“THE MEMORY BANK,” by Carolyn Coman and Rob Shepperson, Arthur A. Levine Books, $16.99 (ages 9-12)
Life hasn’t been easy for Hope Scroggins. In fact, the positive thing about it is her sister, Honey. The girls’ parents are awful. They’re so awful that one day, they just dump Honey on the side of the road.
“Forget Her,” Hope’s parents say as they drive away in a cloud of dust. But how do you forget the best thing in your life? Hope misses her sister so much she becomes depressed. All she does is sleep and dream. She sleeps so much that before long, her parents forget about her, too.
What Hope doesn’t know is that by sleeping all the time, she’s not making any memories
Memory-making is a serious business. Just ask the officials at the World Wide Memory Bank if you don’t believe me. Hope’s accounts are practically nonexistent, and they’ve come to the bank’s attention. Something must be done to fix the disparity and, Hope is whisked away to the land of memories.
The memory bank is full of wonders. There, dreams and memories are recorded, filed and kept safe. It’s a magical place, but there’s a group out to destroy the bank and everything it contains. It’s up to Hope to save the world’s memories and her sister.
“The Memory Bank” is a delightful book full of imagination. Told in a combination of text by Carolyn Coman and drawings by Rob Shepperson, it calls to mind work by Rhoald Dahl, particularly “Matilda.” There’s a buoyant rhythm and balance that plays throughout, making this a fun and energetic read.
