Lois Lowry Books

I read this book the first time as an adult (late 20's). I remember it was a popular summer reading book back when I was in school. Everyone I know who has read it said it was good, so I figured I'd give it a shot.

From the very first chapter, it had a spooky, ominous feel to it. It was a bit confusing during the first chapter, because it's set in a different world, and even a futuristic setting. The author quickly explains everything you need to know to understand this new world, but it doesn't make it any less strange. It reminded me a lot of "1984" to give you an idea.

The last 10 chapters or so I was not able to pull myself away. It was a good read, don't get me wrong, but it was more of a morbid fascination that kept me glued to it. I could not believe what I was reading. It's horrifying not only to reading about the kind of world that was presented in the book, but to see aspects of it in the real world. It leaves you thinking (just as "1984" did): "Wow, this could actually happen someday if we continued down this path".

It left me feeling very unsettled after I finished reading the book, and that feeling continued with me until the next day. People I've talked to that read it in high school told me that the book always stays with you like that. Not to mention, I finished it right before going to sleep that night, so I was left with some pretty odd dreams and an overall restless night.

When I first finished, I disliked the ending, but after sitting with it on my mind for awhile, I have a better understanding of why she chose to end it that way.

I remember this book being on my 5th grade reading list, but I feel some of the themes are a bit mature for someone that young. I'd say it was better for 15 and older. It just contained too many mature situations, death of a baby, for one. And she was pretty descriptive.

It was a book that I equally loved and hated. I loved the writing style, and the overall idea. It was a quick read, with no slow points to speak of. Her descriptions were amazing - very detailed. As the reader, you could really picture what she was describing. The characters that needed to be 3-D were, and there were some that needed to be less developed, and it went along with the premise of the story. I also hated the world she created because it scared me so much and it was just horrible.

I recommend that everyone should read this book. It serves as a warning of what may become ("sameness",etc) if we continue on the same path. Don't let the "young adult" label stop you from reading it, it's a must-read for adults too.

Eleven-year-old Jonas is a typical boy living in a futuristic world of mediocrity. Even the geography, (completely flat) and the color scheme (only black and white) are bland. The elder of two children (all that is allowed per family unit), he attends school and enjoys the company of friends like any other kid. But in his town, everyone's behavior is closely monitored, Big Brother-like, with physical punishment meted out for infractions of its many rules. The community gains 50 babies per year and at prescribed ages, persons are given certain freedoms and/or responsibilities (for example, bicycles are given to nine year olds). Once a family's children move away, former parents (babies seem to be born in vitro) move out of their homes and in with others in the same situation until their eventual move to the nursing home and, finally, "release."

Jonas's life changes drastically when he is given his life job assignment, the most respected of the lot, Receiver (of memories). During his training, he gains the freedom of being allowed to ask any question of any person, but is unable to share his newfound knowledge with family and friends. He sees and feels the formerly unimaginable, love, hate, joy and sorrow, and, for the first time, experiences color. He also learns the truth about the procedure known as "release." Author Lois Lowry has created a simply written, amazing book with a memorable plot and engaging characters in this story about social conformity. Of the Newberry Award winners I've read, The Giver is my favorite. Similar science fiction: Feed by M.T. Anderson, The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer, and Fearless by Tim Lott.

This story made me think of the old movie "green sun". It should make everyone react at his/her level without any age distinction but mostly teenagers. No robot in the futurist story, just human conditioned and controlled (by who?) at the extreme. It is wonderfully explained how one ends up not questioning the system and how he/she can escape it. The end is splendid except for a "prop" which appears from nowhere. This excepted, the book is beautiful. I strongly recommend it to everyone over 13. I warranty parents they won't hear "I'm bored" or "I have nothing to do" the time of this book reading and may be thinking of :). For grown ups, it is a fabulous and clear reply to Finkenkraut's "Vain memory".
Claude

This is one of the best books I've ever read. It's just as capable of inspiring adult readers as yound adults. I've been buying copies of this for my younger family members. I've read many, many books as an English teacher and a lover of books, and this one is one of the best. Read it. You won't regret it.

