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jennchandler's review against another edition
4.0
3.5. This was rather depressing through 90% of the book. I liked the ending, but it was a long time coming...
jennifermreads's review against another edition
3.0
Actual rating 3.5 stars
Cammie’s mother’s dying act was to push her daughter to safety before being struck by a car. Now, as she enters her teenage years, Cammie struggles to find a mother-figure to fill this desperate empty space in her life. Will the void be filled with the housekeeper-trustee Eloda who spends her days taking care of Cammie and the warden’s home and her nights in the cells below? Or will the buoyant prisoner Boo-Boo complete Cammie’s life and provide the mothering Cammie so longs for?
The story is told in a flashback format. The prologue gives us a present-day introduction to Cammie but it quickly flashes back to 1959, the summer that Cammie was twelve-going-on-thirteen. Cammie is in a tough spot: no mother, a busy father, impending teenage years (and thus emotions), a best friend that has developed (physically and emotionally) much faster than Cammie, and friends that Cammie suspects like her only because of her notoriety as the girl-who-lives-at-the-prison. She is a complicated character going through a variety of issues that many teen girls face. She is moody, she is struggling. She is identifiable, she is real.
I’m not sure what about this book made me move it from my email in-box to my very large TBR pile. But I’m glad I moved it to the top of the pile when it came into my library. Shockingly, this is the first Jerry Spinelli book I’ve read. I found Cammie a terrific character and I was intrigued with all that she went through in the course of the book. I appreciated the format as it was nice to get not only Cammie’s perspective of things as they happened, but also the insight into Eloda’s thinking with the satisfying epilogue showing Cammie today.
I found all the characters real. Some stereotypical? Well, yes. But that didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the story. This is a surefire reading suggestion for middle grade readers.
Cammie’s mother’s dying act was to push her daughter to safety before being struck by a car. Now, as she enters her teenage years, Cammie struggles to find a mother-figure to fill this desperate empty space in her life. Will the void be filled with the housekeeper-trustee Eloda who spends her days taking care of Cammie and the warden’s home and her nights in the cells below? Or will the buoyant prisoner Boo-Boo complete Cammie’s life and provide the mothering Cammie so longs for?
The story is told in a flashback format. The prologue gives us a present-day introduction to Cammie but it quickly flashes back to 1959, the summer that Cammie was twelve-going-on-thirteen. Cammie is in a tough spot: no mother, a busy father, impending teenage years (and thus emotions), a best friend that has developed (physically and emotionally) much faster than Cammie, and friends that Cammie suspects like her only because of her notoriety as the girl-who-lives-at-the-prison. She is a complicated character going through a variety of issues that many teen girls face. She is moody, she is struggling. She is identifiable, she is real.
I’m not sure what about this book made me move it from my email in-box to my very large TBR pile. But I’m glad I moved it to the top of the pile when it came into my library. Shockingly, this is the first Jerry Spinelli book I’ve read. I found Cammie a terrific character and I was intrigued with all that she went through in the course of the book. I appreciated the format as it was nice to get not only Cammie’s perspective of things as they happened, but also the insight into Eloda’s thinking with the satisfying epilogue showing Cammie today.
I found all the characters real. Some stereotypical? Well, yes. But that didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the story. This is a surefire reading suggestion for middle grade readers.
molly_dettmann's review against another edition
3.0
I felt this one dragged in places, but that ending sure did get me with all the warm fuzzies.
haylisreading's review against another edition
2.0
I first want to say that I know this is a middle grade book, but I just can't picture a 12 year old reading this and coming out saying they liked it.
Don't get me wrong, the premise sounded really cool. A 12 year old girl living at a prison with her dad, the warden, and being cared for by a "trustee", aka one of the inmates. Her adventures with hanging out with some of the women prisoners and even a "famous" child killer comes to the prison, with the result of protests breaking out in front of the prison. (But nothing really came of the prisoners. And it just wasn't exciting as I thought it was going to be.) But not even halfway through I started to get really bored.
Going into this I thought it would be fun and light but I was just bored. I didn't like Cammie. I felt for her at times when she was sad or felt lonely but she was moody ALL THE TIME. She would run out and rage and act out against her caregivers and her "friends" and it just got really tiring fast.
