Climbing the Rainbow [Library Binding]

Joy N. Hulme (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

The day I entered the classroom
for the very first time,
I was floating on a cloud of happiness.

For ten-year-old Dora Cookson, going to school for the first time is a dream come true. After moving from Utah to a homestead in New Mexico, Dora can't wait to start school, to learn, and to make new friends. There's only one problem -- Dora may be as old as the fourth graders, but she has to start in the first grade. Some kids snicker and say it's because she's dumb. But one girl named Cora Beth doesn't think so, and becomes Dora's first friend at school.

Soon Dora and Cora Beth are doing just about everything together, from practicing writing and spelling to playing with their favorite dolls to jumping rope. With the help of Cora Beth and her teacher, Dora is working hard to catch up to her grade. Then an unexpected event changes their lives forever. After tragedy strikes, will Dora be able to catch up and pass the test to get into the fifth grade? Or are other things more important now?

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Gr. 4-6. When her family moves to their New Mexico homestead in 1911, 10-year-old Dora begins her formal education in a two-room schoolhouse. Determined to make up for lost time, she works hard to catch up with the other children. During the year, she discovers a love of learning, earns the respect and affection of her teacher, and finds satisfaction as well as frustration in the midst of a large, loving family. Some aspects of the story--for instance, the motif of quilt making--make this seem like the cozy sort of historical novel, but the plot is also gritty. Central to the story is Dora's befriending of a classmate and losing her to an attack of appendicitis. The circumstances of the child's death, the preparations for her funeral, and the aftermath of guilt are presented with honesty and directness. Episodes such as this share space with other incidents, leavened with the off-the-wall humor of family stories: readers won't soon forget the community-wide contest to swat and collect the most flies. Vivid and occasionally touching. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Joy N. Hulme is the author of Through the Open Door and several children's picture books, including Bubble Trouble. Climbing the Rainbow, a continuation of Through the Open Door, is based on the true experiences of a girl who grew up on a homestead farm in New Mexico in the early 1900s. Late in her life, she and Joy Hulme became acquainted as members of the same church in California. As they visited together and the real-life Dora shared the memories of her childhood with her new friend, they discovered they had much in common. Joy Hulme and her husband, Mel, live in Monte Sereno, California.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Library Binding: 224 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (February 3, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060543043
• ISBN-13: 978-0060543044
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,261,964 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars new kid, February 1, 2006

By 

ames (Idaho) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Climbing the Rainbow (Hardcover)

Climbing the Rainbow is a great story, and is a really fast read. The story takes place in Utah, which is where Dora Cookson has recently moved to from Mexico City. I really enjoyed this story, because I could relate to it so well. When I was fourteen years old my family moved to Idaho from Colorado, because my grandmother died. My family was the only family my grandfather had left, so we moved here to be with him. It was very hard for me to be a teenager, and move to a new town. Many people were very rude and not open to making friends with me. Dora had the same problem. Cora Beth noticed Dora's pain, and introduced herself. Katherine, who I am still best friends with today, did the same for me as Cora Beth did for Dora. Through this whole book I felt for Dora, because I have been in her shoes. It is hard to make new friends, especially during the teenage years. If you have ever been a new kid, or opened up to a new kid, this book would be great for you to read. You will be able to relate!