Spunky Quinn Ellerbee's world has been turned upside down. Mom has gone off to play in a band, a developer has bought the land right out from under their house, the mining company where Pa-Daddy works is on shaky ground, and Pa-Daddy has moved their home to a backwoods swamp with no plumbing or electricity. Could things get any worse?
Rough times lie ahead for Quinn and her family, but they have enough warmth, wit, and spirit to face even the toughest challenge.
REVIEWS:
From School Library Journal (starred)
Grade 5-7. Quinnella Ellerbee and her two sisters are unhappy about the changes in their family since their mother ran off to play with a bluegrass band. Times are hard in the company town of Panther Ridge, FL, especially since the mines have begun to close. The Ellerbees have had to move their tract home out to the swamps onto family land, making do without water or electricity. Quinn has had to change schools and give up her dream of becoming editor of the sixth-grade newspaper. Worse, their beloved Pa-Daddy is depressed and angry, unwilling to discuss his wife's departure or take up his mother's offer to help manage their fruit groves. But Quinn is smart and feisty, navigating the family difficulties with spirit and hope. When a development company comes on the scene and allegiances are threatened, she must find a way to reconcile her love for her father with her conscience-and to stand up for herself. The rural setting is well described, as is the economic and ecological impact of the mines. Quinn is likable and believable, and the family dynamics and secondary characters all ring true. While not fast paced, this is nevertheless a well-written, evocative, and insightful story with an emotionally satisfying conclusion.
Cyrisse Jaffee, formerly at Newton Public Schools, MA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the out-of-print hardcover edition of this title.
From Booklist
Gr. 5 - 8. Hard times come to the Ellerbees of Panther Ridge, Florida, when the principal local employer, a phosphate mining company, goes bankrupt. Pa-Daddy, who has gone into debt to buy his company house and move it onto family-owned land in the middle of a nearby swamp, is laid off. To make it worse, he's too proud to accept an offer of employment from Nanny Jo, his grandmother. Meanwhile, his wife has left him and their three daughters to follow her dream of becoming a country singer. What saves this from turning into a combination problem novel and grand old soap opry is some strong characterization, regular infusions of humor, and the perfect-pitch first-person narrative voice of the feisty middle daughter. Quinn, an 11-year-old, who dreams of becoming a journalist, is not afraid to stand up for what she believes in--even if it means going against Pa-Daddy. An unusual setting and the realistic handling of economic and environmental issues further strengthen this engaging story. Michael Cart --This text refers to an out-of-print hardcover edition of this title.
From Kirkus Reviews (starred)
. . . McDonald has created unforgettable characters in a powerful tale; the setting is authentically evoked while the economic debate could be right out of the headlines of Anytown, USA. (Fiction. 8-12) -- Copyright 1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the out-of-print hardcover edition of this title.
From VOYA
. . .Quinn is a spunky character with a uniquely honest voice that readers are sure to like. Her lively first person narrative will entertain and move readers."
From The Book Report
. . . Quinn, her father, and grandmother are lovingly portrayed in this book about the value of families in times of great stress.
Genre: Children's Fiction
Rough times lie ahead for Quinn and her family, but they have enough warmth, wit, and spirit to face even the toughest challenge.
REVIEWS:
From School Library Journal (starred)
Grade 5-7. Quinnella Ellerbee and her two sisters are unhappy about the changes in their family since their mother ran off to play with a bluegrass band. Times are hard in the company town of Panther Ridge, FL, especially since the mines have begun to close. The Ellerbees have had to move their tract home out to the swamps onto family land, making do without water or electricity. Quinn has had to change schools and give up her dream of becoming editor of the sixth-grade newspaper. Worse, their beloved Pa-Daddy is depressed and angry, unwilling to discuss his wife's departure or take up his mother's offer to help manage their fruit groves. But Quinn is smart and feisty, navigating the family difficulties with spirit and hope. When a development company comes on the scene and allegiances are threatened, she must find a way to reconcile her love for her father with her conscience-and to stand up for herself. The rural setting is well described, as is the economic and ecological impact of the mines. Quinn is likable and believable, and the family dynamics and secondary characters all ring true. While not fast paced, this is nevertheless a well-written, evocative, and insightful story with an emotionally satisfying conclusion.
Cyrisse Jaffee, formerly at Newton Public Schools, MA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the out-of-print hardcover edition of this title.
From Booklist
Gr. 5 - 8. Hard times come to the Ellerbees of Panther Ridge, Florida, when the principal local employer, a phosphate mining company, goes bankrupt. Pa-Daddy, who has gone into debt to buy his company house and move it onto family-owned land in the middle of a nearby swamp, is laid off. To make it worse, he's too proud to accept an offer of employment from Nanny Jo, his grandmother. Meanwhile, his wife has left him and their three daughters to follow her dream of becoming a country singer. What saves this from turning into a combination problem novel and grand old soap opry is some strong characterization, regular infusions of humor, and the perfect-pitch first-person narrative voice of the feisty middle daughter. Quinn, an 11-year-old, who dreams of becoming a journalist, is not afraid to stand up for what she believes in--even if it means going against Pa-Daddy. An unusual setting and the realistic handling of economic and environmental issues further strengthen this engaging story. Michael Cart --This text refers to an out-of-print hardcover edition of this title.
From Kirkus Reviews (starred)
. . . McDonald has created unforgettable characters in a powerful tale; the setting is authentically evoked while the economic debate could be right out of the headlines of Anytown, USA. (Fiction. 8-12) -- Copyright 1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the out-of-print hardcover edition of this title.
From VOYA
. . .Quinn is a spunky character with a uniquely honest voice that readers are sure to like. Her lively first person narrative will entertain and move readers."
From The Book Report
. . . Quinn, her father, and grandmother are lovingly portrayed in this book about the value of families in times of great stress.
Genre: Children's Fiction
Used availability for Joyce McDonald's Comfort Creek