Good book but not quite as good as I had hoped...LOVED the characters! Wasn't keen on some of the writing. Not content- style. (This is the book that was the center of controversy because it mentioned 'scrotum'in reference to a dog's body part.) 
 It handled the topics of death, poverty, hope and contentment quite well. It is a Newberry Medal winner and desrvedly so. 
 The storyline was good, just not my cup of tea-'stylewise'...