9781442460089 |
(hardcover |
: |
alk. |
paper) |
1442460083 |
Available:*
Library | Material Type | Call Number | Shelf Location | Status | Item Holds |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... East Library | Children's Book | MACL | Children's-J-Fiction | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... Library 21c | Children's Book | MACL | Children's-J-Fiction | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... Library 21c | Children's Book | MACL | Children's-J-Fiction | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Bound With These Titles
On Order
Summary
Summary
From the Newbery Award-winning author of Sarah, Plain and Tall comes a story about one brave girl who saves her family from losing everything.
Everyone in Lucy's family sings. Opera. Rap. Lullabies. Everyone, except Lucy. Lucy can't sing; her voice just won't come out.
Just like singing, helping Aunt Frankie prepare for flooding season is a family tradition--even if Frankie doesn't want the help. And this year, when the flood arrives, danger finds its way into the heart of Lucy's family, and Lucy will need to find her voice to save her brother.
Author Notes
Patricia MacLachlan (1938-2022) was the author of many well-loved novels and picture books, including Sarah, Plain and Tall , winner of the Newbery Medal; its sequels, Skylark and Caleb's Story ; Edward's Eyes ; The True Gift ; Waiting for the Magic ; White Fur Flying ; Fly Away ; and Snow Horses . She lived in western Massachusetts.
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-6-The saying "blood is thicker than water" has never been truer than in this contemporary tale of family devotion. In an old Volkswagen van, Lucy and her family, along with a few cherished chickens, are on a road trip. They are headed to North Dakota to defend her Aunt Frankie's farm from a swelling river. Eschewing most modern conveniences, the family's days are filled with nature, music, and poetry. Young Lucy possesses a raw talent for writing, yet she feels at a loss since she "can't sing" and she covets a melodious voice like the ones she hears everyday-in the operas, blues, and sweet melodies sung by her two-year-old brother, Teddy, who doesn't talk but secretly sings to Lucy. The beauty of this tale is in how the family unites against the swollen river. Lucy discovers that while her song is not the most beautiful, it can be tremendously powerful. This is a flawless introduction to the power of words. Written in simple prose, this lyrically written story offers a moving leitmotif that will stay with readers long after the last page. A must-have.-Sada Mozer, Los Angeles Public Library (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
As she did in recent younger middle-grade titles including The Truth of Me and Kindred Souls, MacLachlan again demonstrates a gift for combining an economy of prose with a bounty of emotion. Lucy's family is traveling by VW bus to visit her eccentric Aunt Frankie in North Dakota. An aspiring poet, Lucy insists that she can't sing, an anomaly in her musical family. Her farmer father loves opera as much as he loves cows; her mother is devoted to musician Langhorne Slim; younger sister Gracie sings in a clear, high voice; and baby Teddy can't yet talk, but substitutes "la la la" for lyrics of songs he sings to Lucy each night. "Teddy has music but no words," says Lucy. "I have words but no music. We are a strange pair." Though the family's strong bonds are the heart of this novel, MacLachlan includes some nerve-wracking drama, too: a river overflows, threatening to flood Aunt Frankie's house, and Teddy disappears in the deluge. As befits a story in which words and music play such a central role, MacLachlan's writing is melodic, poetic, and enchanting. Ages 7-up. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Lucy and her family make their annual trip to visit Aunt Frankie in North Dakota just as floodwaters rise, threatening her home. Meanwhile, Lucy shares a secret with her little brother, Teddy: though the rest of the family thinks that he can't talk yet, she knows that he can. He climbs into bed every evening and sings to her. While they're at Aunt Frankie's house, Teddy coaxes Lucy, the one person in their musical family who can't sing, to sing to him. When Teddy goes missing near the swollen river, her voice is the only sound that might save him. Author of the Newbery Medal-winning Sarah Plain and Tall (1985), MacLachlan writes with simplicity and clarity, weaving adults and children into a close-knit circle of caring. While Lucy's warm, supportive family will be comforting to some readers, others may find the idealized characters off-putting at times. The appealing jacket art, large type, and wide-spaced lines of text make this volume an inviting choice for readers who are beginning to read longer chapter books.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2014 Booklist