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Chargement... Franny Parkerpar Hannah Roberts McKinnon
   Aucun Actuellement, il n'y a pas de discussions au sujet de ce livre.  EdGoldberg | Mar 15, 2011 |    ) libraryreader100 | Sep 11, 2009 | ) alicek | Sep 11, 2009 |  ) prkcs | Sep 3, 2009 | ) storyteller200 | Jun 2, 2009 |
 Reviewed by Hope Morrison McKinnon, Hannah Roberts. Franny Parker. Farrar, 2009149 p. ISBN 978-0-374-32469-8$16.00 R Gr. 4-7 When that old blue pickup rolls into the driveway next door, everything changes for twelve-year-old Franny Parker. There is something mysterious about her new neighbors the Dunns, something that fourteen-year-old Lucas and his mother, Lindy, seem intent to hide. Franny develops a quiet friendship with the tall, bookish Lucas, who calls her "Francesca" and who is intrigued by the animal hospital she is running out of the barn. The idyll is destroyed when Lucas' father shows up; soon the nights are filled with violent arguments and the mornings with empty whiskey bottles, and when Lucas runs away, no one is less surprised or more saddened than Franny. This is an exemplary coming-of-age novel, with the storytelling rich in descriptive, flowing prose. Yet McKinnon capably shows rather than tells when it comes to exploring her characters, allowing situations and dialogue to reveal personality. In addition to the standout drafting of the characters, the relationships among them are thoughtfully executed, full of emotion and subtlety. Set against the backdrop of an Oklahoma small town, this is a story about growing up and growing together that will appeal to a wide audience. From School Library Journal Starred Review. Grade 5-8–Franny, 13, expects this hot, dry summer to be like all the others, but it turns out to be far from expected. Life in her sleepy Oklahoma town is woken up when Lucas Dunn and his mother move into the abandoned cottage next door. Franny's life has been one of lemonade, quilting bees, and normal sibling arguments, and she soon learns that Lucas's family is quite unlike hers. The close-knit town welcomes the Dunn family, enveloping them in their warmth and friendship, but Lucas and his mother seem to be harboring pain and dark secrets. A severe drought threatens many wild animals, and Franny starts her own animal hospital, which soon bursts with creatures in need. When Lucas's alcoholic and abusive father shows up to reclaim his family, Franny is forced to discover many harsh realities in life. As the children's friendship grows, she realizes that there are others besides the animals that are in need, but that giving help to people is often difficult. This debut novel is a poignant, emotional, and beautifully written coming-of-age story.–Michele Shaw, Quail Run Elementary School, San Ramon, CA Publishers Weekly This quiet debut novel addresses big themes of family, friendship, abuse and love with subtlety and honesty. Life is largely predictable for 12-year-old narrator Franny, who is devoted to her family, friends, animals and small Oklahoma town. But things become complicated one summer, when a single mother and her son move into the cabin across the street. Franny is eager to befriend the new boy, Lucas, who warns her that “sometimes people mean well, but they don’t realize what they’re getting themselves into.” When Lucas’s estranged and abusive father shows up, Franny and her family are anxious to help, but Lucas and his mother pull away. The bonds of friendship are tested by secrets, and Franny’s family’s barn is destroyed in a mysterious fire. In the end, Franny learns that some secrets are worth keeping, while others are too dangerous to stay bottled up. Though a few characters (particularly Franny’s five-year-old brother, Ben) occasionally sound overly mature, Franny is a relatable and consistent narrator, the homey rural setting is thoughtfully rendered and the easy prose should appeal to reluctant readers. Ages 10–up. (June) A first-person narration recounts Franny’s 13th summer, in a drought-stricken Oklahoma town. Having taken on the care of wild animals in need, she spends much of her time in the family barn nursing baby birds, tiny mice and a broken-shelled turtle. When Lucas Dunn and his mother move in next door, it’s quickly obvious they’re hiding something, and secrets aren’t easy to keep in such a small town. All becomes clear when Lucas’s father turns up and resumes his abusive ways. Although she (having fallen for Lucas in a big way) and her parents reach out to the Dunns, as Franny’s father says, “It’s a strange thing, offering help. Sometimes the people who need it most don’t want to take it.” It is clear that Franny is recollecting a summer from a few years earlier, and McKinnon’s evocative writing is often lovely, offering a more mature perspective than a young teen would have as she sums up the themes of that summer. Believable dialogue and well-developed characters enhance this promising debut novel. (Fiction. 10-14) Prix et récompenses
Through a hot, dry Oklahoma summer, twelve-year-old Franny tends wild animals brought by her neighbors, hears gossip during a weekly quilting bee, befriends a new neighbor who has some big secrets, and learns to hope. Aucune description trouvée dans une bibliothèque |
Discussion en coursAucunCouvertures populaires
 Google Books — Chargement...GenresClassification décimale de Melvil (CDD)159Philosophy and Psychology Psychology [Formerly "Will"; No longer used]Classification de la Bibliothèque du CongrèsÉvaluationMoyenne: (4.21)
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2
At the beginning of the summer, when Lucas and Lindy move into the old cabin next door, it is instant crush for Franny. It seems like Lucas might feel the same, but Sidda, Franny’s older sister, is trying to attract Lucas’ attention. Things go smoothly for a little while, Franny nursing wounded animals back to health and Lucas working at the local Harland’s Market. But unnerving things begin to happen. A black car arrives at the Dunn’s cabin and neither Lucas nor Lindy are happy about it. Soon after, $3,000 is missing from Harland’s. The once happy Dunns are now sad and distant. The Parkers’ offers of assistance go unaccepted by Lucas and Lindy.
McKinnon has such a beautiful way with words. The way she describes Oklahoma farm town life and its inhabitants, the countryside, the sadness when a farm burns down touch the reader. McKinnon’s characters, such as gruff Grandma Rae and her posse of quilters, are colorful to say the least. Franny’s caring parents and the Dunns are real. Readers will immediately like Franny and Lucas and Ben, Franny’s younger brother. They’ll love rural Oklahoma, both the idealized version as well as the hard-life version.
Franny Parker is what every girl-next-door should be. I personally want to move into the Dunn’s cabin and befriend her. For those of you old enough to remember The Waltons, consider the Parkers modern-day Waltons, quiet caring, quaint sayings, family-oriented, full of hope. For those of you too young to remember The Waltons, just sit down and enjoy are marvelous book.
“In the end, Lucas was right about plentiful seasons. Although that summer was one of the hardest, it was really the beginning. In me it added to the rings of my tree, the hope and the sadness, thbe trying and the giving up, and trying all over again. It filled me up, spilling into my branches, unfurling my leaves. My limbs tingled with the energy of it. And I grew.”
Like I said with The Properties of Water, Franny Parker might also be one of my 10 best for 2011 (even though it was written in 2009). (