I did buy this to read to my daughter but I couldn't wait to finish it and had to finish it before I could read the rest of it out-loud for my daughter....(also, she was too young for it-she was only 6). I will read it to her for the first time soon (she's almost 9)....anyway....the story is amazing, intensely thought provoking like 'brave new world' and '1984'.
Read it first, then to your child if she's 9 and up. Children can be strongly affected by the mature themes and the conversation & questions that follow...
a wonderful book, highly recommended...

10-year-old Annemarie Johannesen narrates this story (based on real events) set in Denmark during WWII. The Danish resistance arranged to transport many Jews to safety in Sweden after they found out that Jews were being sent to concentration camps by the Nazis.

Annemarie is not Jewish, but her best friend, Ellen, is. Annemarie's family helps smuggle Ellen and her parents, along with several other Jewish families, out of the country. Lowry manages to give the reader a sense of the horror of the Holocaust without going into graphic detail.

I recommend this book for readers who like mystery books about actual life.When I read this book I got so attachted to it. If you read this book too you would be attached to this book just like me.

This was a fantastic book. The characters, especially Ellen and AnneMarie,
are very brave and have a strong friendship. The plot is really exciting, because you never know if the characters will make it safely. I recommend this book because you learn a lot about history and what Jewish people had to go through when the Nazis were in Denmark. The ending was good too, but I won't give that away!

"Hold still," Annemarie commanded. "This will hurt." She grabbed the little gold chain[a Jewish star and a symbol of loyalty to her religion], yanked with all her strength, and broke it. As the door opened and light flooded the bedroom, she crumpled it into her hand and closed her fingers tightly. Terrified, both girls looked up at the three Nazi officers who entered the room." From start to finish, author Lois Lowry, will entrance you in her Newberry Award winning novel Number The Stars. This 140 page book is difficult to put down as you will become entwined in the lives of two young girls, bound by friendship and a kinship, which even the Nazis find difficult to penetrate. Published in Boston, Massachusetts by the Houghton Mifflin Company in 1989, Number The Stars is yet another Newberry winning novel by Lowry. Devastating and heart wrenching, this book will bring you to tears and will dry your eyes with the power of the individual against society. Such, conflict lies at the foundation and heart of Number The Stars.

Growing up together Ellen Rosen and Annemarie Johansen paid little attention to their physical differences and religious affiliations. At ten years old they were more interested in their dolls and sleepovers. One afternoon on the way home from school, the girls have their first encounter with a Nazi Officer. Shaken, the girls return home to the duplex where they reside, though the presence of the Nazis seemed to follow them home.

Do you know about the devastating effects of The Holocaust? Many people in our society know very little about this historical event, led by Adolf Hitler and his Nazi party, which shook Western Europe in the mid 1900s, and was the cause of death for over 11 million innocent civilians. Lois Lowry's Number The Stars allows you to step into the lives of two families, the Rosens and the Johansens, during the occupation of Denmark in 1943 by the Nazi regime. One Catholic and one Jewish, these families come together in their attempts to survive. Set in Copenhagen, Lowry captures the essence of The Holocausts and its effects on Danish citizens. Though this book focuses on the atrocities of The Holocaust, and according to the Fry Readability Scale is at a 9th grade reading level, Number The Stars could certainly be read independently by adolescents in grades 6 and up, with little difficulty. Doing some prior research on The Holocaust may help you understand the context more fully, but the story line in easily followed by readers in the aforementioned grade ranges.

Through the eyes of these 10 year old girls you are navigated through the Nazi occupation, of once neutral, Denmark, and the Danish Resistance's efforts to save its entire 7000 person Jewish population and bring them to Sweden. Though realistic fiction, Lowry brings you into a world of heart breaking facts, unthinkable tragedies and a story, which can be said to be non-fiction for many during this period in history. Lowry presents an astounding account through the lens and interpretations of Ellen and Annemarie. It is a quick and heart felt read. It is a book which will leave you thinking about the effects of war and destruction on entire countries and its citizens.

Struggling through the ravages of World War II, Annemarie, her family, and her best friend Ellen wait in hiding until the Nazis retreat and let Denmark free once more. This wonderful story "Number the Stars" by Lois Lowry, is about friendship, tragedy, and, love. It also integrates a lot of useful life lessons, such as: being brave and deciding what to do wisely.
This story really captured my attention because it made me inquire as I read along. It also gave me a perfect image of what Denmark was like during the Nazi invasion.
I recommend this story to children in the fourth grade or higher because it has strong vocabulary words that are worth learning.


