Julia Gillian
Ten-year-old Julia Gillian knows everything about her quirky neighbors, her Minneapolis neighborhood, even the inscrutable "claw machine" in the back of the corner hardware store. The one thing Julia Gillian doesn't know is how the book she's reading is going to end. It doesn't seem as if it's...
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Ten-year-old Julia Gillian knows everything about her quirky neighbors, her Minneapolis neighborhood, even the inscrutable "claw machine" in the back of the corner hardware store. The one thing Julia Gillian doesn't know is how the book she's reading is going to end. It doesn't seem as if it's going to have a happy ending, and that scares her. But Julia learns a little something about fear: sometimes you just have to work through it. And though bad things do happen sometimes, having good friends and family around you makes life a bit less scary - and much more fun.REVIEWS:* "Julia Gillian is acutely conscious of achieving a new maturity that allows her to question authority and to assert herself -- not bad for a nine-year old." -- School Library Journal (starred review)"McGhee's story will ring true true to young readers dealing with their own fears." -- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette"The book is well paced, laced with line drawings that capture Julia Gillian's slightly whimsical personality, and overall as satisfying as the strawberry bubble tea served at the Quang Restaurant." -- Publishers Weekly"Lively ink-and-pencil drawings show Julia making her rounds, wearing a fierce raccoon mask for courage and realizing that, while life doesn't always turn out the way she wants it to, that's okay." -- The Horn Book
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Format: hardcover
ISBN:
9780545033480 (0545033489)
Publish date: June 1st 2008
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages no: 288
Edition language: English
Series: Julia Gillian Trilogy (#1)
Read this one for LIBR 2410, but didn't include it in my reading diary, since I liked The Higher Power of Lucky more.
Julia Gillian is quite accomplished for a nine year old. Thus far she's mastered the art of making papier-mâché masks, spreading her gum evenly across her teeth, and knowing exactly what her dog Bigfoot is saying even though he doesn't speak "human." Though she hasn't yet conquered the claw machine ...
Charming without being the least bit treacly, loving but not at all mawkish, this is a pure sweet paean to a childhood without evil lurking in the cupboards. Wonderful through and through.
Perfectly paced young chapter book that knows and respects its audience. The line-art throughout is awesome, and absolutely adds to the reading experience.