The Broccoli Tapes - Softcover

Slepian, Jan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 059043473X ISBN 13: 9780590434737

Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks, 1988

Synopsis

During a stay of several months in Hawaii with her family, Sara reports her experiences by tape back to her sixth grade class in Boston, detailing her "adoption" of a wild cat, a friendship with a troubled Hawaiian boy, and the death of a beloved grandmot

About this title

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-7-- Both 12-year-old Sara and her 13-year-old brother, Sam, have trouble adjusting to Hawaii during the five months that their family is living there. It's beautiful but alien, unfriendly, isolated, and a million miles from their home in Boston. When Sara and Sam rescue a wild cat (who is later named Broccoli), they meet Eddie Nutt. At first Eddie is as suspicious and untrusting as Broccoli until the bonds of friendship gradually develop. The story unfolds through Sara's cassette tapes sent to her teacher and classmates back home. Events and characters are revealed through Sara's perceptive and touching account of events. The pain of the death of her grandmother, and later Broccoli's death, are not dissimilar, Sara discovers, to the loss that Eddie has experienced. Sara, Sam, and Eddie learn that love can be rewarding as well as painful. The fact that Sara's narration is addressed to her friends and teacher lends an immediacy and conversational tone which moves the story quickly. Characterization unfolds as quickly, remaining plausible and consistent throughout. Difficult themes are handled with sensitivity and humor to create a realistic and unusual contemporary novel. --Maria B. Salvadore, District of Columbia Public Library
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly

In her first novel for middle-grade readers, noted author Slepian uses the themes of loss and isolation to examine the relationships of three children. Sara's family has temporarily moved to Hawaii, where her father is teaching. Since Sara was to have completed an oral history project about her family at her old school, her teacher has her make tapes about her life in Hawaii to send back to the class. Sara and her older brother Sam feel isolated among unfamiliar surroundings and circumstances, and even though they are warned to stay away from wild animals, they becomes caretakers to an injured feral cat, Broccoli; the cat leads them to befriend Eddie Nutt. There are major lossesboth their grandmother and Broccoli diebut through these losses comes growth and understanding, and, for Eddie, reparation. Sara's story, with its warm, funny and sometimes sad narration, will elicit compassion from readers. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks
• Publication date: 1988
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 059043473X
• ISBN 13: 9780590434737
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 157