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Jill Owens: IMG Claire Messud: The Powells.com Interview



Claire MessudClaire Messud's new novel, The Woman Upstairs, is fiercely intelligent and urgently intimate, written with precision, humor, and an incredible... Continue »
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    The Woman Upstairs

    Claire Messud 9780307596901

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The Great Unexpected

by

The Great Unexpected Cover

ISBN13: 9780061892325
ISBN10: 0061892327
Condition: Standard
Dustjacket: Standard
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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

I had big thoughts to match the big wind. I wondered if we find the people we need when we need them. I wondered if we attract our future by some sort of invisible force, or if we are drawn to it by a similar force. I felt I was turning a corner and that change was afoot.

In the little town of Blackbird Tree live two orphan girls: one Naomi Deane, brimming with curiosity, and her best friend, Lizzie Scatterding, who could talk the ears off a cornfield. Naomi has a knack for being around when trouble happens. For she knows all the peculiar people in town—like Crazy Cora and Witch Wiggins and Mr. Farley. But then, one day, a boy drops out of a tree. The strangely charming Finn boy. Then the Dingle Dangle man appears, asking all kinds of questions. Curious surprises are revealed—three locked trunks, a pair of rooks, a crooked bridge, and that boy. Soon Naomi and Lizzie find themselves zooming toward a future neither could ever have imagined. Meanwhile, on a grand estate across the ocean, an old lady whose heart has been deceived concocts a plan. . . .

As two very different worlds are woven together, Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech celebrates the gossamer thread that connects us all, and the great and unexpected gifts of love, friendship, and forgiveness.

Review:

"In a story that is part folktale, part mystery, and part comedy, Newbery Medalist Creech (Walk Two Moons) traces a series of strange events, beginning with a boy's fall from a tree, which is witnessed by an orphan named Naomi and her friend Lizzie. The boy, Finn, might be part of the Dimmens clan, who live up on Black Dog Night Hill, or his appearance might be more ethereal in nature. In alternating chapters, readers are whisked between two evocative locations: Naomi's town of Blackbird Tree and an impressive Irish estate owned by an ailing mystery novel buff. Neighbors, strangers, and a collection of odd artifacts are all part of a puzzle Naomi tries to solve — and readers will be working just as hard to do so. The fun that drives the book forward derives from Naomi's plainspoken narration (her barely concealed jealousy over Lizzie's interactions with Finn is especially well-done), along with uncovering the surprising connections between characters and wondering whether magic is at the root of the baffling occurrences. Ages 8 — 12. Agent: Amy Berkower, Writers House. (Sept.)" Publishers Weekly Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Sharon Creech is the author of the Newbery Medal winner Walk Two Moons and the Newbery Honor Book The Wanderer. Her other work includes the novels The Unfinished Angel, Hate That Cat, The Castle Corona, Replay, Heartbeat, Granny Torrelli Makes Soup, Ruby Holler, Love That Dog, Bloomability, Absolutely Normal Chaos, Chasing Redbird, and Pleasing the Ghost, as well as three picture books: A Fine, Fine School; Fishing in the Air; and Who's That Baby? Ms. Creech and her husband live in upstate New York.

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 1 comment:

njcur, November 4, 2012 (view all comments by njcur)
What a writer! Sharon Creech is amazing. I will highly recommend this book to readers of all ages. Ms. Creech creates really full and believable characters. They are people you hope to meet in person. She has written a wonderful page turning mystery with lots of laugh out loud moments. Her short chapters and dueling storylines really kept me captivated while not sacrificing a terrific depth of feeling. I really hated for the story to end. I hope she will let us know more about these endearing characters in future books.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780061892325
Author:
Creech, Sharon
Publisher:
HarperCollins
Subject:
General Juvenile Fiction
Subject:
Children s-Reference Family and Genealogy
Subject:
Family - Multigenerational
Subject:
Children s-General
Edition Description:
Hardcover
Publication Date:
20120931
Binding:
HARDCOVER
Grade Level:
from 3 up to 7
Language:
English
Pages:
240
Dimensions:
7.5 x 5.5 in 17.78 oz
Age Level:
from 8 up to 12

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Related Subjects


Children's » General
Children's » Middle Readers » General
Children's » Middle Readers » New Arrivals
Children's » Reference » Family and Genealogy
Young Adult » Fiction » Social Issues » Friendship

The Great Unexpected Used Hardcover
0 stars - 0 reviews
$11.95 In Stock
Product details 240 pages HarperCollins - English 9780061892325 Reviews:
"Publishers Weekly Review" by , "In a story that is part folktale, part mystery, and part comedy, Newbery Medalist Creech (Walk Two Moons) traces a series of strange events, beginning with a boy's fall from a tree, which is witnessed by an orphan named Naomi and her friend Lizzie. The boy, Finn, might be part of the Dimmens clan, who live up on Black Dog Night Hill, or his appearance might be more ethereal in nature. In alternating chapters, readers are whisked between two evocative locations: Naomi's town of Blackbird Tree and an impressive Irish estate owned by an ailing mystery novel buff. Neighbors, strangers, and a collection of odd artifacts are all part of a puzzle Naomi tries to solve — and readers will be working just as hard to do so. The fun that drives the book forward derives from Naomi's plainspoken narration (her barely concealed jealousy over Lizzie's interactions with Finn is especially well-done), along with uncovering the surprising connections between characters and wondering whether magic is at the root of the baffling occurrences. Ages 8 — 12. Agent: Amy Berkower, Writers House. (Sept.)" Publishers Weekly Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
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