It Was September When We Ran Away the First Time - Hardcover

Smith, D. James

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1416938095 ISBN 13: 9781416938095

Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2008

Synopsis

It's September, the first week of school at John Muir Junior High School, and Paolo has a lot on his mind. He's thinking about finding a place of his own with his brother Georgie and his cousin Billy, running away part-time -- which means they are running away, but still come back home to eat and sleep and read the paper. He's thinking about the upcoming Halloweell Saints' Day/Mexican Day of the Dead/Chinese Lantern Night carnival, and what booth he, Georgie, and Billy would like to man. He's thinking about Communism and the atom bomb, just like everyone else in Orange Grove, California, in 1951. But most of all, he's thinking about Billy and Veronica, a Chinese girl in his class, who have both become victims of some ofthe community's ignorant but deep-seated ideas about who should be hanging out with whom. And it's this last thought that Paolo, even with Georgie and Billy's help, can't quite figure out. Suddenly, the boys have a real reason to be running away, and maybe not jus

About this title

About the Author

D. James Smith lives in California, where he studied with poet Philip Levine. A recipient of a fellowship in creative writing from the National Endowment for the Arts, his work appears frequently in literary magazines, most recently, The Amherst Review, New Millennium Writings, the Notre Dame Review, and Stand. His previous books include a collection of poems, Prayers for the Dead Ventriloquist, and an adult novel, My Brother's Passion.

His novels for younger readers are Fast Company and his first book about Paolo and friends, The Boys of San Joaquin.

Reviews

Grade 5–8—In this third tale about Paolo, now in junior high; his deaf cousin, Billy; and his younger brother, Georgie, the Red Scare has penetrated even California's Central Valley in 1951. This makes for fun spy-hunting on the town's residents, an entertaining alternative when the trio tires of running away part-time to their tree house, planning for the Monsignor's Halloween carnival, or training their giant dog to attack—or at least to bark on command. When Billy and his Chinese girlfriend hold hands around school and town, trouble quickly escalates from a thrown rock to a fire at the tree house to vandalism. The story is filled with colorful characters, richly evocative language, and episodes both poignant and charmingly funny. As Paolo learns lessons of tolerance and friendship during a time of burgeoning suspicion, sensitive readers will understand that their importance is timeless. Serve this slice of Paolo's hectic and colorful life to fans of Smith's The Boys of San Joaquin (2005) and Probably the World's Best Story about a Dog and the Girl Who Loved Me (2006, both S & S)—and anyone you might persuade to take a bite.—Suzanne Gordon, Peachtree Ridge High School, Suwanee, GA
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Even those who have not read The Boys of San Joaquin (2005) and Probably the World’s Best Story about a Dog and the Girl Who Loved Me (2006) will enjoy this touching follow-up mystery. The playful, heartbreaking story is narrated by seventh-grader Paolo O’Neill, who lives with his large Italian Irish extended family in San Joaquin, California, in the early 1950s. When Paolo’s deaf cousin and best friend, Billy, gets close with Veronica, who is Chinese, local prejudice causes trouble. Who burns down the O’Neill kids’ tree house and sprays racist insults on their garage? Is it the poor, white Jensen brothers? And is the biology teacher on his ham radio a secret Commie? Paolo’s wry narrative is sometimes too adult. The plot twists and turns with real surprises, though, and the story is rooted in a strong sense of a diverse community consumed with cold war paranoia. Paolo’s scrappy bond with Billy is the heart of the story as they sign together about their anger, confusion, and sense of lasting friendship. Grades 5-8. --Hazel Rochman

Edition details

• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1416938095
• ISBN 13: 9781416938095
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 230