Synopses & Reviews
Katy Thatcher was the bright and curious daughter of the town doctor. She was fascinated by her fathers work, and even as a child she knew that she too wanted to be a doctor. She wanted to know about people. Perhaps it was this, her insatiable curiosity, or simply the charm of Jacobs gentle intimacy with animals large and small, that fueled their friendship. Although Jacob never spoke to her or even looked at her directly, Katy grew to understand him from the moments they spent together quietly singing to the horses. She knew there was meaning in the sounds he made and purpose behind his movements. So when events took an unexpected and tragic turn, it was Katy alone who could unravel the mystery of what had occurred, and why.
A two-time recipient of the prestigious Newbery Medal, acclaimed author Lois Lowry presents a sensitive and moving story of a wide-eyed young girl growing up at the beginning of the twentieth century and the influence of the farm community around her. Through Katys eyes, readers can see the human face so often hidden under modern psychological terminology and experience for themselves the haunting impact of her friendship with the silent boy.
Review
Princess Patricia Priscilla is bored with her royal life and the excitement surrounding her sixteenth birthday ball. Doomed to endure courtship by three grotesquely unappealing noblemen, she escapes her fateand#151;for a week. Disguised as a peasant, she attends the village school as the smart new girl, and#147;Pat,and#8221; and attracts friends and the attention of the handsome schoolmaster. Disgusting suitors, lovable peasants, and the clueless king and queen collide at the ball, where Princess Patricia Priscilla calls the shots. What began as a cure for boredom becomes a chance for Princess Patricia Priscilla to break the rules and marry the man she loves.
"Lowry, who has often turned to new genres and made them her own, now freely adopts certain conventions of the romantic fairy tale to create a fresh story buoyed by wry wit and occasional schoolyard humor. The many idiosyncratic characters are drawn with swift, sure strokes in both the writing and in Feiffer's inimitable ink drawings, notable for their economy and assurance of line as well as their pitch-perfect expression of personality, attitude, and emotion. An original fairy tale with a decidedly comical twist."and#8212;Booklist, starred review
"Lowry uses her knack for cleverly turning familiar stories on their heads (last seen inThe Willoughbys) in this tale about a princess who's utterly bored with privileged palace life...Throughout, Feiffer's wiry ink illustrations paint the characters in offhand caricatures, adding to the merriment. Employing elements from the "Prince and the Pauper" as well as ample doses of humor and slapstick, Lowry sets the stage for a rowdy denouement."and#8212;Publishers Weekly
"This is a captivating but gentle fairy tale with memorable characters and wonderfully swirly, evocative, energetic character sketches by the fabulous Feiffer."and#8212;School Library Journal
"In her clever fairy-tale reconstruction, Lowry transforms the traditional princess into a refreshingly egalitarian heroine with a mind of her own. The hilarious, original and truly loathsome suitors are aptly memorialized in Feifferand#8217;s spritely black-and-white caricature illustrations. Guaranteed to generate giggles and guffaws."and#8212;Kirkusand#160;Reviews
"A lighthearted concoction overflowing with wordplay and alliteration. . . . [Readers] will laugh themselves silly."and#8212;New York Times Book Review
"Lowry draws on wicked humor, sly wordplay and stock characters to propel this pleasantly predictable romp . . .[she] again proves her range."and#8212;San Francisco Chronicle
"Newbery Medalist Lois Lowry and acclaimed illustrator Jules Feiffer throw one not-to-be-missed party witih The Birthday Ball"and#8212;Family Fun Magazine "Feiffer's frenetic lines and distinctive caricatures maintain the offbeat tone while adding a charming quirkiness in their own right. Youngsters who like thier fair share of mischief will get a kick out of this fractured fairy tale either on their own or as a readaloud."and#8212;The Bulletin
"Happiness radiates out from the Birthday Ball, zings down to the village and up again. A great story when read aloud."and#8212;Chicago Tribune
Review
"Gooney Bird doesn't need much help putting herself on the map. She'll be famous for years to come."-Kirkus
Review
"Gooney Bird doesn't need much help putting herself on the map. She'll be famous for years to come."-Kirkus
"In this fifth book in the series, Lowry deals with the ticklish classroom issue of students gloating about vacations. She (and Mrs. Pidgeon and Gooney Bird) handle it well, helping young readers reflect on the competitive chatter that often strains the fabric of a class right before holidays."-Horn Bookand#160;
"Witty and perceptive in equal measure, the book features fine-tuned dialogue, kid-friendly illustrations, and a strongly realized classroom setting." -Booklist
Review
“The author balances humor and generosity with the obstacles and injustice of Katys world to depict a complete picture of the turn of the century.” Publishers Weekly, Starred
“Lowrys latest achievement delivers complexity disguised as simplicity—providing depth through her child-narrators eyes.” VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates)
“Emotionally devastating and infinitely haunting.” Horn Book
“Not since Autumn Street has Lowry written a novel that injects childhood experience so deeply with adult tone.” The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
“Lowry excels in developing strong and unique characters.” School Library Journal
“Well-crafted and narrated by a perceptive, large-hearted child.” Kirkus Reviews
Review
The kids come alive in the story, and Harper enhances the comical goings-on with sparkling cartoon sketches. Give this to...anyone looking for a funny book.
