Duffy's Rocks is set in the Depression years in Pittsburgh, and follows young Timothy Brennan as he seeks to find his father who has long since disappeared. Timothy and his cousin explore the city of Pittsburgh--a delightful tour that will certainly urge older readers to recall their own childhood. Through his search for his father, both the reader and Timothy encounter and explore the universal issues of family, self-discovery, and independence. Duffy Rock's provides an abundance of particulars about how children were affected during the dust bowl years, and is an opportunity for younger readers to gain a greater understanding of their own grandparents, perhaps even prompting them to record the oral histories in their own families. It is also a chance to get a sense of how the various events and situations of the past were woven together. Readers can relive the trials of the economic and social difficulties of the Great Depression and the predominance of the various immigrant groups whose influence and presence were so strong in the early part of the century in America's urban centers, from the perspective of someone their own age.
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"A poignant portrait of a young man struggling with his identity and his future! This tale is a masterful study of cultural perceptions in a backdrop rich with ethnic diversity." -- Dr. Molly S. Kinney, Consultant for Children, Parents and Family Literacy, Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education, Office of Public Library Services
About the Author
Edward Fenton (1917-1995), the author of Duffy's Rocks, was born in New York City, but lived mainly in Italy and Greece. His writing included works for both children and adults, but his best known works are those for younger readers. Fenton translated two books by Aliki Zei, both of which won the Batchelder prize for translation. It is said that a friend of Fenton's from New York invited him to McKees Rocks for a family wedding , and from that visit and discussions about the friend's childhood, the story for Timothy Brennan developed. Although Fenton never lived in Pittsburgh, his understanding of the ethnic richness of the city is clear in his depiction of the Brennan family and their neighbors. In his approach to writing stories for younger readers, Fenton claimed that "Children hunger for plot. The recognition of this desire for a story is another way of saying that they require form. . . . They are absolutely logical and impossible to deceive. They know when the Emperor is wearing no more than his underdrawers."
Dr. Margaret Mary Kimmel is professor in the department of Library and Information Science where she teaches children's literature and courses related to the provision of information services to young people. With Mark Collins, Dr. Kimmel co-edited Mr. Rogers Neighborhood: Children Television and Fred Rogers, and For Reading Out Loud with Elizabeth Segal. Active in many professional associations, Dr. Kimmel is a member of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Board of Trustees. Kimmel received the Chancellor's Award for Distinguished Service in 1996.
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