LitPick Review
The second book of the Baby Grape series, Baby Grape and the River Folk, follows the beloved teen Toby and his ever growing group of friends as they work the rivers around Pittsburgh in a steam boat. With the many immigrants searching for transportation and work, Toby has his hands full. Using the gold he accumulated in his previous journeys, Toby begins to create a wonderful living for himself, on the river and on land. However, life for Toby never seems to remain peaceful for long, and soon he is running from the law, encountering deathly illnesses, and dealing with some 1800's drama. Amazing adventures are the norm for Toby, Gina, Jaynee, and the rest of the gang as they fight for survival, once again.
Opinion:
Baby Grape and the River Folk, incredibly, has even more adventure and suspense than the first Baby Grape book. There is a great variety in the predicaments Toby encounters, which moves the story along at a fast pace. Characters, both old and new, are developed well with believable personalities and fun quirks. Like the first book, Baby Grape and the River Folk seems to move from one set of characters to another very quickly. There was a lot of thought put into the newest of Toby's friends, and I only wish they appeared for longer periods of time over the course of the story. I loved the ending, because it cleared up some confusion I had felt about character's thoughts in a cute, bittersweet way. I would recommend this book to tweens and teens who like historical fiction and adventure, along with a little drama and romance. If you read the first book and liked it, you will love Baby Grape and the River Folk.
