Synopses & Reviews
Nine-year-old Lenny Brewster is captivated by the world - the mysteries of machines, the magic of snow, the pure joy of a perfect ride down a slippery slide. He knows a lot, but not how to share it with others. Of course, it doesn't help having an absent father, a preoccupied mother, and a teacher and peers who don't like him. Lenny spends much of his time in the principal's office or alone, absorbed in his ideas. Then he meets Van, a kindred spirit, and Muriel, the canny school therapist. Their simple acceptance of Lenny helps him find his place at last.
Written with incisive prose, smart humor, and profound wisdom, Lenny's Space is not only about recognizing the possibilities life affords us and the challenge of coming to grips with its sometimes difficult realities, but also about the triumphant, undying power of true friendship.
Review
"[A] gem of a novel . . . Graceful and touching."—Kirkus Reviews "...A thoughtful exploration of a kid getting back in touch with his own heart."—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books "This exceptional portrait...will fortify readers in their efforts to find their own spaces, much as Lenny learns to claim his." —Starred, Publisher's Weekly "Both Lenny and the reader will hang on to Muriel's quiet wisdom long after the story is over."—The Horn Book
About the Author
Kate Banks is the author of Walk Softly, Rachel, Friends of the Heart / Amici del Cuore, and Dillon Dillon. She is also the author of many award-winning picture books, among them Maxs Words, And If the Moon Could Talk, winner of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, and The Night Worker, winner of the Charlotte Zolotow Award. She grew up in Maine, where she and her two sisters and brother spent a lot of time outdoors, and where Banks developed an early love of reading. Banks attended Wellesley College and received her masters in history at Columbia University. She lived in Rome for eight years but now lives in the South of France with her husband and two sons, Peter Anton and Maximilian.