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Victoria Piontek

Författare till The Spirit of Cattail County

4 verk 102 medlemmar 3 recensioner

Verk av Victoria Piontek

The Spirit of Cattail County (2018) 46 exemplar
Better With Butter (2021) 40 exemplar
The Spirit of Cattail Counry (2018) 15 exemplar

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Medlemmar

Recensioner

A very charming read! Picked up at book fair for my 9yo, so may update review once he's had a chance to read, but it was a fun read for Mom too. I found the main character very likeable - I often turn to midgrade books for empathy-building, and felt this story presented her anxiety in a relatable way, balancing honesty with an overall encouraging arc as the story went along. A positive ending (wasn't quite the one I expected which was nice!), and while some points along the way were a bit of a realism stretch to an adult, I found it a solid middle-school story.… (mer)
 
Flaggad
anandadaydream | 1 annan recension | Jan 28, 2024 |
After freezing up onstage in front of the whole school, sixth grader Marvel finds a lost miniature fainting goat being tormented by older kids; she fends them off and takes the goat home. Butter has a collar with her name but no identifying information, and Marvel is determined to keep her - even more so once she learns about emotional support animals. Butter helps in a way that nothing and no one else does - not Mom, not Dad (who's often away on a Navy ship), not older brother Reef, not school friend Addie, not school counselor Mr. J or teacher Ms. Day. Butter gives Marvel the courage and determination to face the rest of sixth grade and even to participate in the play, Heidi. But when Butter's original owner shows up to reclaim her, Marvel is devastated - and so, it turns out, is Butter.

See also: Give and Take by Elly Swartz

Quotes

The school therapist says I have generalized anxiety disorder. That means I'm a free-range worrier, like an organic chicken. (2)

I feel hot and sick, but no one seems to notice. That's the thing about anxiety. It happens in the head, and no one sees it. (9)

I know I exasperate people. I only wish they knew how much I frustrate myself. It's not like I want to be the way I am... (21)

The way adults can be so utterly clueless about what it's like to be a kid is baffling. (54)

Of all the ways my anxiety hurts me, the loneliness might be the most painful. (96)

It's not easy to share my worries, even with Mom. No one sees the world the way I do, and people always dismiss my concerns in an attempt to make me feel better. It doesn't work. It just makes it hard for me to be honest. (125)

Mr. J [school therapist] is one of the only people who asks me questions about how I'm feeling. Most other people like to tell me how I'm feeling or fix what I'm feeling. (134)

"This is life, Marvel. Not everything has to be perfect all the time and neither do you." (Dad, 177)
… (mer)
 
Flaggad
JennyArch | 1 annan recension | Mar 26, 2022 |
Literary Merit: Good
Characterization: Good
Recommend: Yes
Level: Middle School

Victoria Piontek's debut novel revolves around Sparrow, a 12 year old who has the ability to see spirits...particularly a mysteriously silent one in the form of a boy from years past. In addition to this ghostly aspect, Sparrow is going through a major change: the death of her mother and living with her stern Auntie Geraldine, who wants to take Sparrow away from Beulah, the place she has always called home. With the help of local friends, Sparrow works to solve the mystery of the spirit boy's true identity hoping that she'll be able to see her mother's spirit. She is also on a journey to discover who her father is...if she uncovers the truth, can she stay in Beulah?

The Spirit of Cattail County is a lovely story for middle school readers. At times, it is predictable but I think there are readers who will love reading about how everything ties together at the end. I enjoyed this book and look forward to more stories from Piontek!
… (mer)
 
Flaggad
SWONroyal | Jan 19, 2019 |

Priser

Statistik

Verk
4
Medlemmar
102
Popularitet
#187,251
Betyg
4.1
Recensioner
3
ISBN
10
Språk
1

Tabeller & diagram