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ISBN-10: 0-14-250158-1
ISBN-13: 9780142501580
Publisher: Puffin
Country:
Year: October 13, 2003
Size: 15.49 x 20.83 x 0.76cm
Number of pages: 80
Weight: 136gr
Binding: Paperback
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The year 1940 is a very big year for Tomie-it's the start of first grade, and it's his first birthday in the new house at 26 Fairmount Avenue. It's also the first year that Tomie gets to go trick-or-treating with his older brother, Buddy. Then the holidays arrive, and Tomie has a part in the Christmas play. This Christmas is going to be great! But disaster strikes when Tomie gets the chicken pox. Will he be cured in time for the Christmas pageant? Join Tomie dePaola once again as he takes us back to his childhood and allows us to share the holiday season with his family and friends.
Tomie dePaola's charming, funny-because-it's-true childhood memoir continues with its third installment in the series that began with his Newbery Honor Book 26 Fairmount Avenue. And what a year 1940 has been--and continues to be! After surviving the arrival of his baby sister, Maureen, in Here We All Are, Tomie celebrates his sixth birthday, starts first grade (although Miss Kiniry still insists that his name be spelled »Tommy,« even on his birthday cake), and eagerly awaits the kid-holiday Triple Crown of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
Author and illustrator dePaola just might be perfecting the form here, crafting a series that's worth reading for so very many reasons. His matter-of-fact period details follow kid sensibilities to the letter, with many references to radio shows and movies (»I sure liked Mr. Walt Disney's movies«) but scant attention paid to more grownup topics (the most noteworthy thing that Roosevelt did in late 1940, apparently, was move Thanksgiving back a week so people would have more time to buy Christmas presents).
DePaola's most commendable quality, though, is his unerring ear and untainted memory, which (while always funny) isn't always flattering to this willful little guy. Yes, what a year indeed. And with the closing line--»I wonder what 1941 will be like?«--we can be sure that Tomie has many more eventful years to come. (Ages 7 to 10) --Paul Hughes
reviews
Tomie dePaola is back with the fourth installment of his marvelously charming and warmhearted 26 Fairmount Avenue series. What A Year picks up right where On My Way left off, September 1940, and for young Tomie, this was the very best time of the year. September brings the beginning of first grade and Tomie's sixth birthday, with a class party and special presents. Then on to his first trick or treating Halloween and a favorite costume, Thanksgiving with the extended dePaola clan and a trip to the movies to see Pinocchio, Christmas, with pageants and presents, almost ruined by chicken pox, and the first New Year's Eve he stayed up past midnight to ring in the new year. And through it all, Mr dePaola fills his engaging memoir with well remembered and entertaining details, events, and anecdotes. Written in an easy to read, conversational style, and enhanced by delightful black and white sketches, What A Year is perfect for youngsters 7-11, and makes an even better read-aloud story the entire family can share together. Told with great insight, wisdom, humor and love, the 26 Fairmount Avenue series just gets better with each new book. As Tomie writes in his diary on the first day of the new year … »I wonder what 1941 will be like?« We can only wait for the next installment to find out.
keywords
- 20th century
- Authors, American
- Biography
- Biography & Autobiography – Art
- Biography & Autobiography – Literary
- Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Biography
- Children – Grades 3-4
- De Paola, Tomie
- Holidays & Celebrations – General
- Illustrators
- Juvenile Fiction
- Juvenile literature
- Juvenile Nonfiction – Biography & Autobiography – General
- Juvenile Nonfiction – Family – Multigenerational
- Readers – Chapter Books
related products
Tomie dePaola
Putnam Publishing Group; 2001
Paperback
Tomie dePaola
Putnam Publishing Group; 2002
Paperback
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