And on top of that, it didn't feel like there even was a plot. It was just a bunch of little events that made Cammie say "woe is me" thrown together and called a book. Though, there was a very loose premise of Cammie wanting a mom and missing her mom, but that's the closest thing there was to a plot. The ending did wrap that up a little, though, but it just wasn't enough to make me like it.
Don't get me wrong, the premise sounded really cool. A 12 year old girl living at a prison with her dad, the warden, and being cared for by a "trustee", aka one of the inmates. Her adventures with hanging out with some of the women prisoners and even a "famous" child killer comes to the prison, with the result of protests breaking out in front of the prison. (But nothing really came of the prisoners. And it just wasn't exciting as I thought it was going to be.) But not even halfway through I started to get really bored.
Going into this I thought it would be fun and light but I was just bored. I didn't like Cammie. I felt for her at times when she was sad or felt lonely but she was moody ALL THE TIME. She would run out and rage and act out against her caregivers and her "friends" and it just got really tiring fast.
And on top of that, it didn't feel like there even was a plot. It was just a bunch of little events that made Cammie say "woe is me" thrown together and called a book. Though, there was a very loose premise of Cammie wanting a mom and missing her mom, but that's the closest thing there was to a plot. The ending did wrap that up a little, though, but it just wasn't enough to make me like it.
amymck05's review against another edition
4.0
I had fun reading this with my 7th graders. The kids had a laugh watching American Bandstsnd clips and listening to the songs referenced from the 50s.
sc104906's review against another edition
4.0
Cammie's mother died when she was young and she is on a quest to find a mother. Cammie lives with her father at a woman's prison where he is the warden. Therefore, Cammie begins her search within her own home. Cammie selects one of the inmates, who fulfills the role of nanny for her, to eventually become her mother. While Cammie attempts to force the inmate into this role, the inmate works to help give Cammie the strength to make the best responsible decisions on her own. As this occurs, a local murderer is brought into the prison and Cammie becomes popular because of her access to this person.
This historical novel was an interesting story of growing up.
This historical novel was an interesting story of growing up.
juicelina's review against another edition
3.0
I feel like I didn't appreciate this book as much as I could have.
It was a really interesting coming of age story about an unhappy girl, who is coping with the death of her mother and searching for a mother figure in her trustee. I didn't like Cammie at first, but that was the point. She was a brat. She was angry. She was unhappy. This book is all about her growing up and finding that happiness in one summer. The story was very well-developed. Things flowed really nicely. Also it was different reading something set in the 60s since I'm not really one to pick books up from the time period. I kind of enjoyed it.
But like I said, I didn't really appreciate this book as much as I could have. It was very slow to me and it took me a long time to finally get into it. I didn't really realize until the end how important this book was. Honesty, I don't really know how to review this considering I didn't start liking it until the middle-end of the book.
I think this book is worth the read. It wasn't really for me, but I feel like it could be a very impactful read for someone.
It was a really interesting coming of age story about an unhappy girl, who is coping with the death of her mother and searching for a mother figure in her trustee. I didn't like Cammie at first, but that was the point. She was a brat. She was angry. She was unhappy. This book is all about her growing up and finding that happiness in one summer. The story was very well-developed. Things flowed really nicely. Also it was different reading something set in the 60s since I'm not really one to pick books up from the time period. I kind of enjoyed it.
But like I said, I didn't really appreciate this book as much as I could have. It was very slow to me and it took me a long time to finally get into it. I didn't really realize until the end how important this book was. Honesty, I don't really know how to review this considering I didn't start liking it until the middle-end of the book.
I think this book is worth the read. It wasn't really for me, but I feel like it could be a very impactful read for someone.
msseviereads's review against another edition
5.0
Wow... hooked from the beginning on the character of Cammie. And when she was lost and floundering... my heart hurt for her. Spinelli's talent came thru with the writing style fitting the character's own situation.
Thank goodness all my students were also reading and didn't notice my tears and sniffles at the front of the room.
Highly recommend!
Thank goodness all my students were also reading and didn't notice my tears and sniffles at the front of the room.
Highly recommend!