By Teddy (soon to be in grade 5)

Meg's family moves to a small house in the country so her father can finish his book - and Meg faces many changes: sharing a room with her older sister Molly, making new friends. Her new friendships with an elderly neighbor and a young couple are just introducing her to newfound photography skills when Molly falls ill, and Meg must confront developing her friendships and skills and saying goodbye to her sister. A poignant, warm story evolves.

I read this book in school than we moved and I lost it, it was like meeting an old friend again

Yes, this book was well-written. However, it wasn't believable that a 13 year old read it. This book was very bland in lacking. It was bland and lacking because Meg never grew. Nor did she ever bond with her sister. She didn't learn anything from her life. I kept wanting her to learn more about herself or learning something from her sister. But her sister was just more of a subplot. The book mainly focused on Meg's photography and friendship with the neighbors.

Even when she told Will she thought she was ugly, he made her promise that she would come back to a certain plant grow into its beauty. I thought that finally Meg would learn something from that plant and about her own beauty. When she came back, Will simply showed her the plant and how it pretty it was. He never connected her and the plant together.

The book never went into Molly's funeral or how Meg felt about losing her sister. All she cared about was returning to the house the next summer to visit the neighbors again! Then all of a sudden in the end, there's suddenly a picture of Meg that had been taken at the funeral! Where did that come from!?!? This book was lacking and boring. Nothing is learned from it. It's just about a selfish girl who likes to take photography with her old neighbor. Her parents also never really pay attention to her. Do they get closer at the end? NOPE!

Although having an older sister that's pretty and also can wear makeup and is attractive can be frustrating, sisters should try hard to like each other. In the beginning of Lois Lowry's fictional novel A Summer To Die Meg the youngest sister is a smart kid with the normal big glasses. Her older sister Molly is your normal popular teen that likes to ware makeup and all the boys like her she is messy and hates to clean up after herself. Meg is sick of this so she takes some chalk and draws a line In the middle of their room. She states this side is mine and I can do what I want with it and the other side is yours you can keep it as messy as you want.
Even though this book title sounds interesting at the beginning, it's very boring. More in the middle it is more interesting because the blood and death happens. The ages I would recommend for this book is eight and up because young boys like blood and like to read about girls dieing, I would think both boys and girls could read this book but more boys because boys are more interested to read about blood and death.
I know brothers and sisters can be annoying but you should appreciate them because you don't know if they will die or get sick. My opinion of Summer To Die is it is very boring at first then again so are all books but if you keep reading it gets sad and exiting and it teaches you to appreciate your family and annoying siblings. ENJOY!
Although having an older sister that's pretty and also can wear makeup and is attractive can be frustrating, sisters should try hard to like each other. In the beginning of Lois Lowry's fictional novel A Summer To Die Meg the youngest sister is a smart kid with the normal big glasses. Her older sister Molly is your normal popular teen that likes to ware makeup and all the boys like her she is messy and hates to clean up after herself. Meg is sick of this so she takes some chalk and draws a line In the middle of their room. She states this side is mine and I can do what I want with it and the other side is yours you can keep it as messy as you want.
Even though this book title sounds interesting at the beginning, it's very boring. More in the middle it is more interesting because the blood and death happens. The ages I would recommend for this book is eight and up because young boys like blood and like to read about girls dieing, I would think both boys and girls could read this book but more boys because boys are more interested to read about blood and death.
I know brothers and sisters can be annoying but you should appreciate them because you don't know if they will die or get sick. My opinion of Summer To Die is it is very boring at first then again so are all books but if you keep reading it gets sad and exiting and it teaches you to appreciate your family and annoying siblings. ENJOY!

