thoughtful 6th and 7th graders who want a story with some meat on its bones.About me: I'm a middle school/high school librarianHow I got this book: Advance reading copy from the publisher
