In Front of God and Everybody by K. D. McCrite

The Confessions of April Grace: In Front of God and Everybody, by K. D. McCrite. Thomas Nelson, 2011, 390 pages.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10

Recommended for: Ages 8-12

Bottom Line: The Confessions of April Grace series kicks off with a humorous but far-fetched take on the quandaries of growing up in a small town.

[T]hings happened that made the summer of 1986 the most memorable time of my whole entire life. And it all started with that gleaming black car pulling up in front of my house. That’s April Grace Riley, age 11, and the car belongs to Mr. and Mrs. St. James, California sophisticates who mock caricatures of Arkansas Hillbillies. Or Mr. St. James used to, but he’s been humbled by losing all his money in bad investments. He’s returning to his roots in the Ozarks, but his wife has to be dragged kicking and screaming–literally.  Our narrator, possesses a nifty turn of phrase and down-home southern appeal. Her challenges are two: learning to get along with Isobel St. James and warning Grandma away from an obnoxious beau. April Grace triumphs, though logical questions intrude, such as (spoiler alert), is it possible for Isobel St. James to turn April’s sister Myra Sue into an anorexic—indicative of deep-seated emotional problems–in a mere two months? Without her parents noticing?

The parents are personable, likeable, committed to each other and to Christ. Grandma explains why they’re being so tolerant and helpful to the St. Jameses while April Grace fumes over the imposition of these weirdos on her life: “[The Bible] says something like, love is patient and kind, and it doesn’t act easily angered or keep record of wrongdoing . . . Your mama believes in that scripture and she lives her life by it.” But therein lies another problem: Mama is so intent on being patient and kind that she doesn’t notice her own older daughter becoming a human skeleton.  It’s April Grace—impatient, impetuous, and mouthy—who saves the day while her parents are being long-suffering and tolerant.  Their behavior seems to support the old saying about being too heavenly-minded for any earthy use, and the novel comes close to giving lip-service to biblical forbearance while really celebrating the protagonist’s ungentle and unquiet spirit.  April Grace does learn to harness her mouth a bit and think more charitably of folks, which is all to the good, and the reader can have a lot of fun watching her do it. It’s the first of a series: Cliques, Hicks, and Ugly Sticks is the next title, which promises to be just as rollicky.

Cautions: none

Overall Rating: 3.5 (out of 5)

• Worldview/moral value: 4
• Artistic value: 3.5

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