Mama and Me and the Model T

Gibbons, Faye

ISBN 10: 0688152996 ISBN 13: 9780688152994

Publisher: Morrow Junior, 1999

Synopsis

Whoopee! The Searcys and their stepfamily, the Longs, have a brand-new motorcar. And what a glorious time they all have, bouncing down to the spring, rattling past the fields, and joggling a round the barn with Mr. Long behind the wheel. But when he refuses to teach Mama Searcy how to drive, and she decides to take matters into her own hands, everyone had better run for cover. Get ready for the wackiest, wildest ride of your life with Mama and Me and the Model T!

About this title

About the Author

In Her Own Words...

"I had an interesting childhood. Born in the mountains of north Georgia at a time when almost nobody there had luxuries like running water, indoor toilets, and electric lights, I grew up without television. It was a great advantage. I had adventures. I played in the woods, rode in wagons pulled by mules, and went to Primitive Baptist churches. I even picked cotton a few times.

"For entertainment, we told stories. Some of the stories were family history, like how my father met my mother on his way to marry another girl. Others were funny stories, and some were hunting yarns. Best of all, however, were the scary tales my grandfather told us as night moved in-stories of ghosts and mountain lions and people buried alive. Those in the last category were made all the more scary by my grandmother's absolutely true stories of the dead folks she had "laid out" back before mountain people began using undertakers. She said there was one corpse who never got cold under the arms. I suppose I began to absorb the basic elements of storytelling during those sessions.

"When my parents got me in school around age nine and I learned to read, I discovered a world of new stories in books. Soon I began reading to my sister and younger brothers. Eventually, I began to make up my own stories-sometimes to entertain them and sometimes just for myself. I didn't write my stories down. They mostly worked out my dreams of getting an education and moving far away from the Georgia mountains to some interesting and exciting places.

"It wasn't until I'd finished college, taught school for eight years, and become a wife and mother that I tried writing. My husband, Benjamin, and two sons, Ben and David, encouraged me all the way. When my first story came to me, it was rooted squarely in the Georgia mountains and the kind of country people I had grown up with. I'd finally realized that I was a part of those people and that I felt good about it.

"My stories start with a picture-or sometimes several pictures-in my mind. There is generally a main character, but I don't know much about him or her until I begin writing. What I am usually very sure of is the setting. It's almost always rural. I'm a country woman, and I feel more at home surrounded by trees and fields-and so do my characters. My stories frequently involve families, because family is so important to me.

"Almost all my stories have funny parts and scary parts because I love these elements in the stories I read. Dogs frequently show up too-even when I haven't planned them. You might guess that I'm a dog lover. My two dogs, Lucy and Boone, are members of our family. I talk to them, and (don't let this get out) I sometimes talk for them.

"When I visit schools, I tell students to go for their dreams--whether those dreams are to write, paint, make movies, or fly jets. I've found out through my own experience that people can do the wonderful things they want to do-if they're willing to work for their dreams."

Reviews

Kindergarten-Grade 2-In Mountain Wedding (Morrow, 1996), Mama Searcy married Mr. Long, and Mama's five children and his seven children got off to a rocky start. Here, the blended family has adjusted rather happily to their living arrangement-until Mr. Long buys a new motorcar and commences to teach the boys how to drive it. His comments on the need for men to learn to drive are met with disgust and dismay by the females in the family. After watching him demonstrate how to start the Model T, Mama sprints into the car, jumps behind the wheel, followed by young Mandy Searcy, and takes off, backward, across the yard. Pets and family members scatter as she finally figures out how to move forward. With the vehicle safely home, Mr. Long concedes, "I guess...this Model T belongs to all of us." This is a wonderful example of a perfect wedding between pictures and text. Rand's gentle watercolors convey a wide range of emotions both in body language and facial expressions, from disdain and disappointment on the faces of the girls, to exuberance and excitement on the boys' faces. Mama and Me will be a surefire hit with the read-aloud crowd.
Kit Vaughan, J. B. Watkins Elementary School, Midlothian, VA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Morrow Junior
• Publication date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0688152996
• ISBN 13: 9780688152994
• Binding: Library Binding
• Illustrator: Rand Ted
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 40