Taking Chances
Caroline Crowley

Faith, Hope, and Ivy June
By Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

           Could you ever imagine living someone else’s life? What if your school told you unexpectedly that you are going to be spending your spring break with a family that you don't know, and they live across the country, just so you could study their lifestyle? For Ivy June, who is a very smart, musical, and shy teenager, that is how she will be spending her spring break. Ivy lives in Kentucky in a small cabin that is surrounded by mountains. She lives with her grandmother and grandfather because her parents did not have enough room in their own cabin. Ivy truly believes that the key to having a happy life is being surrounded by your loved ones and the little things in life should bring happiness. On the other hand, Catherine Clark who is the person that Ivy will be living with during her spring break, is very different from Ivy. Catherine is very outgoing, athletic, and popular. She lives in California with her family in a beautiful house with space for everyone. For several weeks, Ivy is on a journey and gets to experience a day in the life of Catherine Clark. Ivy is there to see, Catherine’s high moments such as winning the soccer championship, along with her low moments such as the time when Catherine’s boyfriend dumped her. When Catherine first met Ivy her first reaction was, “felt weird, though her interests were weird” (71). Catherine didn't believe at first that she had anything in common with Ivy.  Ivy’s initial reaction when she met Catherine was, “strangely, Catherine was carrying her younger siblings on her back” (78). Ivy does not know how to act with younger kids, because she is an only child and can't relate to Catherine. As the book goes on, Catherine and Ivy experience many ups, downs, laughs, cries, and memories that will stick with them both forever. They both realize that they may be more alike than different when they come across a situation where both their loved ones are in serious trouble. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is afraid to go out of their comfort zone and try new things. Both Ivy and Catherine took risks and faced many challenges. It wasn't easy for them to overcome their challenges, but they overcame them together and overcoming the challenges made them both stronger. I can relate to that because there are times in my life when I am afraid to go outside of my comfort zone, or try something new. However, once I believe in myself and have confidence in my abilities, I have the strength inside of me to try something new and whether it works out or not, I feel stronger stronger as a person.