APRIL 2019 - AudioFile
Narrator Josh Hurley creates an emotional voice for a middle school student who puts on a brave face at school but is actually struggling to stay afloat due to his tumultuous homelife. Jeff’s mom has become increasingly dependent on alcohol. When she eventually loses her job, she’s unable to pay the rent, and she and Jeff become homeless. As Jeff takes on adult responsibilities, Hurley’s unsteady voice reflects his increasing stress level. Hurley also captures his hurt and anger when he tries to persuade his mom to reach out for help. Listeners will cheer Jeff on as he navigates these tough times. M.D. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
From the Publisher
Praise for The Great Jeff:
A Curbed Best Kids Book of 2019
*"...an exquisitely moving yet completely age-appropriate dive into a kid's experience of impoverishment."—BCCB, starred review
"Jeff's search to understand himself and the harsh world around him is breathtaking."—Patricia Reilly Giff, author of Newbery honor winners Pictures of Hollis Woods and Lily's Crossing
"In a body of stellar work, The Great Jeff may be Abbott's finest."—Nora Raleigh Baskin, award winning author of Anything But Typical, Ruby on the Outside, and Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story
"A moving, realistic coming-of-age tale."—Kirkus
"...a hopeful coming-of-age story that portrays the challenges of poverty in a realistic and relatable way."—Booklist
"A powerful and realistic story of a boy coming of age with a family in crisis."—School Library Journal
"For fans of Firegirl, this follow-up is a must-read...this novel is a solid addition to any library."—School Library Connection
Praise for Firegirl:* "Tom's connection to Jessica changes his perspective on himself, his peers and friendship, and underscores the reward of reaching out to another.... This novel maybe be brief, but it leaves a big impact."—Publishers Weekly, starred review
* "This isn't the usual book about adjustment to differences; instead, Abbot brilliantly explores the kids' struggle to manage this intrusion of abnormality into their lives.... An understanding yet thought-provoking novel."
—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review
"A touching story of friendship that is easy to read yet hard to forget."
—School Library Journal
"In this poignant story, readers will recognize that even by doing small acts of kindness, people stand to gain more than they lose."
—Booklist
School Library Journal
03/01/2019
Gr 6 Up—In this companion book to Abbott's 2006 novel Firegirl, the focus shifts to eighth-grader Jeff Hicks. Jeff is forced to attend the public middle school after his dad, who left the family when he was nine years old, stops providing the financial support that paid for his private school. When his mom loses her nursing job because of her drinking problem and can no longer pay bills, the pair face a tough new reality. They are evicted and bounce from a run-down motel to a friend's house and spend a cold night in the car before landing in a shelter. Jeff wants to keep his situation a secret from his friends and teachers. But as his appearance changes due to skipping meals to save money and not having access to clean clothes or a shower, his counselor and a classmate notice. Just as Jeff and his mom reach rock bottom, help arrives from a surprising source: Tom, a friend from his old school with whom he had a falling out last year. This realistic and moving portrayal of a family living in poverty will have readers rooting for Jeff, whose initial anger grows into resilience. While the story works as a standalone, readers of Firegirl will find resolution to some prior storylines as familiar characters cross paths with Jeff. VERDICT A powerful and realistic story of a boy coming of age with a family in crisis.—Sarah Polace, Cuyahoga Public Library System, OH
APRIL 2019 - AudioFile
Narrator Josh Hurley creates an emotional voice for a middle school student who puts on a brave face at school but is actually struggling to stay afloat due to his tumultuous homelife. Jeff’s mom has become increasingly dependent on alcohol. When she eventually loses her job, she’s unable to pay the rent, and she and Jeff become homeless. As Jeff takes on adult responsibilities, Hurley’s unsteady voice reflects his increasing stress level. Hurley also captures his hurt and anger when he tries to persuade his mom to reach out for help. Listeners will cheer Jeff on as he navigates these tough times. M.D. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2018-11-21
In a companion to Firegirl (2006), Abbott turns his attention to Jeff, who was the obnoxious, bullying best friend of the earlier book's protagonist, Tom.
Jeff, now in eighth grade and at a different school, is struggling to deal with the issues caused by his single mom's alcohol problems. His father, who left to live with a girlfriend, provides little in the way of financial help and even less emotional support. After his mom loses her job, their lives believably spiral downward. They are evicted, leading to a series of overnight stays in increasingly unpleasant circumstances that finally culminate in a frigid night in the car and then a move to a shelter. Jeff is determined to keep his situation a secret, but Hannah, a sensitive classmate, begins to suspect. When help does eventually appear, it's from an unexpected source: Tom, whom Jeff has avoided since their falling out in seventh grade. What elevates this effort above so many other inadequate-parent tales is Jeff himself. It's because he's a tough kid to like: His first-person narration reveals that he's angry, quick to judge, and eager to mouth off or push back against any show of kindness. It's only when the obstacles become insurmountable that he matures enough to distinguish between his friends' compassion and the pity he despises. Abbott uses naming conventions and cues such as hairstyles to hint at race in this diverse environment; Jeff and his family present white and Hannah, black.
A moving, realistic coming-of-age tale. (Fiction. 10-14)
