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librarydosebykristy's review against another edition
5.0
One of the most perfect children's chapter books I've read in a long time. I knew immediately from the very beginning of the story, that I was going to love this. The author paints such an accurate touching perspective of childhood, honing in on the anxiety that comes with growing up and watching the world open up around you as you start to understand things more. Sweet simplicity starts to slip away...
Beautifully written, sweet, spunky, funny. I loved it.
Beautifully written, sweet, spunky, funny. I loved it.
librariandest's review against another edition
3.0
A sweet story about a girl named Mo who love love loves her neighborhood on Fox Street. Mo and her little sister Dottie lost their mother when they were young, but they have a great community helping their father raise them. Trouble comes when a developer targets Fox Street for destruction and Mo's best friend Mercedes changes in ways Mo doesn't understand (basically, Mercedes' family suddenly has a lot of money). Mo has two important goals: staying on Fox Street and trying to spy an actual fox in the wooded area near her house.
The trouble with this story is that it's slow. It's well-written, the characters are lovable, and the drama is real, but the plot is pretty stagnant. There's a "mystery" regarding a mean old neighbor-lady's sudden interest in Mercerdes, but it's totally transparent, so really not a mystery at all. Mo's attachment to her neighborhood is so fierce it's compelling, but emotion alone doesn't make that great of a story.
The trouble with this story is that it's slow. It's well-written, the characters are lovable, and the drama is real, but the plot is pretty stagnant. There's a "mystery" regarding a mean old neighbor-lady's sudden interest in Mercerdes, but it's totally transparent, so really not a mystery at all. Mo's attachment to her neighborhood is so fierce it's compelling, but emotion alone doesn't make that great of a story.
tcbueti's review
5.0
Loved this! 11-year-old Mo loves living on her dead end street. She knows all about all her neighbors. She loves exploring the wooded ravine past the end of the street. And even though she misses her mom, who was killed a few years before, she and her dad and her pesky little sister have worked things out, she thinks. They're a team. Every summer Mo's best friend, Mercedes comes to stay on Fox Street with her grandma, Da. But Da's health is failing, and Mercede's parents want her to come live with them.
And Mo's dad is not really happy--he hates his job with the water dept, hates leaving the girls alone so much, and dreams of opening a neighborhood, family type restaurant/bar. When a developer makes him an offer, Mo is frightened that he'll take it and ruin everything. She hasn't even ever seen a fox in the ravine. How can she leave Fox Street without ever seeing a fox?
But change is threatening, and Mo begins to wonder whether she really knows all about her neighbors. Grouchy Mrs. Steinbott is acting very strangely, and seems to be obsessed with Mercedes.
I loved the feel of the neighborhood, and especially the description of her relationship with her dad and with Mercedes, which goes through some really stressful times. And I LOVED not knowing how this was going to end--would he sell or not? Would she have to move or not? Who was really looking out for Dottie, her little sister? I really cared about these people.
It's unusual for a kids book with such a seemingly light tone to grapple with subjects like death, loss, and (even more unusual) the choices that adults have to make--"necessary evils" as her dad says.
And Mo's dad is not really happy--he hates his job with the water dept, hates leaving the girls alone so much, and dreams of opening a neighborhood, family type restaurant/bar. When a developer makes him an offer, Mo is frightened that he'll take it and ruin everything. She hasn't even ever seen a fox in the ravine. How can she leave Fox Street without ever seeing a fox?
But change is threatening, and Mo begins to wonder whether she really knows all about her neighbors. Grouchy Mrs. Steinbott is acting very strangely, and seems to be obsessed with Mercedes.
I loved the feel of the neighborhood, and especially the description of her relationship with her dad and with Mercedes, which goes through some really stressful times. And I LOVED not knowing how this was going to end--would he sell or not? Would she have to move or not? Who was really looking out for Dottie, her little sister? I really cared about these people.