A Summer to Die
"It is so good to have friends who understand how there is a time for crying and a time for laughing, and that sometimes the two are very close together," announced Lois Lowery in her fictional story, A Summer to Die. Throughout this story, Lois shows how important it is to always, at anytime, love and care for your family, because you never know when it could be the end. Could you ever imagine loosing a family member? As soon as Meg's family moved to a new house in the country, she knew nothing would be the same again. Meg went from having her own room, to having half of a room, divided by a thick white line of chalk, shared with her older sister Molly.
Meg and Molly couldn't of been more different. At times it was hard for Meg to hide her jealousy of Molly's beauty and popularity. There was Molly, beautiful with wavy blond hair. Then there was Meg, not quite as pretty with glasses, and what some kids called "different." Meg loved photography, and she was very good at it. She enjoyed all the colors, lightings, and facial expressions of the photos she took. Just as the girls adjust to their new home, Molly is diagnosed with a very rare disease. Meg, her family, and some very close friends don't know how much longer Molly will live. Meg now regrets her relationship with her sister, and wishes it as better.
This book is written for the teenage soul and older minds too. A Summer to Die is a great book for someone that enjoys happy friendships, twisting events, and sad endings. This book's intriguing events pull in the reader, and hook them like a fish. Now, I will always remember to love and care for my family, because I never know when it could be the end.

This book is mainly about Sam Krupnik. He has a sister, Anastasia Krupnik, and a mom and dad. Sam is a decent enough little boy, but he doesn't behave totally well. Anastasia annoys her little brother and her little brother annoys her. His mom and dad take care of him well, but also get irritated easily. The book tells about his life from newborn to toddler. It was boring in some parts in my opinion, but good enough. It was funny too. I recommend this book to all ages.

Jaime S. a.k.a StarGirl

A Review About All About Sam

I thought All About Sam was great because it was a cute story!! The good thing was when Sam's family moved to the new house. I always wanted to move to my beach house in Ocean City, Maryland.
My favorite character is Sam because he has a great personality and he's funny! My favorite part is when Sam once put his mom's earrings, his pretzel and some of his mom's lipstick and other stuff in the toilet. He thought that if it rained the stuff that he put in the toilet would fall out of the sky. I loved All About Sam a lot. There is a sequel to it - it's called Attaboy Sam. I wish I could read it again!! I also wish to read Attaboy Sam!!

(...)

This book is a good book that I will read again. Sam is nice and he has a sister that is crazy, she does this thing with a code that I think is weird and so did Sam in the book. You should be sure to read this book!

Maggie H. 4th grader

I really loved this book it made me laugh alot



Allie G. Age 9 Holland, P.A.

I think when Sam grows up he'll have many friends.
1. Sam is going to be a funny person. When I read the reviews it gave me the idea that he is going to have a real adventure. He is a bit fruity. When he gets a bit older he causes a lot of MIESTEF!!!!!

Meet the weird and delightful Anastasia who will bring a smile to anyones face!!

I read "Anastasia Krupnik: Being ten is no laughing matter," by Lois Lowry, to assist my daughter with her 7th grade language arts assignment. The book was very well written and enjoyable to read.

The story is set in Boston, Massachusetts, where ten-year-old Anastasia is struggling with an identity crisis, eccentric parents, and the pain of growing up an only child in a secular household. Her father is an English professor who writes poetry and her mother is an artist who forgets to do the laundry, which is why they both wear socks that don't match. Anastasia writes a poem without rhyme or meter and reads it to her class, but her teacher doesn't appreciate modern poetry; she gives her an "F" and tells her to follow the rules when writing poems. She has an on-again, off-again crush on a boy who doesn't like her, a grandmother who can't remember her name due to the onset of dementia, and a baby brother soon to be born: even her goldfish "blurps" at her from within the confines of its bowl.

At one point Anastasia decides to become Catholic, so she can change her name, but she soon changes her mind when she learns that stealing cupcakes from her friend is a sin and she will have to confess her sins to become a Catholic. Anastasia chronicles the significant events of her life in a green notebook, listing things she loves in one column and things she hates in another. Sometimes the things she hates become the things she loves and vice versa. By the end of the story, there remains only one item on the list of things she hates - liver - but the list of things she loves is long. The story is told with humorous effect, even though some of the things that happen are sad.

There are a few troublesome comments about her teacher's anatomy and conversations between Anastasia and her parents sometimes show a lack of discretion, but all things considered, it is the tender account of a prepubescent little girl with a prodigious intellect and an eagerness to learn and grow. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a coming-of-age story, but it will definitely hold your little girl's interest and in a subtle way, let her know that she is not alone in her quest to overcome life's many tribulations. It even has a happy ending to boot.

