The last book I read was MOON OVER MANIFEST by Clare Vanderpool, this year's Newbery winner. I don't always agree with the Newbery committee, but I liked this one a lot. Set during the Depression, it tells the story of 12-year-old Abiline Tucker whose father sends her away to his hometown of Manifest, Kansas for the summer. As she tries to piece together her father's childhood, she discovers secrets about the town's past and its residents. The interwoven stories of the various characters were intriguing and I was happy to return to this book each evening.
The book that I'm reading now is Anne Ylvisaker's THE LUCK OF THE BUTTONS, another historical fiction novel set in the Midwest at about the same time as MOON OVER MANIFEST. I am just easing my way into the novel, but I'm already captivated by the narrator, Tugs Button, a girl born into a hard luck family. Tugs, a sympathetic and believable character, reminds me of children I've known who try hard to make friends, but just fall short of the social graces needed to make things work out. I'm rooting hard for Tugs, and I hope in the end she'll succeed in overcoming her family's history of misfortunes. Funny, fast-moving, and touching, I'm enjoying this one a lot.
And next on my to-read list: the middle grade novel OKAY FOR NOW by Gary Schmidt. I don't know a lot about this book, other than it's by the author of THE WEDNESDAY WARS, which is one of my all-time favorites (a book that made me laugh out loud as well as cry, which doesn't happen very often). It's also been recommended to me by people I respect, so I'm happy to have it waiting for me. The fact that I broke down and actually bought the book (rather than waited for it at the library) shows how highly I think of Gary Schmidt as an author.
7 comments:
Great cover! I'll have to read THE LUCK OF THE BUTTONS and meet your friend, Anne.
The photo on the album that the girl on the cover is holding is actually an old family photograph of Anne's, and helped inspire the story. Anne's first middle grade novel, DEAR PAPA, had an actual family photo on the cover as well.
I too, am not always in agreement with the Newbwry committee, but I loved Moon Over Manifest! I also loved The Luck of the Buttons- and I have heard great things about Okay For Now-- we seem to be on the same page, David!
I think so, Lauren! I've finished LUCK OF THE BUTTONS now, and Tugs is such a marvelous character. Anne's writing is so fun to read - it was a very satisfying journey back in time. I'm glad to know that we'll get to hear more about the Buttons in an upcoming book! I've begun OKAY FOR NOW and after about 50 pages it has more than lived up to all the recommendations I've heard. It's a book I want to drop all the work I have to do and sit down and read.
All three books sound like interesting reads. Thanks for the recommendations, David!
David,
I agree about Moon Over Manifest, which was edited by the way, by my editor at Delacorte Press (Michelle Poploff) and the agent who sold it (Andrea Cascardi) will be at our July conference. I will definitely be looking for both The Luck of the Buttons and Okay for Now!
That cover is cool. I just checked out Moon Over Manifest last week but haven't read it yet.
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