Synopses & Reviews
Rife with humor and personality, this very young middle grade novel has a classic old-fashioned feel and a package equipped with the makings of a modern classic. In Bless This Mouse, a very resilient and quirky colony of church mice fear yet another Great X (more than they fear cats!), but under Mouse Matriarch Hildegardes leadership, they band together and save themselves from impending doomeven if its just by the skin of their tails! Lois Lowry is no stranger to delighting middle grade audiences. Lowrys acclaimed Gooney Bird series was championed by School Library Journal as "[a] fine selection for beginning chapter book readers and as a read-aloud." Lemony Snicket gave The Willoughbys a starred review in Publishers Weekly, while Kirkus called it a "sparklingly smart satire." More recently published on our Spring 2010 list is Lowrys Birthday Ball with "wonderfully swirly, evocative, energetic character sketches by the fabulous Feiffer" (SLJ) which Booklist hailed "an original fairy tale with a decidedly comical twist" in its starred review.
Review
'\"Writing for a younger audience than usual, Lowry displays a keen understanding of how second-grade classrooms operate.\"'
Review
'\"Lowry's masterful writing style reaches directly into her audience, managing both to appeal to young listeners and to engage readers.\"'
Review
'\"Veteran author Lowry produces a laugh-out-loud chapter book.\"'
Review
'\"…irrepressible Gooney Bird is that rare bird in children's fiction: one that instantly becomes an amusing and popular favorite.\"'
Review
Award-winning author Lois Lowry will deliver 2011 The May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture
The Giver
1994 Newbery Medal Book
Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor Book
ALA Best Book for Young Adults and ALA Notable Children's Book
"A powerful and provacative novel.”The New York Times
"Wrought with admirable skill -- the emptiness and menace underlying this Utopia emerge step by inexorable step: a richly provocative novel." Kirkus Reviews with Pointers
Number the Stars
1990 Newbery Medal Book
“A story of Denmark and the Danish people, whose Resistance was so effective in saving their Jews.”School Library Journal, starred
The Birthday Ball
"An original fairy tale with a decidedly comical twist." –Booklist, starred review
"Guaranteed to generate giggles and guffaws" –Kirkus
" . . . Feiffer's wiry ink illustrations paint the characters in offhand caricatures, adding to the merriment." –PW
The Willoughbys (Pub Date: 3/31/2008; Lifetime Sales: 83,860)
BESTSELLER LISTS
#9 The New York Times Children's Chapter Book List (8/03)
#5 The New York Times Children's Chapter Book List (7/27)
#13 Book Sense
The Heartland Indie Bestseller List, #14, Week ending July 17, 2008
"Lois Lowry...casts her noble and enviable shadow wide across the landscape of children's literature...here turns her quick, sly gaze to parody."Publishers Weekly, starred review by Lemony Snicket
"[S]parkingly smart satire."Kirkus, starred review
"The tone of this darkly dry pastiche is consistently witty, and it's chock-full of accessible parodic references to...classic children's texts...Lowry crafts a tidy plot." The Bulletin, starred review
"Great fun . . .sly humor and a certain deadpan zaniness give literary conventions an ironic twist, with hilarious results."--Booklist, starred review
Gooney the Fabulous "[Gooney Bird's] eccentric outfits and words of wisdom are peppered throughout to keep the story moving along while Thomas's characteristic black-and-white illustrations provide nice visuals. Full of new vocabulary words and information about fables . . . A must for Gooney Bird fans." --School Library Journal
Review
"This gently Christian piece with Rohmanns earnest pencil illustrations will please talking-animal fans"Kirkus
"An impeccably constructed, good-humored adventure filled with master plans, near disasters, and brave rescues, all gently frightening for readers even younger than the target audience. Lowry creates a cozy church environment of lenient sextons, disheveled organists, and skittish Altar Guild ladies, from a mouse's point-of-view. Fun and lighthearted."Publishers Weekly
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Review
and#8220;Writing for a younger audience than usual, Lowry displays a keen understanding of how second-grade classrooms operate.and#8221;and#8212; Horn Book
and#8220;Lowryand#8217;s masterful writing style reaches directly into her audience, managing both to appeal to young listeners and to engage readers.and#8221;and#8212; The Bulletin of the Center for Childrenand#8217;s Books
and#8220;Veteran author Lowry produces a laugh-out-loud chapter book.and#8221; Booklist
and#8220;and#8230;irrepressible Gooney Bird is that rare bird in childrenand#8217;s fiction: one that instantly becomes an amusing and popular favorite.and#8221; Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
From the moment Gooney Bird Greene arrives at Watertower Elementary School, her fellow second-graders are intrigued by her unique sense of style and her unusual lunches. So when story time arrives, the choice is unanimous: they want to hear about Gooney Bird Greene. And that suitsand#160;Gooney Birdand#160;just fine, because, as it turns out, she has quite a few interesting and "absolutely true" stories to tell.
Through Gooney Bird and her tales, the acclaimed author Lois Lowry introduces young readers to the elements of storytelling.and#160;This book will encourage the storyteller in everyone.
Synopsis
A resilient and quirky colony of church mice fears another Great X more than they fear cats. Under Mouse Mistress Hildegardes leadership, they save themselves from one danger after anothersometimes just by the skin of their tails! Can one ultimate act of bravery during the feast day of St. Francis get Father Murphy to bless these mice and keep them safe forever? Rife with humor and personality, this young middle-grade novel has an old-fashioned feel with the makings of a modern classic.
Synopsis
The first book in the lovable Gooney Bird series about the most interesting second-grader at Watertower Elementaryand#8212;by the two-time Newbery Award winner Lois Lowry.
Synopsis
Gooney Bird Greenes 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
“Its March!” Mrs. Pidgeon said as she wrote the days date on the chalkboard. “In like a lion, out like a lamb!”
The morning bell has rung at Watertower Elementary School, and its time for Mrs. Pidgeons class to turn to page 52 in their science books to learn about one of the most spectacular scientific subjects of all—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 Gooneys jingling silver bracelet? It looks as if another special story is in the works!
About the Author
Lois 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 Readerand#8217;s 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 Associationand#8217;s Childrenand#8217;s 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.