When his grandmother dies, 15-year-old JP's family is set adrift. His mother starts acting like a teenager, leaving JP to care for his mentally challenged father. Then she wins an old farmhouse in an essay contest, insists that the three of them move there-and, because she wants to "share her luck," invites some of the neighborhood outcasts to live there, too. There's Larry, whose parents discount his art; Bobbi, abused by her father; and the various poets, painters, and artists who are drawn to JP's mother and her vision. It's a vision JP doesn't see nor share-and, lost in the chaos of his new household, he doesn't know who he is anymore, or if he matters to either of his parents. This eagerly awaited novel by the author of the National Book Award winner Dancing on the Edge will capture readers-and show them a new way to look at family.
"In addition to a supporting cast as compelling and offbeat as the main characters, the author delivers a profound and heartwarming message about the various manifestations of love." -Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Rarely does a novel of this depth and complexity bear the moniker YA . . . Readers will be reluctant to have the book end." -Booklist, starred review
"Readers will applaud JP as he gains tolerance for the complications of family life with all of its imperfections and inexplicable tangle of emotions." -School Library Journal, starred review.
Life at James Patrick's house is a party that never ends--and he hates it. Grandma Mary was the caring matriarch who previously had held his small family together in a haven of comfort and order, a safe place where no one ever had to grow up. But now that she has died, Mam, his childlike and formerly introverted mother, has become enraptured in newfound self-discovery. After entering a contest and winning a country house, she invites a crowd of young wannabe poets, musicians, and lost souls to move in. All-night fun-a-thons, piano and guitar music, readings, arguments, and cookouts in the snow ensue. "Isn't this so fun?" says Dear Pap, JP's sweet-natured but "mentally challenged" father, as he surveys the scene from the roof (where he hangs out next to life-size Nativity figures). Mam's happy dream of "a face at every window" has come true. But JP wants stasis and order. He's miserable with these people he considers pretentious lunatics in his kitchen, his bedroom, his closet, and he wants his parents back for himself. Even worse, Mam is getting far too cozy with her arrogant friend Dr. Mike, and when she returns from a trip pregnant JP finds it impossible to face her.
Han Nolan, winner of the 1997 National Book Award for Dancing on the Edge, creates complex characters and an outlandish household in this richly textured novel about a young man learning lessons of life, love, and acceptance. (Ages 12 and older) --Patty Campbell--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly
In this sometimes outlandish, often poignant exploration of a chaotic household, Nolan (Dancing on the Edge) delectably takes the notion of "nontraditional family" to extremes. The novel opens when narrator James Patrick (JP) has just lost his grandmother. The son of a fragile mother and mentally disabled father, JP begins to realize just how much his grandmother held them together. When his childlike mother attempts to take charge, she moves them to a rambling old farmhouse that she wins in a contest for invoking a Harpo Marx quote ("When she came home from work each day she wanted to see 'a face in every window' "). JP becomes increasingly distressed as his mother invites an odd assortment of outcasts, artists and musicians to live with them. Nolan takes readers on an emotional roller-coaster ride right along with JP, who initially holes up in his room, trying to distance himself from the unwelcome visitors, then opens his door and heart little by little as he begins to accept his new role in an ever-changing family. In addition to a supporting cast as compelling and offbeat as the main characters, the author delivers a profound and heartwarming message about the various manifestations of love. Ages 12-up. (Oct.) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
I was born in Birmingham, Alabama. When I was 9 months old my family moved to New York where I spent most of my childhood and teen years. When I was a toddler, I had white blond hair that stood straight up on my head. My family called me "Hoot" back then because that and my big eyes made me look like an owl. I couldn't pronounce my first and middle names, which were Helen Harris, so I said "Hannah Hollis". My family shortened this to a variety of nicknames: Hahn, Han Holl, Han, Hannie, and Hannie Bucket, which my husband later shortened to Hannie B. The neighborhood kids also called me Hahn. It is now pronounced, Han, and it rhymes with man.
I was very active as a child--I loved to jump on beds, do somersaults, handstands and flips on and off of sofas, climb trees and do different tricks on the monkey bars at the playground. I also liked my own thoughts best. In kindergarten, I paid no attention to my teacher. She told my mother that she thought I had a hearing problem. My parents had my hearing tested. My ears were fine. When my mother told me what the teacher had said I replied that I heard my teacher all right, it's just that she kept interrupting all my good thoughts!
