Skip to main content

A Season of Gifts

By

by Richard Peck
New York: Penguin, 2009. 164 pgs.
In the midst of all the bad news these days, there is one nova-sized bright spot: Grandma Dowdel is back. Peck adds to his Newbery-honor-winning A Long Way from Chicago and his Newbery-winning A Year Down Yonder, Grandma Dowdel's adventures in 1958 with her new neighbors, a Methodist preacher's family--two girls and a boy, who narrates. Although the fifties don't have the same cachet as the thirties and forties, and Joey and Mary Alice are long gone to their grown-up lives, Grandma Dowdel still manages to terrorize the hoodlums out of her melon patch; save the preacher's daughter from the Elvis-like wiles of Roscoe Burdick; and give young Bob the chance of a lifetime to drive the getaway car (his family's own '50 Nash, aka "The Pickle") in a daring Christmas tree raid. As is her wont, Grandma Dowdel gives her priceless gifts while seeming to be acting only in enlightened self-interest. What a deep and abiding pleasure to have her back.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Display: Dino-mite Reads

By
Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs By Mo Willems New York: Balzar + Bray, 2012. Picture Book. "Once upon a time, there were three hungry Dinosaurs: Papa Dinosaur, Mama Dinosaur . . . and a Dinosaur who happened to be visiting from Norway. One day--for no particular reason--they decided to tidy up their house, make the beds, and prepare pudding of varying temperatures. And then--for no particular reason--they decided to go . . . someplace else. They were definitely not setting a trap for some succulent, unsupervised little girl. Definitely not!" --Editor Smart Vs. Strong! Written by Jill Esbaum Illustrated by Miles Thompson New York: Simon Spotlight, 2021. Easy Reader. 64 pages. "When Thunder gets stuck in quicksand, Cluck uses his smarts to free his friend." --Editor How Dinosaurs Went Extinct Written by Ame Dyckman Illustrated by Jennifer Harney New York: Brown and Company, 2023. Picture Book. "When a child in a museum asks how dinosaurs became extinct, Dad co
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: The Hidden Dragon

By
The Hidden Dragon By Melissa Marr New York: Nancy Paulsen Books, 2023. Fiction. 161 pages. Three children, Otter, London, and Sophia, live in a fantasy world with dragons. Otter (short for Ottilie) is the daughter of a ship captain, and she loves the sea and its dragons. London is a stowaway boy, searching for a new life full of adventure. Sophia lives in a thief house with other children, all dedicated to helping each other and trying to make the kingdom better. As trouble begins to brew both on land and at sea, these three heroes realize that maybe it's up to the kids to make things right. Readers experience the book from multiple perspectives, and with a bit of mystery and adventure, this is an amazing fantasy read. With the inspiring message that children truly can make a difference, readers will enjoy how each character fights for what's right, even when it's inconvenient. The ending is resolved a little quickly, but this is a great read for all "hatchlings."
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: Iceberg

By
Iceberg By Jennifer A. Nielsen New York: Scholastic Press, 2023. Fiction. 339 pages. Hazel Rothbury has to get on the Titanic . Her family's livelihood depends on it. She's going to live with her aunt in New York and start working to send money back to her mother. When she discovers that she doesn't have enough money for a ticket, she sneaks on board and stows away. Hazel has an insatiable curiosity that drives her to pursue her dream of becoming a published writer. She decides the Titanic will be the perfect first story. As she makes friends and researches the ship, she uncovers a mystery and potential crime. Even though she's a young girl, stowing away in a lower cabin, she just might be the one to reveal the truth. I've never read a Titanic story I didn't love, and this book is no exception. I found myself immediately invested in Hazel's story. We know exactly what happened to the Titanic , but what happens to this young, smart girl? As she learns about
Post a Comment
Read more