(My mom, JaneLovesJesus, wouldn't let me review this before I'm done with it. I read it with her except the 11th chapter, but she also read it herself, so it's OK I didn't read the last chapter with her.) You can call me StoryMaker because that's my nickname and we got Anastasia Krupnik from the library as the hardcover edition. (Please note that I'm talking about hardcover. You might be viewing this review thru another editon. That's because amazon.com groups different editions together. The pictures are very different in different editions according to amazon.com. Please note!) It's a great story about a 10 year old girl who has a notebook with lots of stuff and she made a list of things she hates and things she loves in it. It shows you the lists at the end of each chapter. At the end she crosses out everything on her things I hate list except liver. She's a kid who dosen't like to eat liver. Anyways, it's a great story and is sad in all the chapters with her grandma but something I do not like is it dosen't follow a storyline very well. I mean, each chapter is like a new day. The storyline of this book is a storysquiggle. Other then that, I love this book a lot! Get it from the library. If you think it's great, buy it. It may not be the best for boys, but I am a girl so I don't care. Did I forget anything? Nah! I said the plot, I said it's great. What else is there to say? It's awful? Oh, c'mon, this is a positive review! It dosen't care if you don't like it. This is my opinion! Nothing wrong with having a different opinion, but this is my review. Oh, and, the family in this story is having a baby and Anastasia picks out a name but I think she changes the name at the end. I'm not sure, but I think that's what that text means. Signed, StoryMaker. "Gotta trust the kid's review!"

One of the major moments in my childhood came when I read that Myron Krupnik kept his poetry manuscripts in the crisper drawer of the fridge so they wouldn't burn in a fire. My father (also a poet, also an English professor) did the exact same thing. I vaguely remember jumping up and down on my bed and wanting to move to Boston.
Buy these for your child, even if you're not a poet. They're wonderful.

This is one of Lois Lowry's earliest books, in fact it is her second book. The story follows ten-year old Anastasia Krupnik, the daughter of a poet and an artist as she completes the fourth grade. Anastasia changes her opinion of several things, from Washburn Cummings (her crush) to her parents, baby brother, and grandmother. While this book is not typical of Lowry's work (not even the books she wrote later about Anastasia) it is worth your time to read it. It should also be noted that this children's book has a few curse words in it and that there is mention of beer, in fact the main character drinks beer. Other than that, you may very well enjoy this book. It is different from Lowry's later works, but its still charming.

I have been a fan of Lowry's ever since I read The Giver five years ago and I try to read all of her books, and have not been disappointed with one yet.

However, I will say this is not one of her excellent ones. Do not get me wrong, it still is very good but I felt that it jumped quite a bit. She used pictures as a pretext for her chapters but it made it feel as if that's the only reason she went that direction. I feel as if she picked the pictures before writing, which I believe was a mistake.

Also, for the book, the true ending, or where the climax began was in the last twenty pages of the book. It also felt a little abrupt, and I believe that it should have been gently eased into it a little better.

The book is worth a look at, especially if you like early 1900 books. The character are (as always) portrayed fantastically and you really sympathize with them all.

I recommend this book for any Lowry fans or early 1900 America fans.

The ending of The Silent Boy was very unexpected. I was schocked that Jacob, an autistic boy, was sentenced to life in the Asylum. The ending touched me when it showed how badly mentally disabled people were treated and misunderstood back then. The ending was very sad. Lois Lowry definitly hit a grand slam with this book. I recommend this story for readers twelve and up, but advanced fifth graders could also read this story.

Sincerely,
An anonymous fifth grader

This book has a lot of happy parts and sad parts, but most were happy. I think this book should be read by kids older than 12 years of age. It has parts that are very hard to understand, like the part when the mentally disabled boy called Jacob is sent to the asylum. The plot of the story is very well thought out, and it usually stays on topic. This book is great and should have to be read in junior high schools around the world.

Sincerely,
Book-Lad

This book is very touching and should be read by all ages. Although it is a great story, it has a bad ending for Jacob. I do not think that the Silent Boy should have gone to the asylum. This book had an amazing story plot, but it was very sad. It also had a very good ending ending for Katy and Austin. This book should be read by junior high schoolers; it is a little bit advanced for average fifth grade readers.

