Rocky Road by Rose Kent

Do you like ice cream? You'll love this book if you do.

This book is currently for sale in local bookstores. The copy I reviewed came from Knopf Delacorte Dell Young Readers Group, a division of Random House Children's Books. It's for young adults between the ages of 8-12.

Tess is not at all happy to find out her mother is moving the family from Texas to a run-down town in New York to open an ice cream shop. Who wants to buy ice cream when it's snowing outside?

Ms. Kent's characters are "real" and it's easy to get involved in the story. Tess' mother is bi-polar and the effects of the disease on her are accurately depicted. Tess also has a deaf brother, so between her Ma's ups and downs and moving to a new town and a new school, Tess is very busy keeping up with the family members. Not to mention the new ice cream shop.

You see her sense of responsibility, her mother's buoyancy while she's feeling positive, and you get a sense of the community spirit blooming in this new town that wasn't there when they first arrived.

While they may get discouraged, Ms. Kent's characters are strong and don't give up. And the descriptions of the ice cream flavors Ma creates will make your mouth water...

I think young readers will enjoy reading how they overcome their challenges. There's humor in the story to keep it from being too intense. When I finished this book, I was hoping the author would write a sequel. I'd like to see what Tess and her family conquer next...