Customer Reviews

Afternoon Of The Elves

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is a difficult book to read and accept. It beautifully delivers a message that I think most readers will dodge, particularly young readers, but perhaps most well-trained adults as well. It points out that our society's politically correct response to some social situations may be morally completely wrong.

Hillary is a happy kid from a good home, with plenty of happy friends. But she is fascinated by her next-door neighbor Sara-Kate in spite of her junk-filled yard, her ratty clothes, and her strange ways. Sara-Kate, you see, has elves in her back yard. And an inordinate amount of knowledge of the strong and independent ways of elves. Slowly, Sara-Kate's elvish charm draws Hillary closer, until finally Hillary enters into Sara-Kate's fantasy along with her. As this happens, Hillary also begins to absorb the ugly reality that the fantasy makes bearable: Sara-Kate's father has left, and sends odd bits of money sometimes. Sara-Kate's beloved mother is sick, mentally ill, and Sara-Kate cares for her like a child, hiding the reality from the world so that authorities won't take her mother away from her as before.

There are two levels to the story. On the surface, there is the story of an odd, graceless outcast slowly charming another child away from her old friends with the intensity of her fantasies. Below, however, is the story of an abandoned child and mother, and more, the story of an unusually loyal, strong and resourceful child forced by her mother's mental illness to take on incredible responsibility.

It is a terrible story. By that, I mean that it draws a picture of a horrible mental and physical ordeal. The beautiful fantasy that sustains this unusual kid has the power of its creator's determination. And the sadness of the story is offset by the amazing nobility and optimism of an unusual character.

I wasn't sure what to make of this book after I finished reading it. I think it makes big statements about social conditions and imagination vs. reality that, judging from the reviews posted here, younger readers do not quickly pick up on.

I am still filled with conflicting emotions about the end of this book. Clearly, it was necessary for the authorities to intervene and take Sara-Kate and her mother away. But the author seems to condemn this action, looking through the eyes of Hillary, who tries to persuade her mother that Sara-Kate would have been just fine had she been left alone in her broken-down home and property, stealing and lying to stay alive. There seems to be an elevation of a child's imagination (taken to extremes) over reality; that somehow Hillary's perspective was right and that of the adults was wrong.

I also seemed to pick up on a dark note at the very end with the line about Hillary seeming to have "disappeared." It's almost as if Sara-Kate's elf world sucked Hillary in so effectively that she was destined to "become" Sara-Kate herself--distant, cold, manipulative, and blinded by her fantasies. A disconnection from the real world seemed to have taken place.

Now, I have focused on the negative aspects in this book. It does indeed contain elements of freshness, spark, and a healthy dose of imaginative playfulness. But I found the story to be more haunting than refreshing, more disillusioning than enlightening. This book is very well-written, but strange. Just strange.

Many books that receive the Newbery Honors award seem to blend into obscurity in a short time, while their Newbery Medal associates become widely read and praised. Imagine my shock to find that there were no copies of the book at my local bookstore and several large bookstores! Lisle's beautifully written novel is one that must not be overlooked. Children will be intoxicated by the mystery of the elves and Sara Kate's elf-like presence. But there are other issues at the heart of the book: how are those that are different in our society treated, especially the impoverished? What happens to children with parents who are unable to care for them? There are also several pertinent points on the theme of friendship--what makes a real friend and why one must choose them wisely. One step into Sara Kate's world and you'll be hooked. Buy this book and share it with everyone you know!

I checked this book out because I am very much into kids' fantasy, and I wanted to read about elves. Unfortunately, I was wrong. FORTUNATELY, I found a wonderful book.

This book is about Hillary, who is jolted from her comfortable, easy upper-class surroundings by the class oddity, a girl called Sara-Kate who says that there are elves living in her overgrown backyard. Even though her snobby parents are clearly uneasy with this new friendship, Hillary comes to see Sara-Kate--and soon discovers a sad, and all too realistic, secret that her friend has been keeping.

This is not a fantasy book. Rather, it is the journey of two young girls, one who is secure, and one who is frightened and alone, but hides it under the guise of her own little world. It's a sad, sweet story, one that every kid should check out.

A fiercely poor Sara-Kate claims that elves live in her garden. Hillary chooses to accept the fantasy and the friendship, but at a cost.

Despite the Newberry Honour, this is a good, not great book, and lovers of fantasy should note that it is really more about friends than fairies, and it is a relatively dark work, not whimsical or lighthearted. Nonetheless, it's an interesting and enjoyable, if not particularly indelible read.

