Permanent Rose

Book: Permanent Rose
Author: Hilary McKay
Audience: Grades 4-6
In a Nutshell: waiting for a letter, shoplifting, searching for your real father, and other summer holiday activities

This third book about the lovably odd and artistic Casson family focuses on the youngest member of the family, Rose, although the whole family is in on the action. Their artist parents named all the children after colors on the paint wheel: Cadmium, Indigo, Saffron (not a color, but she's their adopted cousin- see Saffy's Angel), and Permanent Rose. Yes, that is her legal name. She was very sick as a baby, and her mother hoped that having "permanent" in her name would encourage her to stick around.

We pick up shortly after the last book, Indigo's Star, left off. Indigo and Rose haven't heard a word from their friend, Tom, since he flew back to America months ago, and Rose is beginning to worry that they don't mean as much to Tom as he means to them. It doesn't help that David, a big awkward kid, has gone from tormenting Indigo as a bully to hanging around the Casson house all the time hoping for Indigo's friendship now, which makes Rose mad.

Rose begins to explore her new-found gift for shoplifting. Rose also makes multiple attempts to get their distant father more interested in his family. By distant, I don't just mean emotionally, although there is that. I mean he lives in London with his girlfriend, and the family knows it. Their mother puts on a tolerant face, but it's not truly okay with her. Meanwhile, Saffy and her best friend, Sarah, are trying to find clues to Saffy's real father. Let's not forget free-spirited Caddie, who is engaged to "darling Michael" but seems pretty nervous about the one ring, one man concept.

I have a hard time talking up this series because it's all just family drama stuff, and I don't usually get into these kinds of books. But the Cassons are so wonderful, and funny, and lovingly dysfunctional, that I keep coming back for more. If you like quirky family stories, the whole series is a must-read.

I actually listened to this one. The reader, Sophie Aldred, does a decent job, but the first two books were narrated by Julia Sawalha- think Absolutely Fabulous or feather-headed Lydia in the BBC Pride and Prejudice. Sawalha did a fantastic job, and I was disappointed by the change. But whatchagonnado.