From: Sharon Grover <Sgrove>
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 11:30:09 -0500

Some of you may remember that this book was our mock Newbery winner, so it will come as no surprise to hear that it is a great favorite of mine this year. My immediate reaction to it was, "Wow! Richard Peck has done it again." After reading it a second time, I was really struck by the humor, the flow of the narrative, Peck's ability to let the reader know Grandma and Mary Alice in a very real sense, as well as his ability (already mentioned by Katy) to so vividly construct that small town in Illinois.

The book has been something of a hard sell to my middle school readers--perhaps the jacket art is off-putting to them. So, I suggested it to a 6th grade boy who likes short stories (he had just read and enjoyed Roald Dahl's, Skin: and Other Stories). Yes, Katy, it was a slight fib because you're right, the book is more episodic than really short stories, but it did get him to read it. Here's what he had to say:

"This was way better than Skin."
"It was like short stories, but really like one long story, too."
"It was really interesting about how you can adjust to a new place in a short time."
"I liked how Mary Alice and Grandma learned to get along together."
"It was funny to have someone who was like a crook in your family."
"Grandma was rough on the outside but soft on the inside."
"It was amazing how he could write a girl's story. When I finished the book, I thought, this must have been written by a girl. And then I looked at the cover and I thought, isn't Richard a boy's name?"

What this perceptive young man told the Best Books for Young Adults Committee was that, "This is one of the best books of the year."






Sharon Grover Youth Services Collection Development Arlington County Dept. of Libraries 1015 N. Quincy Street Arlington, VA 22201 703/228Y80 (Voice Mail) 703/228Y98 (FAX) sgrove at co.arlington.va.us
Received on Mon 22 Jan 2001 10:30:09 AM CST