[Download free pdf] Hold Me Tight

Hold Me Tight
Lorie Ann Grover
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#4748656 in Books Margaret K. McElderry Books 2005-03-22Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 1.20 x

Lorie Ann Grover : Hold Me Tight before purchasing it in order to gage whether or not it would be worth my time,
and all praised Hold Me Tight:

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Hold Me Tight: A ReviewBy A CustomerThe author of the book
Hold Me Tight uses characterization and theme to entwine the reader in an intricate novel of literary merit.
Characterization is used to bring the characters to life. Throughout the book, Lori Ann Grover uses description to
illustrate the characters thoughts with crystal clear clarity, and visualize their body language. "Dale drinks the milk/
out of his cereal bowl,/ then licks the cinnamon sugar/ off his plate./Mom doesn't even notice./I give him a grossed-out
look/and try to kick him/ under the table./I miss./He licks it again."(p.19.) "Even if/he ordered in for us/ pizza with
crab topping,/ and played cars with Dale,/ and did the dishes, and helped me with my math,/he didn't/need to sit in
dad's chair/ at the table/ or rub Mom's neck/ like that."(p. 138.) she also has a good theme to the book, which is how
Estele is battling everything to stay in one piece. "Man she's mean./ Her and all her cool fiends./ But today/Dad seems/
even meaner./ Dad leaving/ hurts so bad/ it makes what Jarin does/ feel like nothing."(p.28.) "I look at myself/ in the
bathroom mirror/ every morning and say, `not a victim,/ not a victim,/ not a victim."(p. 135.) There are even more
literary elements in this phenomenal piece of writing. But characterization, and theme are the two most prominent
.Estele struggles throughout the book to get over her dad leaving her and her family. He said he was just being
separated from her mom, and that she and her little brother Dale had nothing to worry about, but she soon learned
otherwise. In the pandemonium, a kid named Chris from her class that happens to sit right in front of her gets
kidnapped from his bus stop one day after school. Estele is ashamed that she can't even remember what color shirt he
was wearing the day he went missing, let alone take the time to become his friend. In their time of need, a family
friend supposedly comes to help them get through their loss and over come the difficulties that a single parent
pregnancy poses. A surprising twist in the middle of the story proves otherwise. After Mr. Paul seems to have deserted
the family right before their mom's delivery, they struggle to find a labor coach -Estele prays that it isn't her.The book
is very descriptively written, but the plot is lacking. This is a great piece of literature purely for the way it is written,
not necessarily for the story line. Grover writes using sharp adjectives and strong nouns. She paints a picture in the
reader's head with flowing descriptions and alliterations. Though Grover paints pictures of the story, all to often they
are the same pictures over and over. The story line throughout the book is bland with just a few twists happening early
on. Over all, this is a good book. It was based on modern day, easily relatable, problems for the average day person.
Even though the plot has few excitements, those few paired with the picturesque description make this book a great
read.5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Really good bookBy BeautifulThis 10 year old is way better at
poetry than I am. This whole book takes place in 8 weeks. Her father leaves Essie, her brother Dale, and her pregnant
mother. The boy who sits in front of her in class, Chris, is kidnaped. She is molested by a man who is supposed to be a
family friend. Needless to say she has a lot of reason to want to be held.I really liked this book because even though it
was easy to read it also dealt with a lot of issues that are tough like divorce. So it wasn't just one of those books you
read fast and your done, it makes you think. I think everyone should read this.

"I'm leaving."Dad's words come as a complete shock to Essie. How can he just walk out on her and the family,
especially when Mom is pregnant?Essie keeps her dad's leaving a secret. Then Essie's classmate, Chris Crow,
disappears, and everyone finds out he's been kidnapped. Is Chris okay? Is Dad ever coming back? Essie is left to
wonder if people really have any control over what happens in their lives.Finally, after a startling incident with a
family friend, Essie finds the strength to hold on tight to all that she has left -- and in the process realizes that the
bonds of love and family do hold a person together.Inspired by true events, Hold Me Tight is a moving and powerful
novel. An author's note provides further information about kidnapping and the Amber Plan programs that are in use
today to help communities find abducted children.

From School Library JournalGrade 4-7Told in evocative prose poetry, this powerful story is sure to touch the hearts of
many readers. Twelve-year-old Essie's Thanksgiving holiday is completely ruined when her father walks into the room
and announces, "I'm leaving." Essie's mother, heavily pregnant and unable to work, attempts to cope with the
depression and the fears of Essie and seven-year-old Dale, but things only get worse. Essie's classmate Chris is
kidnapped, and her mother's friend, Mr. Paul, tries to touch Essie in an inappropriate manner. Crisis after crisis looms,
and finally, as the baby's birth is imminent, the family starts to regain its footing with the help of others in the
community. Although heavily burdened with her own fears, Essie's mother is ultimately able to help the children deal
with their father's abandonment with dignity and understanding, and Essie realizes that love provides the strength for
their little family to hold together and survive and thrive.Susan Riley, Mount Kisco Public Library, NY An unrelenting
string of bad experiences related in brief poems, this is another issue-oriented story by Grover. Essie's father leaves the
family abruptly and unexpectedly. Her mother is pregnant and unable to work, so money troubles loom, along with the
shock and hurt that Essie, her mother, and her younger brother feel. Then Essie's classmate Chris disappears,
kidnapped by a stranger in a pick-up truck. Finally, to add to Essie's misery, fear and self-doubt, an old family friend
assaults her. Essie's first-person, present-tense narration offers readers an intimate, if narrow, view of events.
Unfortunately, the narrative isn't always convincing-would a contemporary child, for example, truly not be aware of
French kissing, at least as a concept? In addition, there are problems with the flow of the text; line breaks often seem
arbitrary, rather than emphasizing or enhancing meaning. Essie and her family do find ways to connect with friends,
new and old, who help them to cope. Whether readers will hang on long enough to appreciate the positive ending is an
open question. (Fiction. 9-12) (Kirkus s)About the AuthorLorie Ann Grover attended the University of Miami. After
school she lived with her husband, David, in South Korea, where she spent most of her time painting and writing
poetry. The Grovers have two daughters, Emily and Ellen, and live in Sumner, Washington.The author of Loose
Threads, Lorie Ann was inspired to write On Pointe by her own experiences as a teenage member of the Miami Ballet
Company.