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lbarsk's review against another edition
5.0
Such the best! I re-read this SO many times throughout childhood.
protoman21's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the characters in this book, but didn't really love the book because there wasn't enough plot. I just finished it and I'm struggling to think of more than three or four things that happened.
juwyashoowya's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
mamas_reading_corner_'s review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
susqu's review against another edition
5.0
So many good memories flooded back to me as I was reading this. I know this is one that I’ll keep coming back to over and over again. Fantastico!!
megangraff's review against another edition
3.0
I've been meaning to read this book for awhile but was only reminded of it a couple days ago.
I think international school students would enjoy reading a book that takes place at an international school.
I think international school students would enjoy reading a book that takes place at an international school.
4saradouglas's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoy this book and it makes me extremely jealous of kids who had the opportunity to go to a school like this where a good majority of the students come from countries all over the world and speak all different languages. The descriptions of Switzerland make you want to hop right on a plane and never come back. The story is a good one and you can feel the main character grow and change for the better. It also has some scary moments and a lot of laughs. It is also possible to pick up some Italian, Spanish, and Japanese words.
anuxr's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
justafriendlybagel's review against another edition
5.0
I consider this to be a formative book of my childhood. So much love for this book!
kathrynkao's review against another edition
4.0
Dinnie approaches all the upheavals in her life with a stubborn matter-of-factness. Her summary of her family's itinerant lifestyle is a statement of fact without any obvert sadness or self-pity. There's a clear sense that this is the life she knows, and, while aware that it's different from how other people live, Dinnie doesn't seem to think it's anything remarkable. This passage--extremely early on in the book, on pages 1 and 2--says so much about what Dinnie calls her "first life:"
Each time we moved, we had fewer boxes, not more. My mother would say, "Do you really need all those things, Dinnie? They're just things. Leave them."
By the time I was twelve, we'd followed my father from Kentucky to Virginia to North Carolina to Tennessee to Ohio to Indiana to Wisconsin to Oklahoma to Oregon to Texas to California to New Mexico. My things fit in one box.
There's no spoken judgement here from Dinnie; no narrative editorial. Just the image of her family following her father across the country, Dinnie carrying her life in one cardboard box.
That level of imagery and sticking to the facts is what makes Dinnie such an interesting character, and what makes Creech's writing so nuanced and layered. When Dinnie does directly let us know how she feels, those insights take on much more importance. By the end of the book, even as Dinnie is uncertain about her decision, her narrative is far more full of emotions and opinions. This growth in emotional verbalization mirrors Dinnie's arc from a more passive, reactionary character (in the sense that she mostly reacts to the things and people around her), to one who recognizes her own agency. No matter what Dinnie's life is like after the end of the book, there's no doubt that life will be her own.
This is a really great contrast to the "boys in boarding schools" books that tend to be class novels in high school. An international boarding school in Switzerland is a rich setting, and reading the book as a class could center on the description and use of setting. Of course, Dinnie is a fascinating character study, especially given how intertwined her arc is with the writing of her narration. There's a lot in the book about class and the way Americans behave (and are perceived) in an international setting, which could tie in with U.S. History. Maybe during a unit on immigration? In any case, there's enough here for an 8th grade class to get a lot out of it. The book's content would be most appreciated from 5th-8th grade, I think.
AR Information
Quiz #: 34713
Level: 5.2
Points: 7
Each time we moved, we had fewer boxes, not more. My mother would say, "Do you really need all those things, Dinnie? They're just things. Leave them."
By the time I was twelve, we'd followed my father from Kentucky to Virginia to North Carolina to Tennessee to Ohio to Indiana to Wisconsin to Oklahoma to Oregon to Texas to California to New Mexico. My things fit in one box.
There's no spoken judgement here from Dinnie; no narrative editorial. Just the image of her family following her father across the country, Dinnie carrying her life in one cardboard box.
That level of imagery and sticking to the facts is what makes Dinnie such an interesting character, and what makes Creech's writing so nuanced and layered. When Dinnie does directly let us know how she feels, those insights take on much more importance. By the end of the book, even as Dinnie is uncertain about her decision, her narrative is far more full of emotions and opinions. This growth in emotional verbalization mirrors Dinnie's arc from a more passive, reactionary character (in the sense that she mostly reacts to the things and people around her), to one who recognizes her own agency. No matter what Dinnie's life is like after the end of the book, there's no doubt that life will be her own.
This is a really great contrast to the "boys in boarding schools" books that tend to be class novels in high school. An international boarding school in Switzerland is a rich setting, and reading the book as a class could center on the description and use of setting. Of course, Dinnie is a fascinating character study, especially given how intertwined her arc is with the writing of her narration. There's a lot in the book about class and the way Americans behave (and are perceived) in an international setting, which could tie in with U.S. History. Maybe during a unit on immigration? In any case, there's enough here for an 8th grade class to get a lot out of it. The book's content would be most appreciated from 5th-8th grade, I think.
AR Information
Quiz #: 34713
Level: 5.2
Points: 7