Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
Well maybe the Newberry Committee changed, since I really liked this one, unlike the last few years of winners.
I didn't love the book in the beginning, but I ended up staying up late to finish it. A fabulous story that looks at who we are by examining where we come from, and seeing how the past plays an important role in our future. Every person has a story, and that story often has a surprise connection to others around us. An excellent choice by the Newbery committee.
I like books that are told from multiple viewpoints. This book is about Abilene Tucker, a girl in a small town during the Great Depression, but weaves in stories about the town from 1917 told orally by the resident fortune teller, old newspaper articles, and old letters. All of the stories come together in the end. The book has a wonderful tone, and the authors wording really brought the story to life.
This book told a wonderful story full of positive messages. But of course I loved it mainly because it did an excellent job capturing the charm of my hometown Frontenac, KS. The book immediately felt like an old friend who was telling me stories of so many people I know and the place I grew up. I wish my mom would have had an opportunity to read this book. But in some ways I feel like I understand her decisions a little bit more. She lived all over the world but when it came down to it the place that always had the biggest hold on her was home.
It's the height of the great depression and 12 year old Abilene Tucker is sent, by her father, to live in Manifest, Kansas. Desperate to understand why her father sent her away, and to find some connection with him, Abilene begins digging into the town's past. Manifest's history weaves through prohibition, WWI, and the Spanish Influenza but most important are the immigrants who call Manifest home.
The story is written eloquently with touches of humor and sadness. I found the story within the story, flashbacks to 1918, to be more intriguing than the 1936 plot, but enjoyed how the two came together in the end.
The story is written eloquently with touches of humor and sadness. I found the story within the story, flashbacks to 1918, to be more intriguing than the 1936 plot, but enjoyed how the two came together in the end.
4. Very good, but it loses a star for a handful of cringe worthy stereotypes.
Jenna Lamia, Cassandra Campbell, and Kirby Heyborne all do a good job narrating.
Jenna Lamia, Cassandra Campbell, and Kirby Heyborne all do a good job narrating.
4.5 stars
I really enjoyed this heartwarming - while tough - YA novel. Abilene has been sent by her father Gideon back to his hometown of Manifest, Kansas, in 1936. There she lives with Shady and meets some new friends Lettie and Ruthanne. Abilene also finds threads of a mystery that occurred back in 1917-18, and the Spanish Flu plays a part (yep, a pandemic). Also, triggers for war.
I really loved the characters, especially Abilene, as she has such curiosity about her father and where he lived. The story goes back in forth between the earlier timeline and 1936. A fun addition is Hattie Mae's News Auxiliary that is interspersed throughout as the "gossip"/light reading column of the day.
As the main story line takes place in 1936, coming out of the Great Depression, there's a few allusions to Hoovervilles and simple things like breaking a jump rope that can't be replaced due to not having enough money that resonate, but at the same time it's not weighed down by those heavy issues. It provides enough of that to give younger readers some sense of the times that could be used as jumping off points for discussion.
Overall, this is a very good read and much more multi-faceted than I expected. It discusses Prohibition and hooch, divining/spirituality, war and loss, among other issues.
I really enjoyed this heartwarming - while tough - YA novel. Abilene has been sent by her father Gideon back to his hometown of Manifest, Kansas, in 1936. There she lives with Shady and meets some new friends Lettie and Ruthanne. Abilene also finds threads of a mystery that occurred back in 1917-18, and the Spanish Flu plays a part (yep, a pandemic). Also, triggers for war.
I really loved the characters, especially Abilene, as she has such curiosity about her father and where he lived. The story goes back in forth between the earlier timeline and 1936. A fun addition is Hattie Mae's News Auxiliary that is interspersed throughout as the "gossip"/light reading column of the day.
As the main story line takes place in 1936, coming out of the Great Depression, there's a few allusions to Hoovervilles and simple things like breaking a jump rope that can't be replaced due to not having enough money that resonate, but at the same time it's not weighed down by those heavy issues. It provides enough of that to give younger readers some sense of the times that could be used as jumping off points for discussion.
Overall, this is a very good read and much more multi-faceted than I expected. It discusses Prohibition and hooch, divining/spirituality, war and loss, among other issues.