Millicent's Gift - Hardcover

Rinaldi, Ann

3.25

179 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060296364 ISBN 13: 9780060296360

Publisher: HarperColl, 2002

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Millicent has been waiting all her life for this moment to arrive -- her fourteenth birthday and the receiving of her Gift: the power to have one wish come true. For one time in her life, she can change absolutely anything she wants.

But as her birthday draws near, Millicent gets glimpses of just how much her Gift will change her life, and she begins to have doubts. She begins to wonder if such an awesome power is a gift or a burden.

Then, on a moonlit night, in the time it takes one bullet to travel twenty feet, Millicent's world comes crashing down around her, and she is forced to face the full responsibility of her Gift.

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About the Author:

Ann rinaldi is known by her many fans for her richly satisfying historical fiction. Eight of her novels have been named ALA Best Books for Young Adults, including Time Enough For Drums, The Last Silk Dress, A Break With Charity, and Wolf By the Ears. Author of more than thirty books for young readers, including a book in the Dear America series, she was awarded the National History Award by the Daughters of the American Revolution. She lives in Somerville, New Jersey.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 5-9-There's a lot packed into this contemporary coming-of-age novel, including elements of magic and mystery, and strong themes of what friendship and family really mean. As she approaches her birthday, Millicent must decide how and if she wants to use the magical powers that run in her family. At 14, she will be able to have a single wish granted, as long as she avoids telling a lie until then. While these decisions approach, Millicent also starts going to school for the first time and makes her first real friend outside her close-knit family. This family, introduced in a prefatory "Cast of Characters" chapter, includes her much older brother, Mac, who is responsible for raising his younger siblings since their parents' separation, and is the local chief of police. Mac's no-nonsense approach to life earns both respect and frustration from Millicent. When both get involved in stopping a series of neighborhood thefts, their contentious relationship comes to a head. Though magic is a big part of Millicent's world, the novel really centers more around her relationship with Mac. With such a large cast of characters and sometimes scattered plot threads, though, it takes a while for the story to get moving. The mixture of magic and family dynamics is intriguing, and the eventual conclusion is fairly satisfying, but some readers may lose interest before then.
Steven Engelfried, Beaverton City Library, OR
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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