A blog for kids and adults in the St. Joseph County/Michiana area who are interested in understanding how books are eligible for the Newbery, and discussing which ones are truly distinguished.
This is a lyrical but multi-layered book that's wonderful for read alouds and independent reading. The author gets deep inside the head of a 9-year-old boy and shows his gritty, loving relationship with the calf that he'll eventually see auctioned off at the county fair. The novel follows the seasons on a small Pennsylvania farm -- itself a vanishing breed.
I just finished this one this morning; protagonist's voice is believable and the setting is well-described and shows the beauty of a farm, as well as the difficult choices a farmer has to make. I liked this a lot but wonder why Wallace didn't tie up 1 small thread--why didn't she tell us whether Eli's father's pumpkin won? Thought that was a little bit odd--because so much of the story is about the father and his anger/competitive nature, etc...
This is a lyrical but multi-layered book that's wonderful for read alouds and independent reading. The author gets deep inside the head of a 9-year-old boy and shows his gritty, loving relationship with the calf that he'll eventually see auctioned off at the county fair. The novel follows the seasons on a small Pennsylvania farm -- itself a vanishing breed.
ReplyDeleteI just finished this one this morning; protagonist's voice is believable and the setting is well-described and shows the beauty of a farm, as well as the difficult choices a farmer has to make. I liked this a lot but wonder why Wallace didn't tie up 1 small thread--why didn't she tell us whether Eli's father's pumpkin won? Thought that was a little bit odd--because so much of the story is about the father and his anger/competitive nature, etc...
ReplyDelete