Grab Hands and Run
 | |
| Author |
 Frances Temple |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | HarperTrophy |
Publication date | May 1995 |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Pages | 165 |
Grab Hands and Run is a fictional adaptation of a true story written by Frances Temple. The book is written at a fourth grade level aimed at audiences 8–10.[1][2][3] The author is actually involved in the story as she once sheltered the refuges the book writes about.[4]
Plot details
The story focuses on the 12-year-old protagonist Felipe and his younger sister Romy who flee from the difficult political situation in El Salvador because their father has disappeared. The family had developed a contingency plan for such an event previously which called for them to flee to Canada, and so they do through Guatemala, Mexico and the United States. The book focuses on the children having to learn not to provoke the anger of government officials and other people in power. As their trip progresses they realize how precious a home and an intact family is. They finally make it to Canada but they find out from a religious man that their father was killed.[5]
The book is about a woman named Paloma and a man named Jacinto, who have two children named Felipe and Romy. One day Felipe hears Jacinto tell Paloma that if they come for him, she and the children should "grab hands and run". He also said to go to Canada and if he ever gets free he will be headed there. On their journey they face the dangers of the forest. Eventually they all meet in Canada.
Reception
Kirkus Reviews found Grab Hands and Run "Well wrought, authentic, and compelling."[6] while Publishers Weekly saw that "Temple's characters are wholly credible" and "Temple's novel may well lead the curious to research the country and politics that inspired her fictional account."[7]
References
- ↑ Eureka!
- ↑ Rosann Jweid; Margaret Rizzo (2004). Building Character Through Multicultural Literature: A Guide for Middle School Readers. Scarecrow Press. pp. 83–86. ISBN 978-0-8108-5042-2. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
- ↑ Nancy Lee Cecil; Patricia Roberts (1998). Families in Children's Literature: A Resource Guide, Grades 4-8. Libraries Unlimited. pp. 61, 62. ISBN 978-1-56308-313-6. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
- ↑ Temple, Francis, Grab Hands and Run. Orchard Books, 1995
- ↑ Department of English
- ↑ "Grab Hands and Run". www.kirkusreviews.com. Kirkus Media LLC. 15 April 1993. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
- ↑ "Grab Hands and Run". www.publishersweekly.com. PWxyz LLC. Retrieved 26 June 2015.