Marshfield Dreams: When I Was a Kid - Hardcover

Fletcher, Ralph

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 080507242X ISBN 13: 9780805072426

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), 2005

Synopsis

The colorful boyhood of a popular author comes to life in this personal account

Imagine learning from a nosy classmate that your mother is having yet another baby. To Ralph's classmates, news of one more Fletcher baby is just "scuttlebutt." But for Ralph, the oldest of nine, being part of a large family means more kids to join in the fun―from making tripods in the woods and "snicking" up the rug, to raising chicks and even discovering a meteor (well, maybe). It doesn't feel like there's life beyond Marshfield, Massachusetts. Then one day Dad's new job moves the family to Chicago, and there's so much Ralph has to leave behind. In this humorous and captivating memoir, Ralph Fletcher traces the roots of his storytelling.

About this title

About the Author

Ralph Fletcher is the author of a wide range of books for young readers from picture books through novels. He also teaches workshops on poetry and writing. Mr. Fletcher lives with his family in Lee, New Hampshire.

Reviews

Grade 5-8–Fletcher reminisces about growing up in Marshfield, VT, recalling boyhood friendships, sibling attachments, and romps through the woods. We found all kinds of mushrooms. Some were edible, others were poisonous toadstools. Mom said to think of them as strangers–some are good, some are bad, and since you couldn't tell the difference it was best to leave them alone. Fletcher grew up in a Catholic family that grew larger each year, and when another baby was on the way, he'd learn the news from a girl in his class. Family and friendships were fulfilling, enriching, and perplexing. The author thinks about the loss of Dad's goodnight kisses as he grew up, and the adolescent predicament of being pressed between a girl's body and a wall that housed a giant beehive. Fletcher's connection to nature and the environment infuse every aspect of his life. Written with sagacious eloquence and gentle humor, this work stands strong in the ranks of authors' memoirs and autobiographies. –Alison Follos, North Country School, Lake Placid, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gr. 3-5. Fletcher, author of numerous books, including some on the writing process, pens a dreamy reminiscence of growing up in the 1950s and 1960s in a Massachusetts coastal town. The oldest of his nine siblings, he notes that his "Mom had a baby every year." Embarrassingly enough, a know-it-all classmate usually informed him a new addition was on the way because Mom tended to tell her friends first. This bumper crop of siblings made for some boisterously good times, marked by escapades with backyard roosters and games in the woods. Readers may be particularly intrigued by Fletcher's memories of his great-grandmother, who buried the kids' old teeth in the garden. Many of the vignettes have a choppy style and a heavy nostalgic tone, but for readers who enjoy imagining what it was like to be a kid in days of yore, this has a certain charm. Anne O'Malley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 080507242X
• ISBN 13: 9780805072426
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 183