A Little Excitement - Hardcover

Harshman, Marc

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0525650016 ISBN 13: 9780525650010

Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers, 1989

Synopsis

Tired of winter, Willie wishes for a little excitement, and, to his dismay, gets it

About this title

About the Author

Marc Harshman was appointed the poet laureate of West Virginia in 2012. His full-length collection, Green-Silver and Silent, was published by Bottom Dog Press later that same year. Three previous chapbooks of poems preceded this volume. Periodical publications include Shenandoah, The Georgia Review, The Progressive, Appalachian Heritage, and Tuesday: An Art Project. Kent State University, the University of Iowa, University of Georgia, and the University of Arizona have anthologized his poems. His short prose works have recently been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. His eleven children s books include The Storm, a Smithsonian Notable Book. Marc s children's titles have also been published in Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Danish, and Swedish. Two new children s titles are forthcoming. Marc holds degrees from Bethany College, Yale Divinity School, and the University of Pittsburgh. He recently received an honorary doctorate from Bethany College in recognition of his life s work. Marc has lived his adult life in northern West Virginia with his wife, Cheryl Ryan, and daughter, Sarah.

From Publishers Weekly

When Willie is bored, bored, bored with snow and winter, he whines and complains and wishes for a little excitement. "Be careful what you wish for, Willie, you might just get it," says his grandmother, and of course, she's right. A fire in the family's chimney wakes them up one night; they evacuate the house but fight the fire, hoping to keep damage to a minimum. Willie is astonished by his sisters' bravery, and by his father's dogged will to save the house. When reinforcements arrive, the fire is put out, and everyone gathers for coffee and cake inside. In this splendid piece of storytelling, readers will feel as if they're listening to a hearthside tale, with all the details meticulously evoked and smoothly described. That the family is safe will reassure readers; the incident is harrowing but no one's life is ever threatened. Rand's watercolors give this an old-fashioned feel; from a night sky he carves the smoking, fiery house and, in the pictures of the family, creates a sense of urgency. Even though its setting is contemporary, the values it expresses are solid and ageless. Ages 5-9.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 1989
• ISBN 10: 0525650016
• ISBN 13: 9780525650010
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Rand Ted