Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Hit the Road

Hit the Road
by Caroline B. Cooney

A wonderfully funny yet poignant story written for young adolescents is Hit the Road by Caroline B. Cooney. Published in 2006, it is the story of 16-year-old Brit and her 86-year-old grandmother Nannie, who is determined to attend her 65th college reunion in Maine with her former college roommates. Unfortunately, Nannie’s daughter has taken away her car. Undeterred, Nannie rents an SUV and forces brand-new driver Brit to drive from Connecticut to Long Island and then up to Maine. On the way, they pick up Flo, kidnap Aurelia from a nursing home, and then have to save Aurelia’s fortune from her dastardly son Aston. Besides over-the-top hilarity, increasing suspense (with a little romance thrown in), Hit the Road touchingly portrays the loss of independence and choice faced by many seniors as Brit comes to realize that “the girls,” though they may need a bit of help, are still quite capable of ordering their own lives. I would recommend this novel to “girls” of any age.

– Linda B.

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