Applesauce Weather
Written By: Helen Frost
Illustrated by: Amy June Bates
Published: 2016
As I have mentioned multiple times, I am a firm believer in the idea that those who do not enjoy reading just haven't found the right book yet. Well, I have never been a fan of poetry. After years of grade school spent discussing the symbolism in each stanza, line, and word, I have always found poetry pretentious and overrated. This book flipped my perception of the genre on its head. Applesauce Weather was crisp and fresh, just like the apples the characters love so dearly.
This novel written in verse was a heartfelt story of loss, love, and reminiscence. Faith and Peter are two siblings that live on a farm that is also home to an apple orchard. Each year when the first apple falls from the trees, their Uncle Arthur somehow magically knows that it is "applesauce season". With this time of the year comes stories and tall tales from their beloved uncle about his past. This year, however, his wife, Aunt Lucy, passed away. This being so, Uncle Arthur came to the farm by himself with a melancholy aura and a lack of stories to tell. Applesauce season provides the family with much needed support and healing as they learn to cope and live without Aunt Lucy.
As somebody who does not usually enjoy poetry, I absolutely adored this book. The poems are told from the perspectives of the different characters in the story. The voices of the characters were very strong and unique, which would make for a great mentor text for students who are in need of developing the skill of strong character perspectives. This is definitely a book that I will use as a class read during a poetry unit. I give Applesauce Season 4.5 stars.
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