It's unusual for a kids book with such a seemingly light tone to grapple with subjects like death, loss, and (even more unusual) the choices that adults have to make--"necessary evils" as her dad says.
jessalynn_librarian's review
3.0
It might have been 4 stars except it kept making me sad - I wanted the father to get a grip, mostly, and that bothered me in a way that I might not have been bothered as a kid. Otherwise, it was a sweet, honest story about being a kid with too much responsibility.
quietjenn's review
4.0
rather lovely, low-key book about a girl growing up in a working class neighborhood. it's quiet and a bit old-fashioned, despite some very familiar modern concerns and it's not the book you'll hand to every kid on the block with the expectation that they'll get it. but for those inclined to this sort of thing, it's a great pick. i loved the details of the story and the relationships between the characters (especially between mo and her father). some of the plot developments will be really obvious, but it didn't distract from my enjoyment. extra points for the ohio setting and the details that really get that right.
nerfherder86's review
4.0
A cute middle-grade book about a 10 year old girl facing changes in her family, neighborhood and in her longtime friendships. Written by an Ohio author, the story is set in an older neighborhood in Cleveland, where Maureen "Mo" helps her single dad raise her and her younger sister, and she hopes to one day see an actual fox on her street (there's a little bit of magic realism at play in the fox stuff, which was really neat). The houses are rundown, but the neighbors all know each other and support one another. Well, except for cranky Mrs. "Starchbutt," who doesn't want anyone touching her roses or walking on her lawn. When residents start getting letters from a developer offering to buy up houses, it causes tensions to rise: if people start moving away, what will happen to their neighborhood? Will Mo's Dad finally make good on his dream to quit his blue collar job and open a restaurant? Mo's best friend spends summers living just across the street with her grandmother, but is soon going to move permanently out of town, and Mo is worried about this. And she has to put up with her little sister, who runs wild and is a constant thorn in Mo's side. A sweet story of family, the born-with-them kind and the chosen kind. Nominated for the Buckeye Children's Book Award.
librarybrods's review
3.0
I couldn't really get that into it... but I did love this line:
"Pi was as good at forgiveness as he was at kickflips."
"Pi was as good at forgiveness as he was at kickflips."
leslie_d's review
3.0
a nice read with a character who would keep good company with Susan Patron's Lucky, Lauren Child's Clarice Bean, and Kate DiCamillo's India Opal (of Because of Winn Dixie)...
"Mo finds a great deal of her identity in Fox Street, a move would signify a significant change. But as we know and Mo finds slammed home, some changes are out of our hands; and some are. Mercedes is also working through her own signifiers, having changed from eking to wealth, single-parent to two, etc. The relationships in What Happened on Fox Street look to questions of how do we bind ourselves to each other, weather out the changes. What Happened on Fox Street is a lovely story about finding ourselves, each other, and community. It is about change, both the usual and unusual sort. The fox comes to represent hope, that magic and miracle can still happen. That that which came before still exists. That Mo isn’t alone in the increasing uncertainty that surrounds her. She needs proof that what she knows to be true is.
The story comes to a head as a rainstorm breaks upon the drought-ridden landscape. And then the sun comes out, though not into an easy conclusion. What Happened on Fox Street remains marvelously consistent throughout. While the book is hardly fluff, it doesn’t slug through one drama into the next, it keeps a fairly even keel. much is due to how Springstubb invites realist portraiture with a charming affect. Her original set of characters create an interest that invests the reader in the outcome, daily and overarching. They are flawed and quirky and believable. As I read What Happened on Fox Street, I thought of Susan Patron’s Lucky, Lauren Child’s Clarice Bean, and Kate DiCamillo’s Opal (Because of Winn Dixie); which is excellent company indeed. They share similar sensibilities and characters with whom you want to spend more time. I heard a rumor that there will be a sequel? I certainly hope so.
Tricia Sptringstubb is a storyteller I look forward to hearing more from. The writing is superb. You see none of the sweat, only the shine; the kind of effort that would easily go unnoticed if the book didn’t stand out so much from its peers.
I highly recommend this read. Girls and boys alike."
