Search Results for: blog just ella margaret peterson haddix

Turnabout – Margaret Peterson Haddix

If you could turn back time and reclaim your youth, would you do it? This is the question faced by the residents of a nursing home in Margaret Peterson Haddix’s novel, “Turnabout.” When two scientists come to the nursing home and offer the residents a chance to grow younger instead of older, some of them leaped at the chance. Others didn’t even know what it was they were signing, as was the case with Amelia – all she knew was that a white-coated man wanted her to sign a form. She had lost her hearing and couldn’t tell what it … Continue reading →

Running Out of Time – Margaret Peterson Haddix

“Running Out of Time” was Margaret Peterson Haddix’s first novel, and it’s completely fascinating. Jessie is a young teenager living in the 1840’s. An outbreak of diphtheria sweeps through their small town of Clifton, and there is no medicine to help with it. Jessie’s mother is the one everybody comes to when they’re sick, but even with her skills, she’s powerless to stop the disease. She takes Jessie to a secluded spot in the woods and there tells her the surprising truth about their town. To them, it’s 1840, but in the outside world, it’s 1996. She then goes on … Continue reading →

Just Ella – Margaret Peterson Haddix

Usually, when we hear the words “and they lived happily ever after,” we think that’s the end of the story. The adventure has ended, and there is no more. Cinderella lived happily ever after with her prince, didn’t she? Well, didn’t she? In “Just Ella,” author Margaret Peterson Haddix explores the “what if.” Ella has gone to live in the castle preparatory to marrying the prince. Gone are the days when she would sit in the ashes or scrub the entire house for her evil stepmother – she is now the one in charge, and she’s not sure she likes … Continue reading →

Fairest – Gail Carson Levine

From the author of “Ella Enchanted” comes “Fairest,” the story of a girl who was left at an inn as a small baby. The innkeepers took her in and loved her, despite the fact that as she grew, she was considered ugly by all those around her. In her kingdom, beauty was considered the most important quality, followed closely by the ability to sing. In fact, in their culture, much of their conversation was sung, rather than spoken, and if you could not sing well, you were an outcast, socially. Aza, our heroine, could sing beautifully, which more than made … Continue reading →

The Wednesday Wars – Gary D. Schmidt

The unfortunately named boy Holling Hoodhood is starting seventh grade with a strike already against him – he’s the only Presbyterian in a class full of Jews and Catholics. While the other children are excused early on Wednesday afternoons to attend temple and mass, Holling is stuck at school, and he’s sure his teacher hates him. No doubt she was looking forward to Wednesday afternoons completely free, but with this one lone Presbyterian to look after, she’s trapped, and she takes it out on him by making him read Shakespeare’s plays. He doesn’t realize until later that she’s actually doing … Continue reading →