Judie Angell

Sarajane lives in a tiny lakeside resort village where her family owns a restaurant. Because it's the '70s, even though she's only 12 she has to watch her younger brother, do all the laundry, help out in the restaurant, and many other tasks. Then a new girl comes for the summer, smart-mouthed Tina Gogo who tells a lot of tall tales.

There were a lot of books in the '70s about children in foster care, and this is a good one that avoids the usual tropes. In the end, Tina is sent back to live with her mother who is poor and seems depressed and unable to take care of herself. I was prepared for a truly heartbreaking ending but was pleasantly surprised. Tina says that she'll be fine either way, whether she goes with her mom or stays with her nice foster family. And Sarajane and Tina seem like they're going to stay in touch and keep on being friends. So the conclusion was poignant but didn't make it seem like Tina's life was ruined; the emphasis was on how she was resilient and had learned to have friends and trust them. I liked seeing the story from Sarajane's innocent, sensitive point of view. There was a really great bit about how in the middle of the night Tina would talk to her locket necklace in her own voice and then reply in a mom's voice, and it scared Sarajane at a sleepover.

I think kids today would still enjoy this book, but I think certain things might have to be explained to them. Like a bit about how a lonely drunk man takes Sarajane and Tina out on a fishing boat in rough waters, and they have to get him back home and put him to bed. I didn't know that Judie Angell was also Fran Arrick (just ONE of her pseudonyms! Based on the Fran Arrick novels I've read, I'm guessing that by-line was for grittier, more disturbing books for teens.) Reading Tina Gogo makes me want to read more of Judie Angell's work.… (more)