L @ omphaloskepsis
http://contemplatrix.wordpress.com/2011/05/18/fox-street/
"Mo finds a great deal of her identity in Fox Street, a move would signify a significant change. But as we know and Mo finds slammed home, some changes are out of our hands; and some are. Mercedes is also working through her own signifiers, having changed from eking to wealth, single-parent to two, etc. The relationships in What Happened on Fox Street look to questions of how do we bind ourselves to each other, weather out the changes. What Happened on Fox Street is a lovely story about finding ourselves, each other, and community. It is about change, both the usual and unusual sort. The fox comes to represent hope, that magic and miracle can still happen. That that which came before still exists. That Mo isn’t alone in the increasing uncertainty that surrounds her. She needs proof that what she knows to be true is.
The story comes to a head as a rainstorm breaks upon the drought-ridden landscape. And then the sun comes out, though not into an easy conclusion. What Happened on Fox Street remains marvelously consistent throughout. While the book is hardly fluff, it doesn’t slug through one drama into the next, it keeps a fairly even keel. much is due to how Springstubb invites realist portraiture with a charming affect. Her original set of characters create an interest that invests the reader in the outcome, daily and overarching. They are flawed and quirky and believable. As I read What Happened on Fox Street, I thought of Susan Patron’s Lucky, Lauren Child’s Clarice Bean, and Kate DiCamillo’s Opal (Because of Winn Dixie); which is excellent company indeed. They share similar sensibilities and characters with whom you want to spend more time. I heard a rumor that there will be a sequel? I certainly hope so.
Tricia Sptringstubb is a storyteller I look forward to hearing more from. The writing is superb. You see none of the sweat, only the shine; the kind of effort that would easily go unnoticed if the book didn’t stand out so much from its peers.
I highly recommend this read. Girls and boys alike."
L @ omphaloskepsis
http://contemplatrix.wordpress.com/2011/05/18/fox-street/
maricorchang's review
3.0
What Happened on Fox Street by Tricia Springstubb (2010)
Contemporary Realism, 218 pages
Fox Street is a block full of families, best friends, and a dead-end that really is the beginning of a ravine and a Green Kingdom, overflowing with secrets and nature. For Mo Wren, Fox street is the best place on earth, even during the worst draught of her lifetime and without her mother whose memory still lives on in Mo’s surroundings. With her mother gone, Mo becomes responsible for many of her family’s needs and is shocked to hear that her hardworking father wants to sell their home to a business man who desires to take down all of Fox street, one house at a time. Fox Street is a story that unravels a great mystery of family, confirms young crushes, and reinforces the magic of hope. Springstubb’s language will speak to an 8 to 12 year-old reader while sharing a taste of beautiful metaphors and imagery describing family, friendships, and growing up. While the book does not have an abundance of action similar to that of the survival tactics in The Hunger Games, Springstubb’s plot development builds on age-relatable issues that touch on surviving life’s dilemmas day-to-day and the thought processes behind important actions and decisions. A great find for a longer chapter book reader who has the patience to let a story unfold like life’s small epiphanies!
Contemporary Realism, 218 pages
Fox Street is a block full of families, best friends, and a dead-end that really is the beginning of a ravine and a Green Kingdom, overflowing with secrets and nature. For Mo Wren, Fox street is the best place on earth, even during the worst draught of her lifetime and without her mother whose memory still lives on in Mo’s surroundings. With her mother gone, Mo becomes responsible for many of her family’s needs and is shocked to hear that her hardworking father wants to sell their home to a business man who desires to take down all of Fox street, one house at a time. Fox Street is a story that unravels a great mystery of family, confirms young crushes, and reinforces the magic of hope. Springstubb’s language will speak to an 8 to 12 year-old reader while sharing a taste of beautiful metaphors and imagery describing family, friendships, and growing up. While the book does not have an abundance of action similar to that of the survival tactics in The Hunger Games, Springstubb’s plot development builds on age-relatable issues that touch on surviving life’s dilemmas day-to-day and the thought processes behind important actions and decisions. A great find for a longer chapter book reader who has the patience to let a story unfold like life’s small epiphanies!