The Search For Belle Prater - Hardcover

White, Ruth

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0374308535 ISBN 13: 9780374308537

Publisher: Farrar Straus & Giroux, 2005

Synopsis

The sequel to the beloved Newbery Honor Book, Belle Prater's Boy

Since Belle Prater inexplicably disappeared about a year ago,
her son, Woodrow, and his cousin Gypsy have been searching
for answers. Then, on the stroke of midnight on Woodrow's
birthday, the phone rings. No one is at the other end of the
line, but Woodrow is certain it was his mama. They find out
that the call was placed from nearby Bluefield, and set out to
see if they can track her down. Joining them is Cassie
Caulborne, the new girl in school, who is endowed with the gift
of second sight. Unfortunately, they can find no trace of Belle.
Once again, Woodrow realizes that perhaps even worse than
not knowing where she is, is not understanding why his mama
would leave him.

How Woodrow, Gypsy, and Cassie come to understand the
truth, and Woodrow eventually finds Belle, fills this oftrequested
sequel to Belle Prater's Boy with magic and suspense.

About this title

About the Authors

Ruth White is the author of many notable books for children
and young adults, most recently Buttermilk Hill. She lives in
Hummelstown, Pennsylvania.

Ruth White is the author of many notable books for children and young adults, most recently Buttermilk Hill. She lives in Hummelstown, Pennsylvania.

Reviews

Grade 5-8–A worthy sequel to Belle Prater's Boy (Farrar, 1996). On his 13th birthday, Woodrow Prater receives a phone call, traced to the nearby town of Bluefield, WV, that sends him and his cousin Gypsy on a search for his mother, who disappeared almost a year before. They are joined by a new classmate, Cassie, who is gifted with second sight, and by Joseph, a runaway black teen looking for his father. While their search yields no Belle, Joseph is reunited with his long-lost aunt, whose memory is slightly jogged by Belle's photo. Returning home, Woodrow learns that his alcoholic father has decided to give up their cabin. Grandpa takes Woodrow, Gypsy, and Cassie on an overnight trip to the cabin where, guided by Cassie's dream, they find a letter that Belle had left for Woodrow, and he is reassured by the knowledge of her love for him. The many readers awaiting this sequel will be happy for Woodrow and they will likely be intrigued by the role Cassie's second sight plays in the story. The coincidental involvement of Joseph's aunt adds to the satisfying conclusion. Narrated once again by Gypsy, with many references to the '50s Southern setting when racial segregation was in full force, this book relies on a reading of Belle Prater's Boy for character development and background details, but the warmth, love, and humor of that book are here as well and it can be enjoyed on its own.–Marie Orlando, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY
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*Starred Review* Gr. 4-7. Readers who have longed for a follow-up to White's Newbery Honor Book, Belle Prater's Boy (1996), will be delighted with this fine sequel, in which the search for Woodrow's missing mother continues. A mysterious New Year's Eve phone call on Woodrow's birthday leads him, Cousin Gypsy, and Cassie Caulborne, a classmate with second sight, to nearby Bluefield to follow Belle's trail. The journey away from their small Virginia town gives Woodrow his first glimpse of a "colored" person (a boy in the back of the bus, named Joseph), as well as what Gypsy terms the "hateful" segregation laws of the mid-1950s. The search widens as the trio agrees to help abandoned Joseph search for his father. Characterization, dialogue, and setting are among White's many literary strengths, and she doesn't disappoint here. The friendship between storytelling Woodrow and joke-cracking Gypsy just grows richer as Woodrow faces disappointment and finds hope. If the plot seems a bit tidy, White's young fans won't mind. Cindy Dobrez
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Farrar Straus & Giroux
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0374308535
• ISBN 13: 9780374308537
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 169