Cat loves to play football with her older brother, Buddy. She insists she’s going to play quarterback in this year’s family football game during Thanksgiving. But fate takes a nasty turn when she and her mother are in a car accident. Cat is seriously injured from the waist down and must wear leg casts and use a wheelchair for months. Her mother wasn’t physically injured, but psychologically? Well, that’s another matter. Cat’s mother was driving and she feels guilt over Cat’s injuries. Then a new tenant, Benton Whitman, moves into the renovated barn. He’s an artist, a poet of pictures like his ancestor Walt Whitman was a poet of words. Cat is enthralled with the artist’s work and starts learning from him. It helps with her recovery, but what about her mother’s? Psychological stress after a harrowing experience, PTSD, or depression is very debilitating, not only to the person suffering the condition but to those who love that person. Cat wants to help, but she doesn’t know how.

Kristin McGlothlin’s middle-grade novel, Drawing with Whitman: Sourland Mountain Series Book 1, is an interesting look at some difficult issues, specifically PTSD and depression. The main character, Cat, has some difficult issues confronting her, more than her physical injuries. This comes across clearly as the plot develops and the issues compound themselves. Although the story is written in the third person, it almost reads like a personal journal as the story traces the main character Cat's point of view throughout. The dialogue is well orchestrated and believable. Young readers will certainly be able to relate to young Cat, feeling her pain and frustration. Unable to help and struggling to understand her mother, Cat must face her own physical challenges as her legs heal. Faced with so many obstacles, Cat is forced to grow up, attaining a maturity beyond her years. With her brother off to college, Cat must assert herself as the bond that keeps the family functioning in both health and happiness. Through art, Cat finds a means to tackle life’s more difficult problems. The author has presented the story in a very straightforward way, using simple language and sentence structure and presenting the issues head-on in an approach that will attract young middle-grade readers. A powerful story told with compassion and an understanding of the inner depth of an artist.

In Drawing with Whitman by Kristin McGlothlin, main character Catalynd feels as though her entire life has changed: her brother Buddy has moved away to college, the barn in which she used to play has been renovated and rented out, and, biggest of all, after a major car accident, she is left in a wheelchair, both her legs broken, and her mother slips into a depression. Cat is worried about her mother, but when she tries to talk with her family members about it, they tell her it's nothing. However, she finds that their new tenant, Benton Whitman, who is an artist, is very nice, and she begins to take art lessons with him. But the question still remains: what can she do to help her mother?

With relatable problems and realistic characters, Drawing with Whitman by Kristin McGlothlin is a really enjoyable read. Readers will find that they can relate to problems faced within this book, such as depression, anxiety, and injuries, as well as worry about change. The book focuses a lot on art, introducing the reader to art terminology they may not know and instilling a greater appreciation for art, particularly paintings. I liked that there were pictures of the paintings referenced throughout the story at the back of the book so that readers can understand what the characters within the book were talking about. The story is very well written, with lots of descriptions and captivating, intense scenes, particularly the one in which the car crashes. I would definitely recommend this book.