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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
Read this while student teaching in 4th grade, great book to read as a class.
3.5 Stars
It's hard to decide just how to rate this book. To put things very simply, I don't like reading a book in which the main character is racist, ableist, and sizeist. There are many mentions of a character being 'fat', along with many descriptions drawing attention to her size. There are also several uses of the 'r-word' and, while the n-word is not used, there is one very clear allusion to it and many mentions of others' color. I totally get that this period is from 'a different time' (1978), but that doesn't mean I have to enjoy a main character who inhabits poor morals. I think I would have liked this book a lot better if the r-word and continued mentions of a character's size and colors were left out.
All of that aside, I did like Gilly's other character traits. It makes sense that, as a foster child who has bounced around from home to home, she would be hostile, tricky, and generally uncaring about the people around her. I also enjoyed watching the journey of her developing an attachment to the very people she had spoken so badly of throughout a great deal of the book. That's what made the ending so sad to me- it didn't feel like the 'right' ending. Gilly deserves a family and love, and she had that with Trotter, William Ernest, and Mr. Randolph. It's unclear why he grandmother decided to take her in- did she feel an obligation or duty to taking care of her granddaughter, as Gilly thinks? Does she want a 'do-over' of raising a daughter? Is she simply lonely and sees this as her opportunity to have family again?
My hope is that Gilly continues to carry on communication with the family she made in Trotter's home. Is it realistic to hope she returns to them? No, I know it isn't- the end result of fostering is for children to be reunited with their biological family. But, to me, it's very different when a child knew their family, was taken away, and was able to return when the family situation was better versus pretty well being abandoned by their mother- it's clear that Gilly's mother doesn't have a true attachment to her, and when Gilly realizes that, it really breaks my heart.
Overall, I enjoyed Gilly's development of morals and values throughout the story, but I did not enjoy that her hopes for love and family seem to have been dashed. However, I recognize that this story does a great job at depicting a foster child of the time in which it was written/depicted.
It's hard to decide just how to rate this book. To put things very simply, I don't like reading a book in which the main character is racist, ableist, and sizeist. There are many mentions of a character being 'fat', along with many descriptions drawing attention to her size. There are also several uses of the 'r-word' and, while the n-word is not used, there is one very clear allusion to it and many mentions of others' color. I totally get that this period is from 'a different time' (1978), but that doesn't mean I have to enjoy a main character who inhabits poor morals. I think I would have liked this book a lot better if the r-word and continued mentions of a character's size and colors were left out.
All of that aside, I did like Gilly's other character traits. It makes sense that, as a foster child who has bounced around from home to home, she would be hostile, tricky, and generally uncaring about the people around her. I also enjoyed watching the journey of her developing an attachment to the very people she had spoken so badly of throughout a great deal of the book. That's what made the ending so sad to me- it didn't feel like the 'right' ending. Gilly deserves a family and love, and she had that with Trotter, William Ernest, and Mr. Randolph. It's unclear why he grandmother decided to take her in- did she feel an obligation or duty to taking care of her granddaughter, as Gilly thinks? Does she want a 'do-over' of raising a daughter? Is she simply lonely and sees this as her opportunity to have family again?
My hope is that Gilly continues to carry on communication with the family she made in Trotter's home. Is it realistic to hope she returns to them? No, I know it isn't- the end result of fostering is for children to be reunited with their biological family. But, to me, it's very different when a child knew their family, was taken away, and was able to return when the family situation was better versus pretty well being abandoned by their mother- it's clear that Gilly's mother doesn't have a true attachment to her, and when Gilly realizes that, it really breaks my heart.
Overall, I enjoyed Gilly's development of morals and values throughout the story, but I did not enjoy that her hopes for love and family seem to have been dashed. However, I recognize that this story does a great job at depicting a foster child of the time in which it was written/depicted.
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Audience: mature enough for a little language.
This is the first book I read about a foster child. Gilly handles herself well considering all she has had to live though by the age of eleven.
