LitPick Review
Set in New Jersey, Drawing with Whitman is about a girl named Catalynd—“Cat”—who breaks both legs in a car accident. The car accident occurs during a storm, when her mom loses control of the car and hits a tree. Her mom feels very depressed after the car accident, and Cat tries to help her and understand her depression. While all of this is happening, Cat's oldest brother, Buddy, is leaving for college in Florida. Cat is not excited to see him go, because the two have a very close relationship. A suspicious artist named Benton Whitman moves into the family’s barn. Cat and Benton form a relationship, and while Cat struggles with her broken legs, Benton teaches her to paint and Cat learns Benton is related to famous poet Walt Whitman.
Opinion:
Drawing with Whitman is an emotional book from which the reader can learn many things. It is emotional because the main character, Cat, deals with physical injury while her mom struggles with mental health issues after the accident. The story has many morals, such as not giving up in tough situations. One thing I do not like about this book is that it is so short. I would love to read more about Cat and her journey with her injured legs, but there is a sequel coming out, so my rating increased when I figured that out because the book feels incomplete. I recommend this very inspiring book for everyone ages 8 and up. Overall I give it 4 of 5 stars because it is a very good book, although not one of my all-time favorites.
