Who will see the first dolphin this time? The first pelican? What will have changed? Stayed the same? And will this be the year she finally finds a junonia shell?
Alice's friends are all returning, too. And she's certain her parents have the best party planned for her. Alice can't wait. If Alice is lucky, everything will be absolutely perfect. Will Alice be lucky? -Goodreads
First Line: When Alice Rice and her parents were halfway across the bridge, Alice felt strange.
One Great Line: Sun glinted like silver stitches fastening the sea to the sky. (80)
My Favorite: Suddenly she felt as if she were the center of everything, like the sun. She was thinking: Here I am. I have my parents. We're alone together. I will never be old. I will never die. It's right now. I'm ten.
What Others Are Saying: Readers will empathize with Alice's frustrations and relish her moments of joy. Images of the beach and the moving, meaningful interactions between characters will linger with readers. -Publishers Weekly
What I Thought: Henkes ability to make any description active: Stars litter the sky and clouds sit on the horizon. Active images rise from the flat page. I remember bringing my children to the ocean and spending an entire day combing the beach for treasures: shells, colorful rocks, tiny crabs, bits of colored glass worn down by the waves and sand. Henkes words transported me and I could hear the crashing waves and smell the salty air. The voice is authentic and we see everything through Alice's eyes. The feelings of jealousy, embarrassment and even rage are real and intense. This would be a wonderful read-aloud for younger children. It is a perfect chapter book for intermediate readers. I also appreciated the simple drawings at the beginning of each chapter as well as the inside cover which identifies many of the shells that Alice knows about.
About The Author: Kevin Henkes
Website
Publisher: Harper Collins
Henkes grew up in a neighborhood full of children, five of which were in his family. "Growing up with four siblings," he says, "teaches you a lot about interpersonal relationships." He has many memories of his childhood, and much of what he writes about stems directly from those memories. "I don't know that I remember details any better than anyone else -- I think I remember the feelings." See rest of the article here.
About The Author: Kevin Henkes
Website
Publisher: Harper Collins
Henkes grew up in a neighborhood full of children, five of which were in his family. "Growing up with four siblings," he says, "teaches you a lot about interpersonal relationships." He has many memories of his childhood, and much of what he writes about stems directly from those memories. "I don't know that I remember details any better than anyone else -- I think I remember the feelings." See rest of the article here.
Check out what Kevin has to say about Junonia...
Don't Miss These Great MMGM Reviews:
Shannon Whitney Messenger is gushing over Gordon Korman's 39 Clues and has an arc give away HERE.
-Barbara Watson continues her special MMGMM summer series by spotlighting SPARROW ROAD. Click HERE to read her review.
-Chelane Greene makes her MMGM debut with a feature on A TALE OF TWO CASTLES. Click HERE to welcome her to the gang!
-Pam Torres is featuring JUNONIA. Click HERE to see what she thinks.
-The lovely Shannon O'Donnell (aka #2) always has fabulous MG love going on at her blog on Mondays. Click HERE to see what she has going on today.
I would LOVE this book! It's going on my TBR list. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.
ReplyDelete