Ferris

Ferris is about a multigenerational family living together, making it suited for readers far beyond the intended age range. The core of this story is about family, friends, and love even when it can be messy. Ferris’ relationship with her morally challenged younger sister, Pinky, strongly parallels Judy Blume’s Fudge series and Beverly Cleary’s Beezus and Ramona series.
Pinky’s antics provide overt comedy that makes her an endearing character. My favorite part is the officer’s discussion with her mother about Pinky’s attempt to rob a bank and how utterly remorseless she is. I could picture the scene so perfectly in my head as the officer’s bafflement that Pinky confessed to more crimes to go on her rap sheet.
Ferris's aunt and uncle are going through a difficult time and they use Ferris as the middleman. The fact that she keeps getting horrible hairstyles every time she goes near her aunt is hilarious. The imagery of her uncle painting a story of the world and only having a foot so far is funny yet also can hold a deeper expression of inflated confidence. Ferris's mother makes subtle comments that point to not being happy and likely suffering from mild depression that older audiences can appreciate.
Ferris has a close relationship with her grandmother, Charisse. There was enough foreshadowing that I was dreading that this was going to be a story about grief when she died. That part was handled quickly and ended up not being the focal point of the story. Moving on to a new baby in the family named in her honor was a nice touch about life beginning anew with the next generation and respecting those who came before.
Overall, I can see this book becoming a teacher's favorite with the tons of well-defined vocabulary that Ferris uses to understand her world better. It is a feel-good story set in the past and focused on the dynamics of the Wilkey family. I enjoyed the humor and the layered approach to the storytelling that gives the potential to keep coming back to this story at different ages to understand it differently. The fact that Pinky, Ferris, the mother, and the grandmother will mean something different to each person who reads this book makes it sure to be an enduring classic. I used an audiobook with this story and it captures Pinky’s personality especially well after she pulls her own teeth and has a lisp making her hard to understand. That comes through in the audiobook likely better than even the physical book could convey.

What worked:
The most interesting and entertaining character is Ferris’s six-year-old sister Pinky. Consider that her big goal in life is to find her name and face on Wanted posters all across the country. She’s sassy and rude and Sheriff Percal says, “… I have never in my life met anyone so unrepentant”. It’s wild that she’s only six years old but she comes from a kind and supportive home. Her grandmother claims to see a ghost in her bedroom and her uncle believes God has told him to paint the history of the world. They, along with Pinky’s parents and Ferris, are doing all they can to understand Pinky but there seems to be no reason for her behavior. Despite her inconsiderate, unlawful actions, readers will enjoy the anticipation of what Pinky might do next.
Ferris and her best friend Billy Jackson are thankful that last year’s teacher emphasized the importance of good vocabulary. Ferris frequently points out “Mielk vocabulary words” and follows them with explanations or definitions of their meanings. You might think these descriptions will be uninteresting but they emphasize the importance of the words. Mrs. Mielk says the difference between the right word and the almost right word is “… the difference between lightning and lightning bug”. Young readers may expand their vocabularies as a couple of Mielk words appear in most chapters. Ludicrous is a perfect word for Ferris’s aunt to describe Uncle Ted speaking to God and monomaniacal perfectly explains Pinky’s obsession with becoming an outlaw.
The theme of “Every story is a love story” underscores most of the events in the plot. Charisse believes Ferris must light the chandelier in the dining room to resolve her ghostly visions. Uncle Ted misses Aunt Shirley even though she thinks he’s crazy to devote his life to making a painting for God. Mrs. Mielk is bereft after losing her husband and it turns out Charisse has a lifelong admirer. Even Ferris realizes an undiscovered love for her little sister. The author skillfully wields her talent for storytelling and guides the plot to a magical climax under the christened chandelier.
What didn’t work as well:
The storyline skips around a bit and some young readers might not appreciate some challenging Mielk words. However, the free-flowing plot reflects reality in a peculiar household and balances drama with amusement.
The final verdict:
The author crafts another heart-warming tale that will appeal to middle-grade readers. The colorful characters are engaging and the message of love is featured. Overall, the book offers a positive message to the world and I recommend you give it a shot.

Ferris (born Emma Phineas Wilkey) is spending the summer before 5th grade with her quirky family. Her six-year-old sister, Pinky (nee Eleanor Rose), is determined to be an outlaw, and is traveling around town biting people and trying to rob the local bank. Her Uncle Ted, who has a PhD in philosophy and has been working as a sign painter, has left his hair dresser wife Shirley and is living in the Wilkey's basement painting a history of the world. Grandma Charisse isn't in great health (she's 73, after all), and she and her dog Boomer are seeing a ghost. Along with her friend Billy Jackson, Ferris tries to navigate all of these difficult threads, which also include her favorite teacher, Mrs. Mielk, who has just lost her husband. There seem to be racoons in the house attic, but Charisse thinks these noises might just be caused by the ghost. She claims that the ghost is a previous owner whose husband built the house, which includes an elaborate chandelier that was never lit. Together with the children, she plans to get candles and to light them so that the ghost can be at peace. Ferris, who got her name because she was born underneath a ferris wheel at a local carnival, arranges a dinner party to which she invites everyone important to her, and during which the candles will be lit. When they finally are, a flock of moths descend, and the ghost is seen embracing her husband and floating away. Sadly, there are others in the group who also soon float away, but since "every story is a love story", Ferris comes to terms with her loss with the help of her close-knit community.