This is the first book I read about a foster child. Gilly handles herself well considering all she has had to live though by the age of eleven.
Really good book. I love how the ending isn't a traditional happy ending, but I want it to be in this case because... Ugh! I just have conflicted feelings.
2.5, I guess. Grumpily 2.5.
So, for my 2015 Reading Challenge, I had to read a book I was supposed to read in school but didn't. Well guess what, I read everything I was supposed to read in school. I loved reading, so of course I did. That left me with a bit of a problem. So I decided to re-read a book I read in school and hated. That's right, I read this book in fifth grade and have loathed it ever since. So here I am. Reading it again. For a reading challenge.
I still didn't like it. I guess I can see why this was an honor book.
At least it's over!
So, for my 2015 Reading Challenge, I had to read a book I was supposed to read in school but didn't. Well guess what, I read everything I was supposed to read in school. I loved reading, so of course I did. That left me with a bit of a problem. So I decided to re-read a book I read in school and hated. That's right, I read this book in fifth grade and have loathed it ever since. So here I am. Reading it again. For a reading challenge.
I still didn't like it. I guess I can see why this was an honor book.
At least it's over!
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
The first time I read this book was around 20 years ago when I was in 6th grade, which is the grade Gilly is in during the story. So, the first time I read it, I was the target demographic. I enjoyed the story then and still enjoy it now. I even remembered a decent amount of the story.
This isn't an easy story. Gilly is a foster child who acts like a foster child. She doesn't trust. She pushes away from people. She is angry and scared and wants her mother to be her savior. She's a realistic 11 year old for her situation.
I've read comments that complain about the swearing. Honestly, kids swear. They learn it from adults and television and they replicate it. The adults around her call her out on her inappropriate words, but it's still realistic. My peers when I first read this story, the same age as the character, swore.
There is racism in the story. Again, this is realistic. People are racist today. They were racist when I was a kid, and they were even more racist when this book was set and written in the 1970's. Is this a good thing, of course not. However, the racism and prejudice in this story is portrayed negatively.
What I took away from this book as a kid was that I want to help people who are in situations like Gilly. And 20 years later, that's still what I want to do. Empathy is important, and this is a story that helped young me see that life is very hard for some people, and they need empathy.
This isn't an easy story. Gilly is a foster child who acts like a foster child. She doesn't trust. She pushes away from people. She is angry and scared and wants her mother to be her savior. She's a realistic 11 year old for her situation.
I've read comments that complain about the swearing. Honestly, kids swear. They learn it from adults and television and they replicate it. The adults around her call her out on her inappropriate words, but it's still realistic. My peers when I first read this story, the same age as the character, swore.
There is racism in the story. Again, this is realistic. People are racist today. They were racist when I was a kid, and they were even more racist when this book was set and written in the 1970's. Is this a good thing, of course not. However, the racism and prejudice in this story is portrayed negatively.
What I took away from this book as a kid was that I want to help people who are in situations like Gilly. And 20 years later, that's still what I want to do. Empathy is important, and this is a story that helped young me see that life is very hard for some people, and they need empathy.
This was a book I had to read as a kid at several schools along my travels. As a tomboy myself I could relate to some of Gilly's rebelliousness, and I think most kids have felt some of her frustration.
I guess I hadn't read this in awhile since I had totally forgotten that Gilly's name is short for Galadriel, and was pretty appalled by the racial attitudes. I remember they made me feel vaguely uncomfortable as a kid, but had apparently blocked that out.
I still think this is a pretty awesome book for kids, and I enjoyed it as a quick re-read for nostalgia's sake.
I guess I hadn't read this in awhile since I had totally forgotten that Gilly's name is short for Galadriel, and was pretty appalled by the racial attitudes. I remember they made me feel vaguely uncomfortable as a kid, but had apparently blocked that out.
I still think this is a pretty awesome book for kids, and I enjoyed it as a quick re-read for nostalgia's sake.