Reader's Annotation: T.J. hears scratching coming from behind the wall in her new house. Much to her surprise the scratching is being made by a family of Littles. Soon, T.J. and the runaway Little Elizabeth, begin an adventure to find Elizabeth's wings.
Plot Summary: T.J. hates the city. She misses her house, her friends, her school, but most of all she misses Red, her horse. Yet there is something intriguing about T.J.'s new house; a family of Little's is living behind her bedroom wall. One night Elizabeth, the punk rock seventeen-year-old Little living in the wall, decides to runaway. Not long after her attempt to runaway Elizabeth finds her family has moved on for fear of discovery by T.J.'s family. T.J. reaches out to Elizabeth and offers to help her find her family or more of her kind. The two embark on an adventure through the city as both learn more about themselves and the mystical world living right under everyone's nose.
Critical Evaluation: The first thing I noticed about De Lint's novel was the unique spelling in the title. Instead of the standard spelling of “girl”, De Lint chose to use the alternative, “grrl”. This spelling originated from Riot Grrrl an underground feminist punk movement in the early 1990s. Today using the spelling of “grrl” usually refers to female empowerment. This is really what's at the heart of Little (Grrl) Lost, empowerment and finding one's self. The two main characters in the novel are Elizabeth and T.J. Elizabeth loves punk fashion, thinks she can conquer the world on her own, and literally wants to get her wings and fly away. T.J. is plain, quiet, and still unsure of herself. De Lint switches narration between the two girls as we travel with them through their individual journeys. Each of the characters grow and change throughout the book, leaving them each with a sense of empowerment over their own lives by the end.
Author: Charles de Lint is widely credited with having pioneered the contemporary fantasy genre. With 35 novels and 18 books of short fiction published to date, he is known as a master in his field. While most of De Lint's fiction has been written for adults, he's also penned several books for young people. His latest young adult novel, The Painted Boy, will be released by Viking Books as their lead title in November 2010. Two books for middle-grade readers (as yet unscheduled) will be published by Little, Brown and Company. He is currently writing a young adult novel for Penguin Canada. De Lint has been described as a romantic, a believer in compassion, hope and human potential. His vivid portrayal of character and settings has earned him a vast cadre of loyal readers. De Lint has won many awards and honours for his fiction, including the World Fantasy Award and the Canadian SF/Fantasy Award (the Aurora). Eight of his books appear on the Modern Library Top 100 Books of the Twentieth Century poll, conducted by Random House and voted on by readers. http://www.sfsite.com/charlesdelint/bio01.htm Genre: Modern Fantasy
Curriculum Ties: n/a
Booktalking Ideas: Where would you seek comfort if you ran away from home? Elizabeth wants to get wings, but they come at a price. Have you ever had to decide on getting something that might have negative consequences?
Age: 13+
Challenge Issues: n/a
Why I Included This Book: Little (Grrl) Lost was recommended to me by a YA Librarian as a good book to read for reluctant readers. There isn't really any controversial material, the language is simple, and overall it is a good fantasy read.
Penguin Group, 2007, ISBN 9780670061440
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