The Face on the Milk Carton [Hardcover]

Caroline B. Cooney (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 13, 1996

No one ever really paid close attention to the faces of the missing children on the milk cartons. But as Janie Johnson glanced at the face of the ordinary little girl with her hair in tight pigtails, wearing a dress with a narrow white collar--a three-year-old who had been kidnapped twelve years before from a shopping mall in New Jersey--she felt overcome with shock. She recognized that little girl--it was she. How could it possibly be true?

Janie can't believe that her loving parents kidnapped her, but as she begins to piece things together, nothing makes sense. Something is terribly wrong. Are Mr. and Mrs. Johnson really Janie's parents? And if not, who is Janie Johnson, and what really happened?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A milk carton portrait causes a 15-year-old girl to question her true identity; citing the novel's "strong characterizations and suspenseful, impeccably paced action," PW added, "The roller-coaster ride Jane experiences with her emotions is both absorbing and convincing." Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 7-10-Alyssa Bresnahan brings to life the character of 15-year-old Janie Johnson, a teenager whose typical angst is compounded when she discovers her picture on a milk carton as a missing child. Searching for the truth behind the kidnapping consumes Janie as she tries to maintain the balance between the craziness of her discovery and the teenage world of school, dates, and friends. Bresnahan deftly portrays each character, creating a unique voice for each. The sense of terror that develops in Janie is exhibited by the rising tension in the narrator's voice. Read equally well is the part of Janie's parents-their voices changing during the course of the story from professional and upbeat to wary and defeated. The progression of the characters complements the piece nicely. While the pace of the recording remains steady, it is slightly too slow and tedious at times to accompany this suspenseful tale. However, this does not outweigh the value of Caroline B. Cooney's excellent story (BDD, 1996) which has been a favorite read for young teenagers, an IRA-CBC Children's Choice Book, and the subject of a television special. The popularity of the book will cause this recording to leap off the shelves.
Diana Baker Freeman, Hardin-Simmons University, Abilene, TX
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (April 13, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 038532328X
• ISBN-13: 978-0385323284
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 0.9 x 8.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (637 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #261,302 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! August 10, 2000

A Kid's Review

Format:Mass Market Paperback

The Face on the Milk Carton is one of the best books I've read, and I read a lot! The plot starts right away when 15 year old Janie picks up a milk carton and glances at a "missing" ad of a little girl. No big deal... until she recognizes the picture. It is herself, years before. Janie and her boyfriend, Reeve, try to get to the bottom of the complicated story. She can't imagine her kind parents being kidnappers... but who else could it be? What happened? The plot of this book was very creative and exciting, and I couldn't put it down! I recommended it to all of my friends, because it has it all - romance, mystery, drama... And they all loved it! I would recommend this book for everyone ages 12 and up! Also, if you liked this, be sure to read the sequels, Whatever Happened to Janie?, The Voice on the Radio, and What Janie Found.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Clooney March 30, 2000

By Megan Christman

Format:Mass Market Paperback

I gave The Face On The Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney four stars. I'm not an avid reader, but when I picked this book up I couldn't put it down. It had a believable, tension filled plot with action and suspense. In the book Janie Johnson, recognizing her own three year old, two inch face on her milk carton, starts an emotional trip that takes her from her high school lunch room to the truth about her identity. Janie unravels the mystery of her birth. She tries and succeeds in finding out if her parents are her real parents or if she was kidnapped ten years ago as a young child. The only reason I didn't give this book five stars is because it kept jumping around, getting off the subject it was trying to explain, then coming back to it a couple pages later. I really liked The Face on the Milk Carton and I would recommend it to any teenager or adult.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book to introduce readers to a new author September 21, 2003

By Willow

Format:Mass Market Paperback

After seeing the made for TV movie based on The Face on the Milk Carton, I knew the book would be great. I had heard of Caroline B Cooney before, but never read any of her books, and decided to give her a try.

Janie Johnson thinks her name is boring, her life too generic, and wants an adventure, she wants to be someone else. As she sits in school and actually plans another life for herself, she knows it will never come true. But then, when her friends are all sitting around drinking milk from the school cafeteria, Janie can't believe her eyes. The picture of the missing child placed on the carton is herself. She remembers how she had her hair in pigtails, the dress she was wearing, everything.

Janie is taken on an emotional rollercoaster ride, not trusting her mom and dad anymore, not telling her best friend (oddly named Sarah-Charlotte), and at the same time fighting romantic feelings towards her friend - and neighbor - Reeve. Throughout the book Janie confronts her fears, aquires Reeve as more than a friend, and finds out what happened when she was three years old - and whisked away from her home and family, to a new, loving group of people.

This book is awesome, and I can't wait to read the next in the series, but this is definately not a book for kids under age 12. There is much talk aboud underaged, unmarried sex, and plenty of creepy - possibly frightening - nightmares that Janie suffers from.

Overall grade - A