HOLD FAST by Blue Balliett tells the story of a family losing their home and in danger of losing each other. The Pearl family knows how important it is to stick together and Early knows something is wrong when her father, Dashel, disappears. She becomes determined to follow the rhythm of the clues he left behind to solve the mystery of where he went and why masked men wrecked their apartment and forced Early, her brother, and her mom to a shelter. She knows where she can find the answers, at the Chicago Public Library branch where Dashel worked.
This book read like an adventure novel that made me appreciate the value of public libraries and the blessing of a home where you can sit in your pajamas and watch television with your family in peace.
