Summer of the Gypsy Moths

Posted on 03 July 2017 by Sara Pennypacker

Stella loves living with Great aunt Louise in her big old house near the water on Cape Cod for many reasons, but mostly because Louise likes routine as much as she does, something Stella appreciates since her mom is, well, kind of unreliable So while Mom finds herself, Stella fantasizes that someday she ll come back to the Cape and settle down The only obstacle to her plan Angel, the foster kid Louise has taken in Angel couldn t be less like her name she s tough and prickly, and the girls hardly speak to each other.But when tragedy unexpectedly strikes, Stella and Angel are forced to rely on each other to survive, and they learn that they are stronger together than they could have imagined And over the course of the summer they discover the one thing they do have in common dreams of finally belonging to a real family. Read Summer of the Gypsy Moths – kino-fada.fr This was quite profound and impressive for a middle grade novel, and despite its juvenile target, it s a book that can be enjoyed by all ages, particularly the author s remarkable depiction of Cape Cod and also the heavy underlying themes.This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers To view it, click here As a librarian I m always on the lookout for good middle grade books I can booktalk to kids Often you don t need an exciting cover or title to sell a book to kids Heck, sometimes you don t even need to show the book at all Yet in the case of Sara Pennypacker s debut middle grade novel Summer of the Gypsy Moths I fully intend to show the cover off There you see two happy girls on a seashore on a beautiful summer s day What could beidyllic I ll show the kids the cover then start right As a librarian I m always on the lookout for ...Suppose I told you that there was a book out this year in which a pair of 11 year old girls find their foster parent dead, and then elect to bury her in the backyard and continue on with their lives Who would you think had written such a book Jack Gantos Polly Horvath Roald Dahl, in a long lost manuscript only recently rediscovered What if I told you that it was actually by Sara Pennypacker, the author of Clementine, and that instead of being a black comedy, or a surreal, Daniel Pinkwater s Suppose I told you that there was a book out this year in which a pair of 11 year old girls find their foster parent dead, and then elect to bury her in the backyard and continue on with their lives Who would...I started this a while ago and put it down when it seemed to be headed in a direction that didn t work for me Then a friend on an award committee asked me to read it so now I have I can certainly see kids who like a certain sort of realistic novel Rules, So.B It enjoying this one I did as it has some very nice touches the development of each girl s backstory, some very lyrical writing, and a lovely setting But my reading was always compromised by the fact that I still found the situat I started this a while ago and put it down when it seemed to be headed in a direction that didn t work for me Then a friend on an award committee asked me to read it so now I have I can certainly see kids who like a certain sort of realistic novel Rules, So.B It enjoying this one I did as it has some very nice touches the development of each girl s backstory, some very lyrical writing, and a lovely setting But my reading was always compromised by the fact that I still found the situation improbable that none of the adults checked in on these girls or on Louise over so many weeks just seemed impossible I know we have to suspend disbelief, but this is a realistic novel and I found th...So many readers have already written reviews of this book that I want to add just a few comments Those who find the basic situation hard to believe may not be aware of just how desperate kids can become and how clever and independent they can be Most middle class children have closely supervised lives, but many poor or neglected children slip through the adult net and function basically on their own, using their wits So I had no problem with ...THREE WORDS A Stunning SurpriseMY REVIEW Sara Pennypacker s Summer of the Gypsy Moths surprised me in the most delicious way Surprised me with its poignancy, humor, beauty and, most of all, with the way its story gripped my heart and still hasn t let go.Eleven year old Stella, armed with her collected household hints from infamous Heloise, loves order and rules, which is why she likes living with her great aunt Louise on Cape Cod After Stella s grandmother dies, her flighty mother abandoned THREE WOR...A show stopper I think everyone who reads 20 pages into this book would be completely immersed While it certainly is a bit harrowing, I think it is harrowing done right Adolescent books can be so important in providing perspective and helping children navigate difficult life concepts All children eventually need to learn about the unsettling themes in this book, and what better place to vicariously navigate those themes than in a beautifully written, well crafted book The shock value alone A show stopper I think everyone who reads 20 pages into this book would be completely immersed While it certainly is a bit harrowing, I think it is harro...If you like a character driven story then you can savor this emotional waltz through the eyes of Stella If you areof a shake n shimmy type person, then you might want a littleaction Personally I m a shimmy up the tree type person but I found the plot intriguing enough to suck me in from start to finish.Eleven year old Stella likes rules and cleanliness They give order to a not so orderly life Her mother can t take care of her Shoot Her mother can t even take care of herself If you like a character driven story then you can savor this emotional waltz through the eyes of Stella If you areof a shake n shimmy type person, then you might want a littleaction Personally I m a shimmy up the tree type person but I found the plot intriguing enough to suck me in from start to finish.Eleven year old Stella likes rules and cleanliness They give order to a not so orderly life Her mother can t take care of her Shoot Her mother can t even take care of herself Stella s grandma raised her and when she dies, Stella is stuck with mom...An uncomfortable premise to an enjoyable read.The hidden parts do not contain any true spoilers and the major event I refer to happens within the first few pages But to be kind to those who hate knowing any plot points in a book view spoiler After being abandoned by her mom, 12 year old Stella has been living with Great Aunt Louise and Angel, Louise s other foster child Then Louise goes and dies and Stella and Angel spend the summer trying to deal with those consequences.When I discuss c An uncomfortable premise to an e...I ve read a lot of reviews for this book, and while it s loved by many, I ve seen the criticism that you have to suspend disbelief far too much to accept the story I sat and thought about it a long time after finishing the story, and realize that it s the adults who take issue with the book, perhaps because no one wants to think that children could be left this neglected, be this independent so long wit...

English
03 July 2017

Sara Pennypacker