Tall Story

December 20, 2010
Thirteen-year-old Andi's brother, Bernardo, has lived halfway across the world from her since she was born. But the British Home Office has finally allowed 16-year-old Bernardo to immigrate to London, and he arrives just as basketball-obsessed Andi is struggling at a new school where the basketball team is boys-only. Bernardo has grown up in the small Philippine village of San Andres where he is hailed as a hero—often compared to the legendary, Paul Bunyanesque figure of Bernardo Carpio—yet is plagued by a past tragedy. At over eight feet tall, Bernardo is indeed a giant, a fact that initially freaks out tiny Andi (the family discovers he has a tumor on his pituitary gland). The story switches between Andi's feisty narration and Bernardo's descriptions of life in his village (and the mystical responsibility he feels for it) as well as his adjustment to life in London. Small details, such as why modern-day Andi
idolizes Michael Jordan instead of, say, LeBron James distract slightly, but overall first-time author Gourlay weaves just enough magic into this moving family
reunion to deliver an emotional punch. Ages 10–up.

Starred review from January 1, 2011

Twelve-year-old Andi's pleasure in her family's move to a real house and the coincidental long-awaited arrival of her older half brother from the Philippines is overshadowed by learning that only boys play basketball at her new school. For Bernardo, happiness about his immigration clearance is tempered by worry that his departure will expose his small village to earthquakes. Ever since he began to grow—he's now 8 feet tall—some villagers believe he is the returned legendary giant Bernardo Carpio, who saved San Andres from being crushed long ago. In alternating chapters, Andi and Bernardo describe Bernardo's first days in London—the chilly weather, the MRI for the seizures that Bernardo has begun to experience, the first real clothes that fit his tall body, the sister and parents who love him. Andi's voice is genuinely funny, tender and acerbic, especially about her parents; Bernardo's is thoughtful and earnest, his forays into English nicely handled with sympathetic humor. Gourlay spins slender threads of wishes and prayers, magic and miracles, desires and redemption and weaves together an impressively sweet and rich tale. (Fiction. 9-13)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

Starred review from March 1, 2011

Gr 6-9-Separated for years by immigration restrictions, Bernardo, a Philippine teen, finally gets legal permission to join his mother, a nurse, in England. His younger half sister, Andi, can't wait to meet her eight-foot-tall brother and share with him her love of basketball. Bernardo's desire to join his family is tempered by his loyalty to his village where he is compared to a legendary giant revered as a protector from earthquakes. After arriving in England, Bernardo gets medical help for a pituitary tumor and seizures; inadvertently propels his sister into realizing her dream of playing basketball; and reconciles his fears about leaving his village. Bernardo and Andi tell their compelling, heartwarming reunion story in alternating chapters. Bernardo grapples with adjusting to life in England, physical pain and superstition, and guilt when an earthquake destroys his Philippine village. Meanwhile, Andi struggles to fit into a new school and cope with added family responsibilities. Contemporary Tagalong and British vernacular enhance the brother/sister narration and enliven the depiction of cultures. In her first young adult novel, Gourlay offers an appealing blend of diverse characters, emotional conflicts, well-paced action, and an upbeat finale. The challenges facing separated, immigrant families and the universal teen desire for acceptance and respect ring true.-Gerry Larson, Durham School of the Arts, NC

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from January 1, 2011
Grades 6-9 *Starred Review* Working through the many meanings of tall story, first-time author Gourlay slam-dunks this tale of a towering boy from the Philippines and the pint-size, basketball-crazy half sister with whom he has recently been reunited. Told in the alternating voices of Bernardo, who suffers from gigantism, and Andi, who longs to play point guard on her schools b-ball team, the novel effortlessly encompasses real-world dreams as well as magic realism. Bernardo was left behind when his mother, a nurse, immigrated to the UK and forged a new family. In San Andres, Bernardo is seen as a reincarnated folk-hero giant who protects the area from earthquakes, though he believes the blame for his freakish height falls on the local witches who cursed him. In contrast to Bernardos anxieties over coming to the UK, Andis struggles of readjustment to her changed family appear minor. Wonderfully, though, Gourlay uses the dual viewpoints to show that Andis concerns are no less important. And, it turns out, she finds that there is more than one thing worth wishing for. This will capture the hearts and minds of sports loversand just about everyone else as well.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)

May 1, 2011
Andi's sharp tongue is evident from the very beginning: "So many armpits, so little deodorant." At thirteen, her passion in life is for basketball, and the arrival from the Philippines of her older half brother Bernardo is mostly a distraction to her. Bernardo tells the other half of the story, with the pair alternating first-person narration. For Bernardo, getting to finally join his mother's family in London is a thrill, but he is also worried, knowing that the people back home believe that with his eight-foot height come magic powers that keep the village safe. Andi must cope with her new brother's limited English and even more limited understanding of basic things like escalators, but she tries to rein in her impatience while still keeping her focus on basketball. In the chapters narrated by Bernardo, we learn slowly of his complicated past involving a wishing stone, a beautiful young bully, and a half-built basketball stadium. Gourlay gives Bernardo's narration an eloquent, thoughtful expression, much in contrast with the way he speaks in dialogue ("I am the blame"). Gourlay's light touch allows the relationships to develop and the story to be revealed delicately, layer by layer. It's a complex yet highly accessible and engaging novel that lends itself to discussion both of concrete topics such as immigration and of abstract ideas about belief, magic, and sacrifice. susan dove lempke

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from January 1, 2011

Twelve-year-old Andi's pleasure in her family's move to a real house and the coincidental long-awaited arrival of her older half brother from the Philippines is overshadowed by learning that only boys play basketball at her new school. For Bernardo, happiness about his immigration clearance is tempered by worry that his departure will expose his small village to earthquakes. Ever since he began to grow--he's now 8 feet tall--some villagers believe he is the returned legendary giant Bernardo Carpio, who saved San Andres from being crushed long ago. In alternating chapters, Andi and Bernardo describe Bernardo's first days in London--the chilly weather, the MRI for the seizures that Bernardo has begun to experience, the first real clothes that fit his tall body, the sister and parents who love him. Andi's voice is genuinely funny, tender and acerbic, especially about her parents; Bernardo's is thoughtful and earnest, his forays into English nicely handled with sympathetic humor. Gourlay spins slender threads of wishes and prayers, magic and miracles, desires and redemption and weaves together an impressively sweet and rich tale. (Fiction. 9-13)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)