Saving Winslow by Sharon Creech
Published by HarperCollins on September 11th 2018
ISBN: 0062570706
Pages: 176
Goodreads

This is a short and sweet novel for upper elementary-aged lovers of animals and/or books like The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate and Moo, also be Creech. Louie has had several failed attempts at taking care of the runt animals born at his Uncle Pete’s farm, so when his father brings home a tiny, weak baby donkey, no one expects it to live, not his uncle, his parents, or his quirky new friend Nora.  However, Louie, born two months early so kind of a runt himself, accepts the challenge of proving them all wrong. And while it generally takes more than love and determination to keep something alive, the presence of those two things certainly go a long way to help little Winslow’s chances. Told in short chapters with headings that provide a pretty good hint about what’s going to happen, the story of the bond between a boy and a donkey moves along quickly even as it deals with issues of growing up and accepting change. And the book offers a satisfying and wistful ending that will bring a smile and a hee-haw.

Reviewed by Jill O’Connor, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth