Taking Care of Moses

Barbara O'Connor writes beautifully sensitive stories with great big helpings of humor and humanity. She creates characters, settings, and situations that live on in the reader's mind and heart long after the reader reluctantly closes the book. In TAKING CARE OF MOSES, one noble child (Randall) struggles with his conscience, wondering what's right, as he secretly feels torn between two good impulses. All the while, sympathetic and engaging characters dance around the storyline, adding humor and realism to the story. From beginning to end, this is a great read!

Fast-paced and fun, TAKING CARE OF MOSES features an 11-year-old boy who knows the answer to the most burning question in his small town: Who left a little baby on the church steps? Randall is torn between telling the truth, which might cause someone harm, and keeping the secret, which might harm someone else. Woven into this main conflict are hints of other conflicts relating to issues of race, poverty, and growing old alone. These serious topics are significantly lightened by lively, funny dialogue with a strong Southern accent. This is a good read-aloud that will generate many points of discussion.

This beautifully written novel has all the ingredients kids love -- flawed but likable characters, a secret, suspense, humor, snappy dialogue, and a satisfying ending. Sure to be a hit for individual reading or as a classroom readaloud.