Gr 6-9-- Figuring she'll never get adopted because of her caramel-colored skin and crippled leg, Rocky finds herself chosen by Emma and Fred, a kind, indulgent, alcoholic couple from Bolton, Kansas. It's in Bolton that she finds her devoted dog, Python, who leads her to Mick, the rumpled artist hired to design a monument to the town's war dead and the person who changes Rocky's view of life, art, and the world. Through the drawings he makes in order to get a feel for the town's people and history, the citizens of Bolton see themselves and their surroundings in a new light, although they're not sure they like it. As Mick does with his sketches, Paulsen tells the story in quick, deft strokes. The gossip at the grain elevator on a summer day, Rocky's insecurities and toughness, and the varied characters are vividly yet succinctly conveyed. In just three days, Mick breezes into town, turns Rocky on to the power of art, and convinces the people of Bolton that a grove of trees will be an appropriate monument as well as an artistic statement. Avoiding a lot of artistic jargon, Paulsen carries readers along with his (and Mick's) strong images and enthusiasm. A powerful, affecting story with its comments on art and homage. --Susan Knorr, Milwaukee Public Library

Anyone beginning this first-person novel might think that it's going to be about Rocky's troubles and triumphs as a mixed-race 13-year-old girl with a bad leg, two alcoholic adoptive parents, and a faithful dog to lean on (literally). Not so. This is a novel about art, and as soon as Mick (the artist) shows up, hired to create a monument to local soldiers who died in wars, Rocky focuses on him, though in the process, she is transformed and dedicates herself to becoming an artist. Occasionally, the narrative becomes didactic, hammering home points about the awesome, transforming power of art and the superhuman vision of the artist. But its vistas of small-town life are acutely observed--and sometimes wickedly funny--and the scenes concerning the conception and creation of the monument itself are genuinely moving. An involving but uneven novel that, like a flawed gem, shows flashes of real brilliance. (Reviewed Sept. 15, 1991)

Mick Strum, an artist, creates a memorial to honor the war dead of Bolton, Kansas. In doing so, Mick earns the respect of the town and, in particular, teenaged Rocky, who develops her own artistic talents under Mick's guidance. This thought-provoking novel explores the power of art to evoke emotion.

Paulsen quotes Katherine Anne Porter: Art is what we find when the ruins are cleared away.'' In exploring this provocative remark, he reveals much about his own art. Seedy, independent Mick arrives in Bolton, Kansas, to design its Vietnam Memorial. For days, he observes and draws—animals, people, the graveyard—followed by narrator Rocky, acaramel- colored'' lame teenager adopted, at nine, by good-hearted Emma and Fred. Enthralled by Mick's art, Rocky realizes that she, too, is an artist; Mick agrees, offering pointers and the respect due a fellow professional. But the town is appalled by Mick's drawings: his telling chalk reveals too much—including Tru (who hired him) in the nude. As Mick anticipated, people react most negatively to what he considers his strongest work. Then, skillfully, he leads them to accept a monument to please everyone: 18 trees, one for each of Bolton's military dead, going back to the Civil War. Rocky calls Bolton a microcosm of the world.'' Of course- -but only as seen in the idiosyncratic if wise vision of Mick, who wryly succeeds in giving the town a dignified monument despite itself. He also transforms two lives: Rocky finds a calling; Tru, awakened to her own humanity, joins Mick when he goes. Meanwhile, severalruins'' are suggested—wars and bar fights; the lives of Mick, Emma, and Fred (who drink a lot but function well); orphaned Rocky; Mick's rejected drawings. Each gives rise to some sort of art or to a creative relationship; the macho view of the artist lurks, but not offensively. An intriguing, ironic tale, written vividly and with memorable humor. (Fiction. 12+)"