Note: a 3 star ranking from me is actually pretty good; I reserve 4 stars for tremendously good works, and 5 only for the rare few that are or ought to be classic; unfortunately most books published are 2 or less.

This book has many things that kids today have to go through. Hate, rejection, and friendship. I know many people out there can relate to these three feelings.

Sara-Kate is underfed, nasty, and extremely 'unpopular.' Everybody tells nasty rumors about her, all rounding up to that she's no good. Nobody's ever been in her house, or seen her mother. The only thing Sara-Kate will say about her dad is, "He's on a Trip." But Sara-Kate's magical garden, soon draws Hillary, a well-liked 4th grader into the magic of the elves.

The elves have their own little village, houses, a ferris wheel, and a pool. Whenever Hillary comes, no elves are seen.

Everybody tells Hillary to stop going. She doesn't listen. Some unspeakable magic is pulling her back to that overgrown garden.

But Hillary soon finds out that Sara-Kate needs help much more than magic.

This book was a wonderful story that had me dreaming about it every night. Nine year-old Hillery Loxanne is invited over her next-door neighbor's house to play. Sounds like an ordinary day, right? Well it's not so normal when you live next to the weirdest
girl,or family in town.Sara-Kate Colonne is the eleven year-old who lives with her mom who is "always sick".A tiny, delicate village is found in Sara-Kate's junky over grown yard.Who could have made it? Sara-Kate believs it's elves.There's nothing special about her,but maybe the elves saw something that maybe Hillery could see to in Sara-Kate.This book will have you dreaming about enchanting and thrilling things that will have you fall in love with this book just as I have.

This is a story of two young girls - Hillary, fortunate and comfortable in her family home, and her backyard neighbor, Sara-Kate, poor and outcast and forced to take care of herself. It is a story told convincingly in the voice of Hillary, as she slowly enters first the magical world of Sara-Kate's imagination, and then the cold and deprived world of Sara-Kate's real-life situation. The ending is not a happy one, but neither is it hopeless or overly sad ending.

My nine-year-old daughter told me that she thought it was a very well written book, but the ending was not satisfying to her. She's correct, it is not a "satisfying" ending, but it is probably the truest and best ending for all that. My daughter failed to appreciate fully the transformation of Hillary, so that the open-ended last page seemed to dangle into uncertainty. For adults and more mature readers, this open ending is a sign that Hillary has moved forward and beyond her once-ordinary self.

I am surprised by the range of reactions to this book from kid reviewers - some kids taking it mostly at face value, as a story of mystery and imagination, and only a few seeing that it is mostly about friendship, emotional vulnerability, trust, and the sometimes unfairness of life. Personally, I think it is an excellent book, but I would recommend it only for middle school and more mature grade school kids. Younger and less mature readers will miss out on too much, failing to understand the deeper meaning.

If you are familiar with another Newbery Honor book, "The Hundred Dresses" by Eleanor Estes, then I think you'll know where this book is coming from. Afternoon of the Elves is also about imagination in the face of poverty and unintentional childhood cruelty, and about the redeeming emotions of the central character, who comes to see things in a new way, although perhaps a bit too late. I strongly recommend "The Hundred Dresses" for ages 7-11, and "Afternoon of the Elves" for ages 9-14.

When I say this book I thought it would be a fantasy book but when i started reading it I found out it wasn't fantasy it was a story about the friendship of two girls, Sara-Kate and Hillary, Sara-Kate an unpopular girl who is afraid and Hillary who is more popular. they become friends because sara-Kate says she has Elves in her backyard and even though many rumours about Sara-Kate are going around and many people keep telling hillary to stop being her friend there friendship still sticks together!!

This book is one of the best book i ever read and i reccomend it to everyone!!

From the very start I knew I would love this book. I was right! It is full of adventure and suspence. At some moments it is sad, at some moments it is scary, and at some moments it is happy. It is about two verry diferent girls who become friends and soon they realise that they are more similar than they think. They are named Hilary and Sarah Kate. Hillary is clean and normal. Sarah Kate has a backyard cluttered and messy. The two girls play together in Sarah Kate's yard. They take care of an elfe village with little houses, pools, ferris wheels, and gardens. Sarah Kate has a verry short temper, but Hillary learns that nomader what Sarah Kate will always forgive her. Sarah Kate never talks about her family or herself, just about the elves. She naver gets cold, never menchions her mother, never invites Hillary into herhouse, and never goes to Hillary's house herself. Sarah Kate runs errands for her mom all over town by herself. Just whene the girls become better friends than they ever where before somthing tragic happens. Can Hillary run the elfe village byh herself?

I think this book is wonderful for boys and girls. I could not put the book down and finished it in one day.