Ginger Pye

Ginger Pye, by Eleanor Estes

Started 03.25.21 • Finished 04.22.21

"Rachel sticks up for people. She thinks their pet Gracie-the-cat is a family member. For the Pye family, one dollar is a lot of money for a dog. Jerry needs a dollar to buy a dog. He earns it by dusting church pews. Ginger Pye got his name because he looked and acted like Ginger and Pye went well with it. He brought Jerry his pencil, made an enemy of himself. Then on Thanksgiving, he disappears. Turns out bully Wally Bullwinkle stole him and told Gramma that Ginger was the Bullwinkle's. They get him back and they lived happily."

Neph, age 10

Their Eyes Were Watching God

Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston

15/25 | Started 04.04.21 • Finished 04.21.21 | 3 stars

I wasn't sure what to expect when diving into this American classic. The version I read had a foreword that explained some of the history around the book--specifically its being out of print for nearly thirty years thanks to white rejection of a lead character who was black, strong, and female. Sad, but not surprising given it was written in the late 1940s and so would have gone out of print during much of the civil rights movement.

There are years that ask questions and years that answer.

I found the dialectic writing added much to the story. I could really hear the author's voice. But I wasn't wowed by the book. Maybe that makes me less of a reader to give a slightly enthusiastic shrug at an American classic! There were some poignant moments and striking lines of writing that I really enjoyed. I just found the story to be a little strange, especially Janie's relationship with Tea Cake, and the circumstances surrounding Tea Cake's demise.

She was too busy feeling grief to dress like grief.

All that said, it's probably something that one should read if wanting to round out their literary resumé. It was good, and well written, just maybe not completely my cup of tea.

The View From Saturday

The View From Saturday, by E.L. Konigsburg

Started 04.12.21 • Finished 04.16.21

"The story is about four 6th graders nicknamed The Souls. the first four chapters tell a story about each kid. The rest tell how they won a state championship and how they created The Souls. They respect their teacher, who was paralyzed from the waist down from a car accident. Every Saturday at 4:00 they would get together at Julian's new home for tea. The Souls also have a television interview. They are the first 6th graders to win the state tournament and made the first win for their school. 5 stars."

Timothy, age 12