Booklist, ALA, Starred Review
Just Grace--so named because she is the fourth Grace in her classroom--is an engaging and empathetic little girl who enjoys drawing, helping others and making lists. . . . An appealing chapter book with just a hint of mystery for middle-grade girls.
Kirkus Reviews
Grace's spirited annotated drawings and her inimitable narrative's arrangement into brief vignettes makes this a good choice for kids just beginning to tackle chapter books.
Publishers Weekly
"This charming book [is] written in an authentic young voice...just delightful fun...very appealing chick lit lite..." - Vicki's Bookshelf Midwest Book Review
Synopsis
After some of the kids in class get jealous of their classmates who are going away for February vacation, Gooney Bird gets the whole class involved in a map project that makes everyone feel like they are going somewhere. This is the 5th chapter book installment in the Gooney Bird series.
Synopsis
'In perhaps her strongest work to date, Lois Lowry once again creates a mysterious but plausible future world. It is a society ruled by savagery and deceit and that shuns and discards the weak. Left orphaned and physically flawed, young Kira faces a frightening, uncertain future. Blessed with an almost magical talent that keeps her alive, she struggles with ever broadening responsibilities in her quest for truth, discovering things that will change her life forever.
As she did in THE GIVER, Lowry challenges readers to imagine what our world could become, how people could evolve, and what could be considered valuable. Every reader will be taken by Kiras plight and will long ponder her haunting world and the hope for the future. '
Synopsis
"Gooney Bird doesn't need much help putting herself on the map. She'll be famous for years to come." --Kirkus Reviews Mrs. Pidgeons second grade students are talking about their awesome February vacation plans every chance they get. It can be hard to focus on subtraction problems when youre heading to Hawaii or Florida in seventeen minus seven days! But most of the class will be staying home during vacation. Can Gooney Bird Greene keep spirits up while everyone is feeling down? Gooney Bird has a great idea that sends her classmates and her on a snowy spin through United States history and geography!
Synopsis
Gooney Bird Greene returns for another rollicking classroom adventure in this fifth installment of two-time Newbery Award Winner Lois Lowry's Gooney Bird series.
Synopsis
Gooney Bird Greene returns for more adventures in this chapter-book series from two-time Newbery Medaland#8211;winner Lois Lowry, with Middy Thomasand#8217;s black-and-white illustrations bringing the classroom to life throughout. Mrs. Pidgeonand#8217;s second grade class has a lot to celebrate in February: presidentsand#8217; birthdays, Valentineand#8217;s Day, and school vacation. Of course, the students are talking about their awesome vacation plans every chance they get. It can be hard to focus on subtraction problems when youand#8217;re heading to Hawaii or Florida in seventeen minus seven days! But most of the class (twelve minus three of them, in fact) will be staying home during vacation. Can Gooney Bird Greene keep spirits up while everyone is feeling down? Gooney Bird has a great idea that sends her classmates and her on a snowy spin through U.S. history and geography!
Synopsis
Grace loves cats. She also loves taking pictures of cats and drawing Not-So Super comics. She doesnt like Sammy Stringer, a boy in her class. Shes got lots and lots of ideas, and when her neighbors cat goes missing, Grace does her best to make Mrs. Luther feel less lonely. But as the mystery of the missing cat continues, Graces well-intentioned plan backfires, and she finds herself in a bit of trouble. Maybe, just maybe, Sammy Stringer will help her through.