I've loved stories for as long as I can remember. One of my favorite memories is of my father telling me bedtime stories, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, B'rer Rabbit, and stories from the Bible such as my favorite, Joseph and his Coat of Many Colors. I loved to make up my own stories too. I didn't write them down until I was a little older, but I sure loved to make them up.
One of my favorites books as a child was "Harriet the Spy". I wanted to be a spy, so I started spying on my family, especially my older sister. It turned out I was a terrible spy because I kept getting caught, but I kept a spy notebook, just like Harriet. I quickly gave up on the spying, but writing thoughts and stories in a notebook has been a habit for me ever since.
When I was ten, I saw the movie "The Sound of Music" and I fell in love with it. Back then if you wanted to see a movie more than once you had to go to the theater. We didn't have videos. I only saw it once but I had the record album with all the music on it and I learned every word of it. I made up dances to go with it and gave a performance for my family. My brothers and sisters laughed at me. My parents and grandmother applauded and told me I was wonderful. For years after seeing that movie I would lie awake nights remembering the story of the Sound Of Music and making up my own stories to go with it. Lying awake nights making up stories instead of sleeping is a habit I still have, as my husband can tell you.
My elementary school years were tough--I hated school. I wanted to be at home with my mother. I used to feel sick to my stomach every morning and my mother would let me stay home sometimes. We moved to Kentucky when I was in the fifth grade. I stayed home a lot that year and I missed so much school I had to repeat the grade to make up all the work I had missed. After that I didn't get sick to my stomach anymore.
I didn't do well in school until the sixth grade. That's the year I was given my first creative writing assignment. I had been writing stories at home for years and of course keeping a journal filled with more stories and poems and all those important thoughts I had. My homeroom/English teacher was very impressed by my writing and this made me feel smart. I decided to do well in school after that, and I did. But what if that teacher hadn't encouraged me?
When I was 13, my mother enrolled me in dance class. At first I felt like a big oaf--all the other kids were younger, or had been taking dance lessons for years, so I was behind. But I loved it, and I began to work at it all the time: stretching so I could do splits and high kicks and dancing around the house to music. Two years later I was invited to join the special master classes for the best students. All that hard work had paid off.
I loved dance--I continued lessons into high school, and then went to college and graduate school as a dance major. I went to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro as an undergraduate, and went to Ohio State for my Masters degree.
So how did I end up as a writer?
I got married after Grad school and I soon realized that my dancing took up too much of the wrong time. When my husband was at work I was at home, and when he was home I was dancing. I didn't like that at all, even though my husband took a beginning ballet class just so he could spend time with me. I left dance and I decided to return to my first love, writing. Soon after that we adopted three children and I knew for sure that staying home and writing instead of dancing was the best decision for me.
As an adult I still love to spend time with my family and friends, and I love to read, run, hike, bike, swim, go to plays and concerts, travel, and of course, write.
I picked up Dancing on the Edge awhile back and found the sort of sci-fi tie in weird. I heard this book was good, so I picked it up, having a school book report done soon. I finished it in two days, because I could never put it down. You wrapped up in the story of J.P. and his odd family. You can't help knowing how he feels at some times. When J.P.'s grandmother dies, his family falls apart. His mother starts seeing a doctor a lot and his mentally retarded father has found a new fetish of staying on the roof with an illuminnated Nativity set.His mother wins a contest where the prize is a farmhouse in New Hope. They fill their house with people, a girl with an abusive father, an abonded kid named Larry and all his poetry friends. This story really hits home. I promise you'll love it. Even if the cover looks bizarre, you'll pick up what all the things represent while reading it. Trust me, this story is amazingly well written and you won't regret it!
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This book is really well written. It's mainly about a teenager named James-Patrick and the problems he faces in his everyday life after his grandmother, who held the family together, died. His father is mentally retarded. They move into a large house after his grandmother dies, and his mother invites "weird" people (according to JP) to come live with the family. JP can't stand the chaos in the house with all the people there. Especially since he's a really good student, and his goal is to be the Valdictorian of his high school class. Over time his relationships with these people improve. This book was really good. It touched on things that many teenagers face in everyday life. This kind of stuff happens to everyone, and not just when a relative or close friend dies. Personally, I've felt like this a lot in life, just because I want order, like JP. This book shows that just because people are different, we can't alienate them. They're people too, and they deserve respect. I'll definitely end up reading this book again.
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i love this book. first it makes u cry then laugh but pity jp for his father who is a misphit . his dad climbs on the roof and screams yer not me mum when jp tries to get him off the roof. this book is out despite the first persons review.
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