By a highly educated fifth grader

Katy, retelling her story of her childhood, reveals to the readers a world of a mature almost-nine-year old girl.
During her childhood she is well aware her surroundings, wanting to know more and more about the world around her, and eventually follows in her father's foot steps into the medical world.
After her baby sister is born, Peggy, a country girl, is brought to the family to help around the house. As Peggy enters into Katy's world, so does her brother, Jacob.
Everyone knows Jacob as the "touched boy" and therefore stay isolated from him.
But Katy thinks of him as her friend, and treats him that way too. What does it mean "to be touched?" For Katy, it just means another friend.
Jacob has his gentle ways with animals and nature. He understands the world in a different way, acting differently than the other people around him.
When an unexpected event takes place in their lives, Jacob tries to find a way to make it better. But it just made it worse.
Combined beautifully in her book, Lois Lowery writes what it means to be a person; how to look at people who are different than you are.
Will Jacob's life, "the touched boy" ever be the same as before?

I was probably about 9 when I first read this book and I immediately loved it. I have no idea what made me decide to read it, as I had no experience with adoption and it doesn't seem like the type of thing I was reading at the time. Perhaps it was because it was by Lowry and I'd already fallen in love with some of her other books (The Giver, Number the Stars).

I was absolutely fascinated by this book. I was constantly borrowing it from the library until my parents bought me my own copy when I was in 8th grade. Honestly, I was convinced that there would be a note in the front confiding that *I* had been adopted, but no.

At that young age I would have never imagined that several years later I would be in the position to make the difficult decision of placing my own child for adoption. Funny how things work out.

Unlike the story, I am so grateful that my son will always know of his adoption and of the love his birthfather and I have for him. We've thought of him every day for the past 6 years, and we'll be here with open arms if and when he wishes to meet us.

It's been 16 years now since I first read this book and it still has a special place on my shelf and in my heart.

i loved this book it was very good. The beging was kinda boring but it got better in the middle. It was great!I think this book reflects on people our own age because it tells about a girl named Natalie Arnstrong who looks for her real parents becasue she was addopted.!Also getting ready for college! She has 3 friends that they tell about the most in the book, And they are,Gretchen Zimmerman,Becy(who they never tell what hher last name is),And her boyfriend Paul.Natalie was addopted. And so was her litle sister.But over the summer before college Natalie wants to go on a trip. The trip is to find her REAL parents. Her addopted parents don't know why but she does. i think u hsould read more about this book to find out the rest! But over all this book was great.
k.h

Lois Lowry is a great author! She has taken a common plot and put colorful characters into the story which makes you want to keep reading all the way to the end. Natalie's journey is so compelling and you want to see her succeed in her efforts but not be disappointed. Everytime I read a book by Ms. Lowry she grabs ahold of my attention and keeps me thinking about the book all through the day.

What would you do if you found out that your mother wasn't your birth mother?
In Lois Lowry's, Find a Stranger, Say Goodbye, Natalie Armstrong decides to answer that question. Natalie has beauty, intelligence, a great boyfriend, and a wonderful family, but her search for her birth mother sends her into a welter of emotions.
The main character of this story is Natalie Armstrong, whose mother, father, and sister are Kay, Alden, and Nancy Armstrong. This story takes place in many places because of Natalie's search, but in Maine and New York in about 1969.
Find a Stranger, Say Goodbye's theme is "following your dreams" and "never giving up." Its genre is a mix between mystery and adventure, and written in third person omniscient.
I thought that this book was pretty good. It's a bit strange at places, which I'll not reveal because it might ruin the book. I'd recommend this book to people who like to read about family. It gives you a sort of comfort and understanding about families, and makes you ask natural questions, but not really anything that'll get you confused. Find a Stranger, Say Goodbye will go by mildly fast, but it'll still be enjoyable.

This book was everything i thuoght it would be and much more. I couldn't put it down. It was very moving. A MUST read.

My class just got done with the book and though there were sad parts it was still really good im in 5th grade and i don't think that anyone 1st-3rd should read it. Elizabeth is 6 and she moved from New York with her mom and her sister after her dad went to war she quickly made friends with Charles a black boy and also makes friends with louie after looseing a best friend charles the book is still good.