Synopsis
Gooney Bird Greeneand#8217;s uncle, Dr. Oglethorpe, has lent her second-grade classroom a real skeleton to help them study the human body. But when the skeleton goes missing, Gooney Bird must play the role of detective and lead her class in investigating the mystery at hand. Gooney is as funny, enthusiastic, and charming as ever in this sixth installment of the acclaimed series by two time Newbery Medalist Lois Lowry.
Synopsis
and#8220;Itand#8217;s March!and#8221; Mrs. Pidgeon said as she wrote the dayand#8217;s date on the chalkboard. and#8220;In like a lion, out like a lamb!and#8221;
The morning bell has rung at Watertower Elementary School, and itand#8217;s time for Mrs. Pidgeonand#8217;s class to turn to page 52 in their science books to learn about one of the most spectacular scientific subjects of alland#8212;the human body! As usual, Gooney Bird has a special plan to make learning more fun. But what on earth is in that scary-looking box that her uncle, Dr. Oglethorpe, has brought to the second grade? And what does it have to do with the charms on Gooneyand#8217;s jingling silver bracelet? It looks as if another special story is in the works!
About the Author
It's Future Job Day at Sam's school, and Sam knows exactly what he wants to be when he grows up-a zookeeper, just like Zookeeper Jake in his favorite picture book. His mother and big sister, Anastasia, help Sam create a memorable costume-so memorable that Sam insists on wearing it long after Future Job Day has passed and the rest of his classmates are back in their regular clothes. Encouraged by Mrs. Bennett, his teacher, Sam embarks on a lengthy project to teach his preschool class about a zookeeper's responsibilities, and along the way learns just how difficult a job teaching is. As always, the patient and loving Krupnik family stands by as Anastasia's irrepressible little brother struggles with a set of nearly impossible goals. Children will delight in this latest story featuring the precocious and irresistible Sam.It's Future Job Day at Sam's nursery school, and not only has his mom made him a "Zooman Sam" jumpsuit, his sister Anastasia has acquired for him a whole mess of sports caps with such fitting logos as Tigers and Cubs. In a class filled with future firefighters, Sam's zookeeping aspirations really stand out, and he's especially thrilled when his teacher tells him he can wear a different cap each day and tell the other children about each animal: "For six weeks he could stand in front of the circle and feel that feeling of being the most interesting person in the room." This is a slender thread on which to hang an entire novel, but Lowry spins interesting variations on her theme, and the book ends with a swell (and well-prepared) surprise. Sam remains every middle-grader's little brother; parents, too, will be amused.
Horn Book
"For Future Job Day' at Sam Krupnik's nursery school, the four-year-olds have been instructed to dress up as representatives of their desired profession. Sam doesn't want to be a fireman, as do all the other boys in his class. Instead he wants to be somebody important, somebody interesting, somebody more than ordinary,' a secret concept he privately and quite marvelously dubs the Chief of Wonderfulness.' With the assistance of his impossibly even-tempered mother and ever-helpful sister, Anastasia, Sam dresses up in a spiffy homemade zookeeper's costume. Sam's teacher allows Sam to tell his class about a different zoo animal every day, a privilege that he finds both thrilling and challenging. The plotting is leisurely, the story is slender, and a subplot about the training of the family dog barely registers. This cast of familiar characters isn't as vibrant as usual, and the material runs out of steam before the novel ends. Fans of the Sam books may find satisfaction in the nicely foreshadowed but still unanticipated punch line." Kirkus ReviewsLois Lowry is known for her versatility and invention as a writer. She was born in Hawaii and grew up in New York, Pennsylvania, and Japan. After several years at Brown University, she turned to her family and to writing. She is the author of more than thirty books for young adults, including the popular Anastasia Krupnik series. She has received countless honors, among them the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award, the California Young Readers Medal, and the Mark Twain Award. She received Newbery Medals for two of her novels, NUMBER THE STARS and THE GIVER. Her first novel, A SUMMER TO DIE, was awarded the International Reading Associations Childrens Book Award. Ms. Lowry now divides her time between Cambridge and an 1840s farmhouse in Maine. To learn more about Lois Lowry, see her website at www.loislowry.com