Caleb and Kit

by Beth Vrabel Narrated by Adam McArthur

Overview

From award-winning author Beth Vrabel comes a powerfully moving story about a magical friendship, coping with disability, and the pains of growing up and growing apart.

Twelve-year-old Caleb is shorter, frailer, and more protected than most kids his age. That's because he has cystic fibrosis, a diagnosis meaning lungs that fill with mucus and a shortened lifespan. Caleb tries not to let his disorder define him, but it can be hard with an overprotective mom and a perfect big brother.

Then Caleb meets Kit -- a vibrant, independent, and free girl -- and his world changes instantly. Kit reads Caleb's palm and tells him they are destined to become friends. She calls birds down from the sky and turns every day into an adventure. Her magic is contagious, making Caleb question the rules and order in his life. But being Kit's friend means embracing deception and danger, and soon Caleb will have to decide if his friendship with Kit is really what's best for him -- or her.

Editorial Reviews

FEBRUARY 2018 - AudioFile

Narrator Adam McArthur’s youthful intonation and energetic cadence animate 12-year-old Caleb, whose desire to embrace a more independent lifestyle is stymied by cystic fibrosis. To avoid spending his summer in day camp, Caleb escapes to the woods to spend time with a new, seemingly magical, friend, Kit, who encourages him to abandon his well-regulated life with his protective mother, perfect older brother, and mostly absentee father. When Kit’s escapades become illegal and dangerous, Caleb begins to wonder how much of her story is true. McArthur does a credible job switching up his inflection and pacing to denote the other characters in Beth Vrabel’s nuanced and unflinching portrait of children dealing with issues beyond their control. S.G. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

From the Publisher

• Bank Street Best Children's Books of the Year (2018)
• A VOYA Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers 2017 Selection
• Diverse Books Club pick (February 2018)

"A realistic story with strong, recognizable characters that doesn't reduce cystic fibrosis to a tragedy."——Kirkus Reviews

"Filled with smart, witty, and magical writing, Kit and Caleb, and those around them, come to vibrant life in this heartbreaking story about the ties that bring people together, and the difficulties of facing the truth."——Booklist

"Vrabel weaves all these elements into a story reminiscent of Katherine Paterson's classic Bridge to Terabithia that highlights day-to-day life with a common but devastating disease. Hand to readers looking for a novel about both the magic and the pain of friendship. "——School Library Journal

"A compelling story of two struggling kids making their own safe haven."——Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"A can't-put-it-down tale. Caleb's discoveries about his own strength and resilience during his friendship with free-spirited, imaginative Kit will expand your heart and fill your soul. From the beautiful cover to the last sentence, this book is a favorite to savor and share."——Bibi Belford, author of Canned and Crushed

"Having a disability myself, my heart broke for Caleb who wants nothing more than to feel like a normal twelve-year-old kid - at any cost. Caleb and Kit will forever be entwined, the roots of their friendship solid, rich, and strong, just like this beautiful story."——Kerry O'Malley Cerra, author of Just a Drop of Water

"In the midst of Kit's self-constructed fantasy world, Caleb's heroism is the real deal. He's determined, courageous, and witty despite his unusual physical challenges. Beth Vrabel doesn't shy away from the tough stuff that can complicate the lives of tweens. Readers young and old will find this a unique novel well-deserving of a permanent place on the family bookshelf."——Melissa Hart, author of Avenging the Owl

School Library Journal

06/01/2017
Gr 4–7—Constrained by his family's concern and his cystic fibrosis, a genetic disorder that primarily affects the lungs, 12-year-old Caleb longs to enact the bold declaration, "I do what I want." He skips out of his summer camp (all the better to avoid his cranky classmate, Shelly) to meet fae-like Kit in the woods. The magical world Kit draws him into at first feels like just the adventurous release from obligations and boredom that Caleb needs. However, he soon finds that he must face questions about how healthy their friendship is. Caleb is an exquisitely imperfect protagonist whose problematic decisions make him likable, particularly as he attempts to resolve his predicaments. The supporting characters are finely crafted as well, from Caleb's caring mom, who reawakens with the advent of a new boyfriend, and his highly talented, dutiful older brother to his absent dad and finicky stepmother. A beautiful metaphor of two trees delicately bending away from each other as they grow, in order to thrive, illuminates the future of Caleb and Kit's passionate friendship. Vrabel weaves all these elements into a story reminiscent of Katherine Paterson's classic Bridge to Terabithia that highlights day-to-day life with a common but devastating disease. VERDICT Hand to readers looking for a novel about both the magic and the pain of friendship. A solid purchase for most collections.—Erin Reilly-Sanders, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Kirkus Reviews

2017-06-05
A 12-year-old boy attempts to take charge of his own life. Caleb, a white boy born with cystic fibrosis, hates being one of only two kids his age in summer day camp. His mom refuses to let him stay home alone while she works, his irresponsible dad is off gallivanting with his new fiancee, and his perfect older brother has a summer internship—with, of all things, the local CF foundation. Caleb's longtime best friend is busy with football and baseball—sports Caleb can no longer play. When he meets a mystical girl (also white, as all the main characters seem to be) in the woods behind his home, he's intrigued; when she encourages him to escape the ordinary and to do whatever he wants, he goes along, skipping camp and spending days with her. But Kit is burdened with her own problems and secrets, and what Kit wants them to do is sometimes illegal or dangerous. Caleb's first-person narration allows readers to sympathize with the frustration and fear that cause him to act out, and it propels the plot to a credible, nuanced conclusion. The cystic fibrosis is well-handled—it affects every part of Caleb's life but never defines who he is. A realistic story with strong, recognizable characters that doesn't reduce cystic fibrosis to a tragedy. (Fiction. 8-12)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940173396679
Publisher:	Hachette Audio
Publication date:	09/12/2017
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

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