My class just got done with the book and though there were sad parts it was still really good im in 5th grade and i don't think that anyone 1st-3rd should read it. Elizabeth is 6 and she moved from New York with her mom and her sister after her dad went to war she quickly made friends with Charles a black boy and also makes friends with louie after looseing a best friend charles the book is still good.

As everyone else here says, this is a very tragic story. While the book is beautifully written, and the characters very well-drawn, the ending is upsetting and could disturb younger readers. I read it when I was too young for it - I ended up with terrible nightmares and even now I would not read it again. The ending really is a hideously violent surprise. I recommend parents read this book before giving it to their children. Due to the subject matter this book really is best suited to older children/teens, but due to Lowry being so popular with younger children (for Sam, Anastasia etc) there is a high likelihood that some children will read 'Autumn Street' before they are emotionally ready.

I am a HUGE fan of Lois Lowry. I have read a lot of her books including her newest one 'Messenger'. The ending surprised me, and it freaked me out. (...)I'm sorry for sort of giving you an idea of the ending, but I couldn't sleep afterwards. It's pretty disturbing. Although the rest is great,I really don't like the ending. Fortunately, I got my liking back for Lois Lowry by reading 'Find a Stranger, Say Goodbye' that is a great book.

During the war six-year-old Elizabeth goes with her mother and her sister Jessica to live with their grandfather. Elizabeth, meets, Tatie's, the cook's, grandson, Charles and they become best friends. Charles goes back to his family and comes back the next Christmas. During this visit something happens that Elizabeth will never forget. This is a story about bravery and couragegeousness, but mostly about friendship. Lowry really makes the charactors really come to life. Elizabeth and Charles are just like real six-year-olds. This is really a very touching story.

Stay Keepers Story was an AMAZING book. It is a great book for ages 10+. I really enjoyed it; my dad did too. I love this book because it is about a dog. I love dogs!! Keeper in this book is the narrator!! I thought that was pretty cool. The author that wrote this book really put a lot of thought into this novel. The dog in this book has a great sense of humor. In this book the dog Keeper changes his name 3 TIMES!! Lucky, Pal, and Keeper. Keeper firsts starts out with 3 other siblings, but they all were taken by a family. So Keeper was all alone. Keeper was always the best with his sister Whispy. So Keeper went to go find her, and his journey began.

Do you ever wonder what a dog's point of view of the world is?
In Stay Keeper's Story you can find out!!! This intersting novel will tell you the story of an abandoned dog on a mission to find his sister and to defeat his enemy,Scar. I would recomend this book for ages eleven and up. One aspect of the book I did not like though was that the vocabulary was extremely sophisticated.

I loved this book!!!! It was great with an extreme ending and an exciting base! You can't put it down but I had to put it down when my Mom said time for bed! When I finished it, I still wondered what happened next to Keeper. Stay is a story about a dog that tells his own story. Keeper gets seperated from his family and is owned by many friends. This dogs life is almost perfect except one thing. I recomend this book for ages 10 through adult. Read the book to see what happends to Keeper!

This book was a very enjoyable pleasure for me to read because it is a funny fantasy about a poetic dog who had a variety of names such as Lucky, Pal, and then finally, Keeper. Keeper had many happy experiences and some not so happy with his companions. His care givers were Jack, Emily, Emily's mom, and Christopher (the photographer). All his life, no matter which of the people he was living with he always had a gift for poetry. He was fond of his sister, Wispy, and his tail. Although he was usually a happy, friendly canine, he had a rival who he despised. His rival's name was Scar. I was enthralled with this book because it leaves you hanging and with an idea - (Are dogs really this poetic and brilliant?).

Stay! Keeper's Story was an interesting book. My favorite character was Keeper the dog. He had a bushy tail and made up poems for everything that happened. He spent much of his time looking for his long lost sister, Wispy. He lived with many different people to survive. One of them that I liked was a young girl named Emily. She loved him very, very much. Keeper's enemy was Scar, a dog who liked to attack other dogs and human beings. Keeper was scared of Scar, but, in the end, Keeper was brave and stood up to his enemy. If you would like to know if Keeper finds his sister, then I recommend you read this exciting book!

