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roseleaf24's review against another edition
3.0
This book got quite slow in the middle, but the ending moved quickly and tied everything together nicely. This is a story of a family moving to the country for financial reasons, then make it through a Connecticut winter without parents. This might be classified as YA if it were not written in 1936, as the teen sisters are the main characters, but it's very tame and also tells things from the point of view of a ten - and twelve- year old.
k_lee_reads_it's review against another edition
3.0
I could not figure out the year this story was set in at all. It was a pleasant enough tale, but I did really wonder how old the characters each were and why their parents were off doing their own things. Basically I enjoyed it.
tealmango's review against another edition
4.0
Read the full review here: http://newberyandbeyond.com/newbery-roundup-december-2017-2/
triscuit807's review
4.0
This a pleasantly charming young adult novel by the author of the classic children's book "The Velveteen Rabbit". Set mostly during a Connecticut winter in the 1930s it's a tale of the Ellis family, city folk, who have moved to the country to save money while the father is off on an expedition (archaeological it turns out). Before Thanksgiving the mother heads to Arizona to care for a sick relative leaving the children on their own. As others have pointed out there's not much excitement outside of small daily adventures - which are beautifully told: setting up a huge iron stove for winter, exploring a nearby empty house, hiking in the woods, hunting foxes by moonlight, and dealing with cold and flu, as well as the day by day management of the family finances. It's important to note that these events are handled by children, a thing that wouldn't be permitted today. I read this for my 2017 Reading Challenge "a book with a one word title" (Read World 52) and for my Newbery Challenge (Honor Book 1937)
mrskatiefitz's review
5.0
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
In this 1937 Newbery Honor novel by Velveteen Rabbit author Margery Williams, teen sisters Kay and Garry have moved from the city into a farmhouse in Connecticut with their mother and younger siblings, while their father goes on an archaeological expedition. When their mother is called away to nurse a sick relative, the two girls are left to care for the household through the brutal New England winter.
This novel of the Great Depression is a wonderful family story populated by memorable characters. The artistic Kay and science-minded Garry take turns as the focal point of the book, and their concerns about their personal interests are as compelling as the difficulties they face in keeping warm and surviving the difficult winter conditions. Their personalities are strong and compelling, and especially enjoyable to read are their encounters with "The Cummings," an older woman who is sent to babysit them, and who does not last long in her post, and with a writer to whom they rent a room when they find themselves in need of extra money.
Despite its age, this book has a very contemporary flair to it. It is similar in tone to family stories like those in the Bluebell Gadsby and Casson Family series, especially in terms of the very familiar and affectionate way the children relate to their mother. It also has much in common with other stories of teens taking over their households and working to survive on their own, namely Hattie Big Sky and Strong Wings. The writing is excellent, with believable dialogue, several interesting subplots, and prose that is beautiful without being overly purple. Though the intended audience is probably teen girls, the content is appropriate for younger readers as well, as long as they have some context for understanding life during the Depression.
(Note: Missing from the edition of this book that I read are Kate Seredy's illustrations. As I have become quite a fan of her work lately, this is something I must soon remedy! I found the endpapers on the late Peter Sieruta's website, but I want more!)
In this 1937 Newbery Honor novel by Velveteen Rabbit author Margery Williams, teen sisters Kay and Garry have moved from the city into a farmhouse in Connecticut with their mother and younger siblings, while their father goes on an archaeological expedition. When their mother is called away to nurse a sick relative, the two girls are left to care for the household through the brutal New England winter.
This novel of the Great Depression is a wonderful family story populated by memorable characters. The artistic Kay and science-minded Garry take turns as the focal point of the book, and their concerns about their personal interests are as compelling as the difficulties they face in keeping warm and surviving the difficult winter conditions. Their personalities are strong and compelling, and especially enjoyable to read are their encounters with "The Cummings," an older woman who is sent to babysit them, and who does not last long in her post, and with a writer to whom they rent a room when they find themselves in need of extra money.
Despite its age, this book has a very contemporary flair to it. It is similar in tone to family stories like those in the Bluebell Gadsby and Casson Family series, especially in terms of the very familiar and affectionate way the children relate to their mother. It also has much in common with other stories of teens taking over their households and working to survive on their own, namely Hattie Big Sky and Strong Wings. The writing is excellent, with believable dialogue, several interesting subplots, and prose that is beautiful without being overly purple. Though the intended audience is probably teen girls, the content is appropriate for younger readers as well, as long as they have some context for understanding life during the Depression.
(Note: Missing from the edition of this book that I read are Kate Seredy's illustrations. As I have become quite a fan of her work lately, this is something I must soon remedy! I found the endpapers on the late Peter Sieruta's website, but I want more!)
scaifea's review
2.0
Four siblings face their first New England winter without their parents. Meh. Not the best in the kids-on-their-own-in-the-semi-wilderness genre, but not horrible, either.
rebekahmorris's review
2.0
2.5 stars
This wasn't a bad story. I rather liked the characters, but it wasn't one I'd read again for a couple reasons.
1) The author used the Lord's name in vain several times, as well as a couple swear words. For a story published for young readers, this really bothered me. (It would bother me anyway, but I wasn't expecting them in this.)
2) The children refer to their mom by her first name. It took me a bit to realize that "Penny" was the mom not another sister. Even though the mom isn't in the story much (she is out of town) any time they mentioned her it jolted me.
There wasn't a big plot in the story, which is not bad, but I was expecting things to wrap up a little more, or something that wasn't there.
This wasn't a bad story. I rather liked the characters, but it wasn't one I'd read again for a couple reasons.
1) The author used the Lord's name in vain several times, as well as a couple swear words. For a story published for young readers, this really bothered me. (It would bother me anyway, but I wasn't expecting them in this.)
2) The children refer to their mom by her first name. It took me a bit to realize that "Penny" was the mom not another sister. Even though the mom isn't in the story much (she is out of town) any time they mentioned her it jolted me.
There wasn't a big plot in the story, which is not bad, but I was expecting things to wrap up a little more, or something that wasn't there.
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