The Turnabout Shop - Hardcover

Rodowsky, Colby

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0374378894 ISBN 13: 9780374378899

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), 1998

Synopsis

After her free-spirited mother dies, Livvy is uprooted from her New York home and sent to Baltimore to live with her mother's old college friend, a woman Livvy has never heard of. Jessie is nothing like Livvy's mother: She's sensible, likes to weave, and doesn't even have pierced ears. What she does have is The Turnabout Shop, where she and her mother sell antiques, and a family larger than any Livvy has ever known. She also has a bunch of warm, quirky neighbors, including a girl Livvy's age. Set down to live among strangers, Livvy begins again from scratch, discovering that even without her mother, she can still learn and laugh and love, and take root in a whole different world.

About this title

About the Author

Colby Rodowsky is the author of Remembering Mog, and ALA Notable Book, Hannah In-Between, an ALA Best Book, and many other highly regarded books for young readers. She lives in Baltimore, Maryland.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6?A touching story about the acceptance of loss and change. Livvy's world is shattered when her free-spirited mother dies and leaves instructions for the child to be sent to live with a college friend of whom she has never spoken. In poignant and sometimes funny monologues directed at her mother, Livvy reveals her feelings about having to adjust to a very different life. Her guardian, Jessie Barnes, is a serious, sensible woman who owns an antique shop and seems never to have had a fun-loving moment. In addition, she has a large extended family. Livvy, whose previous life consisted of just her and her mother, feels surrounded by strangers and is sure that she'll never fit in. Soon, though, things get a bit better. She finds a good friend in her new fifth-grade class and gets to know some of her neighbors. Even the new relatives have some good points. The hardest thing for Livvy is getting along with Jessie. Over time, though, they come to some understandings and develop a realistically hopeful relationship. Livvy finally realizes that although no one can ever replace her mother, she can still have a happy life and a true sense of belonging. The characters are all well developed and the situations are entirely believable. What stands out most here, though, is Livvy's voice. Its blend of humor and heartbreak makes this a very real and unforgettable novel. Youngsters in similar situations will have a particular empathy with Livvy, but all readers will enjoy this heartwarming story.?Arwen Marshall, New York Public Library
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0374378894
• ISBN 13: 9780374378899
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 144