Sorting Things Out

2/15/2019

Pay Attention, Carter Jones by Gary D. Schmidt

"So listen, Jones," he said. "Things will get sorted out."
"You mean in cricket?"
"In cricket, too."

Disclosure: I had a vague idea about cricket based solely on passing references in literature. Beginning on page one it was evident that cricket was going to be an important element to the story. Every single chapter begins with a quote describing cricket protocol.
I put Pay Attention, Carter Jones down and scurried off to You Tube for a crash tutorial. While a knowledge of cricket is not required to appreciate the story, I found it helpful to learn a few basics.

Returning to the story...

Carter Jones' life is in disarray. Dad is stationed in Germany. The family car is beyond repair. His three younger sisters function in crisis mode. Their dog is constantly barfing. The Joneses are trying to keep the family together and their heads above water. They are not succeeding.
Then the doorbell rings.
It's the Butler. Thanks to arrangements from a deceased relative, the family now has a Butler. But this is no ordinary gentleman's gentleman. His major task is restoring order to a crumbling household. Homework, piano practice, and a proper breakfast are promptly instituted.

The Butler takes the unusual step of introducing Carter to cricket and organizing a group of boys, teaching them the game's fundamentals. Separate story threads come together on a blustery Saturday morning when Team Britannia meets Team India on the local middle school football field for an exhibition game. Schmidt brings the contest between the two teams to a riveting finish that will have readers holding their breath until the final moments of the game. No one will want to stop for coffee.

Sixth-grader Carter slowly reveals the family's deep-seated wounds: the death of his younger brother and his parent's dissolving marriage. A distinctive voice makes this first-person narrative stand out. Australian tropical thunderstorms, a treasured green marble, and unanswered emails expose his aching heart.

I was there.
In the Blue Mountains of Australia.
I was wet and cold and the wind was up, and my father had scattered my fire and now he was kneeling by the fire he had built and now he was stacking twigs onto it.

Carter's offers wry commentary on wide range of topics: the dog's choice of his neighbor's day lilies to do his business, a mandatory excursion to the ballet with his sisters, driving the Butler's Bentley, and taking the "unpatriotic" side in a class assignment.
Keeping it real, Master Jones. Thanks for keeping it real.

Like The Wednesday Wars and Okay for Now, Pay Attention Carter Jones is a story of getting along, helping out, and standing up. Of growing up.
Read it alone. Read it with a friend. Read it aloud. Read it while eating Irish steel-cut oatmeal or pizza. It works any way and every way. Pay attention to this one!

Note: Schmidt scatters little Easter Eggs throughout the text. Nods to children's literature and current events abound. The family lives in Marysville, New York. The middle school principal is Mrs. Swieteck. See Wednesday Wars. Principal Swieteck lived in England for a few years when her husband was studying art. And... her name is Lilian. See: Okay for Now. Krosoczka is not a common name. Perhaps Coach Krosoczka is related to the famous comic creator Jarrett Krosoczka. See: Lunch Lady series and Hey Kiddo. Was the name for the Cricket-playing Butler Bowles-Fitzpatrick inspired by New York Jets former head coach Bowles and Jets quarterback Fitzpatrick?