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4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
I read this book in one evening. I cried several times. There were a few silly errors in this book but I still give it five stars because I think it can really give new perspective to some people and it really moved me. I loved Carly, I understood Carly and I rooted for her throughout. This is one of those books that, upon completion, makes me feel "full." I'm not looking to read another book immediately upon finishing this one because I just want to let this one sit for a little while. It's been awhile since I've read a book that I truly wanted to just reflect on and...honor a bit, before moving on.
I have loved many books, but One for the Murphys is truly unforgettable. The Murphys are a family that anyone would want to be a part of. I loved each of their personalities, and that speaks to Lynda Mullaly Hunt's amazing writing. A former teacher too! :)
I pretty much figured I would like this book, given how much I enjoyed Fish in a Tree. I was not disappointed. Carley's story is alternately heartbreaking and hopeful. The daughter of a flighty and irresponsible self proclaimed "Vegas girl", Carley winds up with the Murphy's after being beaten by her stepfather. She believes her mother was complicit in the beating and hopes (sort of) that she'll never go back to her. In the Murphy's, with their three rambunctious boys, she finally sees what a family is supposed to look like. And in her new bestie, Toni, she learns what friendship can be. The ending is realistic, if not completely happy. But we are left believing that Carley is not only going to survive her less than ideal childhood, but that she is going to thrive. Don't forget the tissues; you'll need them.
Hunt, L. M. (2012). One for the Murphys. New York, NY: Nancy Paulsen Books.
Summary: Carley, the feisty 12-year-old main character, is abruptly dropped off at the Murphys, a foster family, after a traumatic bout of abuse involving her mother and stepfather. While her mother recovers in the hospital, Carley is forced to make a temporary life with a family that is so opposite of her biological family--but opposite in the most fresh, life-altering way.
Review: Booklist (May 15, 2012 (Vol. 108, No. 18))
Grades 5-8. When 12-year-old Carley Connors is placed in foster care and sent to live with the Murphy family, she’s angry, confused, and counting her days in captivity. She has a hazy recollection of the night her stepfather’s abuse landed her and her mother in the hospital, and her feelings toward her self-centered mother walk the razor-thin line between love and hate. But hardened Carley begins to soften under the Murphys’ care. At first distrustful and defensive, Carley opens herself up slowly to the type of family she never knew existed—warm, caring, and safe. Hunt’s heart-wrenching debut believably captures Carley’s painful one-step-forward, two-steps-back process, particularly as she acts out in order to protect dealing with her emotions. Although some realizations toward the end don’t always feel earned, and some dialogue falls just shy of melodrama, readers will nonetheless gravitate toward this lovable girl, along with her Broadway-obsessed new best friend and the wonderful cast of Murphys. Carley promises Mrs. Murphy that she’ll “have a happy life someday,” and readers will be cheering her on.
Curriculum Connection: One for the Murphys would be a great springboard for discussing character development in language arts classrooms grades six through eight. It would tie in nicely with narrative writing and/or story elements units.
Diversity: This book is helpful read for anyone who is a foster child or adopted child or a part of a foster family or adoptive family. Not every child comes from the typical upbringing, and this story is all about bringing to light other family situations that are possible.
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Age: Intermediate grades
Summary: Carley, the feisty 12-year-old main character, is abruptly dropped off at the Murphys, a foster family, after a traumatic bout of abuse involving her mother and stepfather. While her mother recovers in the hospital, Carley is forced to make a temporary life with a family that is so opposite of her biological family--but opposite in the most fresh, life-altering way.
Review: Booklist (May 15, 2012 (Vol. 108, No. 18))
Grades 5-8. When 12-year-old Carley Connors is placed in foster care and sent to live with the Murphy family, she’s angry, confused, and counting her days in captivity. She has a hazy recollection of the night her stepfather’s abuse landed her and her mother in the hospital, and her feelings toward her self-centered mother walk the razor-thin line between love and hate. But hardened Carley begins to soften under the Murphys’ care. At first distrustful and defensive, Carley opens herself up slowly to the type of family she never knew existed—warm, caring, and safe. Hunt’s heart-wrenching debut believably captures Carley’s painful one-step-forward, two-steps-back process, particularly as she acts out in order to protect dealing with her emotions. Although some realizations toward the end don’t always feel earned, and some dialogue falls just shy of melodrama, readers will nonetheless gravitate toward this lovable girl, along with her Broadway-obsessed new best friend and the wonderful cast of Murphys. Carley promises Mrs. Murphy that she’ll “have a happy life someday,” and readers will be cheering her on.
Curriculum Connection: One for the Murphys would be a great springboard for discussing character development in language arts classrooms grades six through eight. It would tie in nicely with narrative writing and/or story elements units.
Diversity: This book is helpful read for anyone who is a foster child or adopted child or a part of a foster family or adoptive family. Not every child comes from the typical upbringing, and this story is all about bringing to light other family situations that are possible.
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Age: Intermediate grades
This book is a Virginia Choice Reader for middle school.
This is a cute book. The ending is a tear jerker.
This is a cute book. The ending is a tear jerker.
emotional
A beautiful story that shows that life is not always easy, that sometimes it takes someone else to show you your own strength, and that love comes in unexpected ways.
As we watch Carley learn and grown and heal in the home the Murphy's, we see her own walls start to come down, at least a little. We watch her find her own strength, and learn that showing the softer sides is not a weakness.
Beautifully written for the middle school reader, along with their parents/adults. Opens up many lines of discussion for this age group as they learn to become their own person.
As we watch Carley learn and grown and heal in the home the Murphy's, we see her own walls start to come down, at least a little. We watch her find her own strength, and learn that showing the softer sides is not a weakness.
Beautifully written for the middle school reader, along with their parents/adults. Opens up many lines of discussion for this age group as they learn to become their own person.
This was pretty basic, but a good middle grade book about being a foster child. Good people, realistic enough emotions and experiences.
Such a fabulous book- quick read, but touching. The characters are so endearing and I found myself connected to them immediately. As an adoptive mother I instantly identified with the idea of loving a child that you didn't give birth to so intensely you'd sacrifice everything - just like the giving tree:) a must read.
I loved this book! The ending was unexpected, and I wish there was a sequel but I guess some stories are best left with a cliff hanger.