And Condors Danced [Paperback]

Zilpha Keatley Snyder (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1989 | Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

The year Carly turns eleven, 1907, is filled with playing detective, watching condors, observing a fierce feud involving her family's Southern California ranch, and coping with unexpected tragedies.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The unstinting manner in which this generous author shares her mother's memories of rural Southern California will come as no surprise to readers familiar with her previous books (The Egypt Game, The Truth About Stone Hollow and others). Life on a ranch is full of fun and adventure for fearless and imaginative Carly, age 11. And while Carly's antics don't always impress her strict father and distant, ailing mother, Carly's loving Aunt Mehitabel and Mehitabel's Chinese servant Woo Ying provide a consistently appreciative and adoring audience. Carly stars in a Fourth of July parade; reads "unsuitable" novels (including The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes); and stands up to local bully Henry Babcockgrandson of her family's worst enemy. When Carly and her dog Tiger rescue Henry from a rabid coyote, the feuding families are reconciled, but at great cost to the girl: Tiger has contracted rabies and must be shot. Soon after, Carly's mother dies. In the days that follow, Carly must come to terms with both losses. This novel blends emotional insight and a joyous sense of play to create a lively, compelling tale. Ages 9-13.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-7 Eleven-year-old Carly's world is circumscribed by a stern, intolerant father and an oblivious, ailing mother. But Carly is filled with resourcefulness, and she knows who loves her: her older siblings, her friend Matt, and especially Great-aunt Mehitabel and her Chinese housekeeper, Woo Ying. It's 1907, and Carly's large family has settled in southern California's citrus-growing country. But an ancient feud and a water-rights dispute keep them from enjoying prosperity. Carly romanticizes, dramatizes, and fantasizes the events in her life, until two terrible things happen: her dog and her mother both die, and Carly's grief is more profoundly felt over the dog. This coming-of-age story, with its vividly realized historical California setting, will be enjoyed by readers of Hunt's Up a Road Slowly (Follett, 1966). The one jarring note: the characterization of Woo Ying as a ``crazy Chinaman'' who speaks in verbless sentences (reminiscent of Peter Sellers' nemesis in the ``Pink Panther'' movies) seems straight out of Central Casting. The story is an interesting one, though, moving along at a leisurely pace that should appeal to thoughtful readers. Susan H. Patron, Los Angeles Public Library
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Yearling (March 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375895175
• ISBN-13: 978-0375895173
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.3 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,224,527 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars DANCES WITH CONDORS AND pA ZEST FOR LIFE!, July 11, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: And Condors Danced (Hardcover)

Set in agricultural Ventura Valley of California in 1910, this story is difficult to classify. The young heroine reveals a wacky imagination, spunky atittude and distinctly tomboyish taste. These all provide amusing moments for the reader, but this book discusses many serious themes and topics: rabies, prolonged grieving, social cruelty, drought-induced poverty, and unrealistic expectations to fit into the family mold.

July 4th is the holiday spotlighted in this story of almost one year in the life of a child, who starts out by trying to become Invisible! I was hooked by the cover which showed people in old-fashioned garb by a horse-drawn vehicle. But Carly's life is far from an agrarian idyll or even Waltonesque. I actually consider the cover misleading, because Carly is definitley NOT the dainty little lady in white ruffles descending from Aunt M.'s carriage. In fact she defies proper, female tradition on the sly by riding Astride horses when she can get away with it.

Her immediate, dysfunctional famliy seems to have no use for her: strict, repressive Father (failed teacher turned to failing dry farmer); invalid Mother (physically as well as emotionally, grieving over the death of her toddler son a decade ago): assorted older siblings with their own problems. Poor criticized Carly only feels at home with Aunt Mehitabel and her incorrigible Chinese servant, Woo-Ling, both of whom adore her.

But how do condors (dancing, gliding or dead) influence her life? Ostracized from the Water Company by a long-standing family feud, the Carltons must watch helplessly as their unirrigated ranch is slowly strangled. Then there are the boys in her life: one proves a true friend who teaches her about condors and joins her Sherlock Holmes detective games. The other is the spoiled grandson of her family's bitter enemy, who targets her for more than mere verbal abuse.

Between lowlife gossip, her distant mother, her authoritarian father and a threat to her beloved dog, Tiger, Carly comes of age at! ll. She shows a morbid taste for the cemetery, where lies the little brother she never knew, whose place she could never take--the only family member truly at peace. Even Carly begins to wonder just when her tears are flowing for real. She stubbornly insists that one day she Will see condors dancing up at Condor Spring. These maligned birds are like Carly--outwardly unattractive--but with hidden depths of grace and aerial beauty. If she can learn to appreciate Them, may not people come to love and accept Her, just as she is, instead of some idealized daughter? Don't let them quench your zest for life!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 'And the Condors Danced' book reveiw, July 21, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: And Condors Danced (Paperback)

The book 'And the Condors Danced' was a great book. It was very sad, but pretty happy too. The book was mainly about Carly, her point of veiw, but it was not a book that was written to be thought of as if she wrote it. It was as if it was written by someone who was not her, not in the book, but Knew her thoughts; even though it was a great book, I thought the ending could be better than it was because it(the ending) was very vague.

2.0 out of 5 stars SPROUTING WINGS, February 20, 2009

By 

Gale Finlayson "PLUME45" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: And Condors Danced (Paperback)

Set in California's agricultural Ventura Valley in 1910, this story is difficult to classify. The young heroine reveals a wacky imagination, spunky attitude and distinctly tomboyish taste. These characteristics provide amusing moments for the reader, but this story discusses many serious themes and topics as well: rabies, prolonged grieving, social cruelty, drought-induced poverty and unrealistic expectation to fit into the pre-ordained family mold.

July 4th is the holiday spotlighted in this story of almost one year in the life of a child who starts out by trying to become invisible. I was hooked by the cover which showed people in old-fashioned garb next to a horse-drawn vehicle. But Carly's life is far from an agrarian idyll or even sentimentally Waltonesque. I consider the cover somewhat misleading for Carly is definately Not the dainty little lady in white ruffles descending from Aunt Mehitable's carriage. In fact this spunky protagonist defies proper female tradition on the sly by riding Astride horses (not side saddle) when she can get away with it.

But how do condors (dancing, gliding or even dead) influence Carly's life in her dysfunctional family? Ostracized from the Water Company by a long-standing feud, the Carltons must watch helplessly as their unirrigated ranch is slowly strangled in the heat. Then there are the boys in her life: one proves a true friend who teaches her about condors and joins her Sherlock Holmes detective game. The other boy is the spoiled grandson of the family's bitter enemy, who targets her for more than mere verbal abuse.

Between lowlife gossip, her distant mother, her authoritarian father and a threat to her beloved dog, Tiger, Calry comes of age at 11. She shows a morbid taste for the cemetery where lies the little brother she never knew, whose place she could never take--the only family member who is truly at peace. Even Carly begins to wonder just when her tears are flowing for real. She stubbornly insists that one day she Will see condors dancing up at Condor Spring. These maligned birds are like Carly--outwardly unattractive, but with hidden depths off grace and aerial
beauty. If she can learn to appreciate Them, may not people come to love and accept Her, just as she is, instead of some idealized daughter? Don't let them quench your zest for uninhibited life!