This is a really good book. I read it first to see if it was okay for children, and had to ration myself to a couple of chapters per day to make it last--(you know how you hate to have a good book end.) I really liked it and my brother's children LOVED it (ages 6-12). I read it to them and we had discussions about words (English and German) as well as about love, sadness, men taking care of babies, parents, etc. I think it is worth buying. I don't know if it stimulated their interest in "The Secret Garden" or other "classic" children's books but we had a fun time reading it and laughing together and wondering how it would turn out AND I really liked the illustrations.

I think this is a beautiful little book. I like the way it you can still remember Lois Lowry wrote it while imagining something fun. The story was not at all predictable, and I was surprised by many events. There is one thing I was dissapointed by, and that was that the title did not have a hidden meaning, like in The Giver and Gathering Blue, I love that aha! moment that you get near the end of the story, and it was not in this book. I highly recommend reading the glossary and bibliography, because they are witty and helped me out with a few confusing words. One last thing is that even though it seems like a children's story, it would be enjoyed more by young adults.
I know I've said a lot, and since there is a mixture of good and bad qualities of the book written above, look at the number of stars the book got...

Although I am near fifty I found this to have many laugh-out-loud treats! Get past some of the dopey point-counting and there is a fun story. Very Roald Dahl-ish and Lemony Snicket-ish. The "glossary" is delightful and the bibliography is helpful. This would be a good read-aloud for kids who know the books listed in the bibliography.

Such a pleasure to find a truly versatile author. Lowry is as adept at the huge poignancy of THE GIVER and NUMBER THE STARS as she is with wicked drollery and with in her Krupnik tales and in this latest offering. While this one makes much of traditional children's literature and its myriad orphans from JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH to HUCKLEBERRY FINN to THE SECRET GARDEN, these is no mention of those latter-day pathos-grabbers, the Baudelaires, and their nigh-endless career of unfortunate events. What precious irony that no less than Lemony Snicket himself was the reviewer of choice for this new Lowry by PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY. This is a quick, fast paced, page-turner for the 'tween set with appropriately short chapters and Lowry's own cheeky (as in "tongue in") illustrations. The hilarity hits a high point however in the fractious and fractured attempts at German: "Ach. I forgotzenplunkt. Sorrybrauten." The book, as with most of Lowry, works equally well for independent reading as well as for reading aloud.

The Willoughbys was really fun and fast to read. Lois Lowry has stuffed it full of wonderful words and a fast-paced plot. (The part where the parents die is literally an aside within a sentence it moves so quickly.) The darkness of the story about children who want to be orphans and parents who wish to be free of their children certainly held my attention, much in the style of A Series of Unfortunate Events.

I don't know if there is a literary term for this genre - meta-literature? It is a story that is about stories; in that it pokes fun at fairy tales, refers to classic literature, and constantly calls itself old-fashioned. For some reason, while reading this, I just felt like these ideas were somewhat tired. It's almost like the book is too pleased with itself for me to join in on the pleasure. I certainly think it is clever, and I still think Lois Lowry is the master of middle-grade fiction. Obviously she wrote this book for the sheer enjoyment of writing - even putting it right on the cover "nefariously written by..." I have come to expect her work to be so tight, and this book is wildy scattered and full of gaping holes. She is too good to leave unanswered questions, so there is an epilogue, but it just quickly patches everything up so it can be over. Thank god she didn't have the candy-inventing old man name his new candy bar "Baby Ruth" as she set up the reader to believe would happen. That would have ruined it.

As a book club book, I am just not sure what to do with it. I can definitely say that it has given me a lot to think about, as has every Lowry book, but it isn't because of the themes. This book has left me considering how I feel about its style. Would it give students that same discussion fodder? Will they catch the allusions (well, actually, direct references) to classic literary characters? Will discussing how to get rid of their parents lead to high level talk?

While reading the story, my mind kept wandering to one question. Are all children's books tools for teaching reading? I mean, at some level, all books help us all become better readers. But, specifically, are children's books - when read by students who are still increasing vocabulary and understanding of literary styles and flexing their comprehension strategies - always tools for improving reading? I really am having trouble finding what a student would gain from this. It certainly is a great exercise in vocabulary building, what with its Very Own Glossary. But beyond that, I think other Lowry books fit the book club shelf better.