Falling In [Hardcover]

Frances O'Roark Dowell (Author)

Book Description

B z z z z z z z

The buzzing sound?

Do you hear that?

There it is again.

B z z z z z z z

No? Well, I really shouldn't have asked. Most people can't hear it, anyway. But, if you could, you'd think it sounds like you're teetering on the edge of the universe. That's what Isabelle Bean thinks...and she's not that far from the truth.

B z z z z z z z

You really don't hear that?

Well, it's actually not that great to have a buzzing in your ear. It's distracting for one thing. And when Isabelle starts listening to the buzz instead of, say, her boring teacher, strange things happen. She gets sent to the principal's office (that's not so strange), but then while awaiting her punishment, she tumbles into an adventure—into another world that's a little bit different, a little bit Hansel & Gretel-y, a little bit like a fairy tale, which would be great, but...did I mention that Isabelle is an unusual dresser? When she shows up in fairy-tale land wearing her favorite high, pointy boots, the fairy-tale people start thinking that Isabelle is a witch -- and not just any witch, but the witch!

From Edgar Award-winning author Frances O'Roark Dowell comes the unlikely story of Isabelle Bean—an ultimate misfit, an outsider extraordinaire, and not a witch!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3–6—Isabelle Bean has no friends since her classmates consider her weird and even scary. She prefers thrift shops to the mall and dresses in whatever she feels like at the moment. One day, sitting in class concentrating on a strange buzzing sound, she is sent to the principal's office for not paying attention. She opens the door to a supply closet and is plunged into a fairy-talelike world in an alternate universe. She encounters children traveling to the "camps" to avoid being eaten by the Witch of the Woods and meets Hen, and they set out on their own in the opposite direction. Arriving at a cozy cottage, the girls are welcomed by Grete, an elderly woman who uses plants to heal. Isabelle learns that Grete is her grandmother and that she may be the "witch" the people have been taught to fear. Armed with only her determination and intuitive nature, Isabelle marches off to the camps to dispel the rumor of the witch. It is here the plot thickens as Dowell offers twists, turns, and a tragic near-death. Throughout the book she addresses readers directly as though she is telling the story to them. Isabelle's adventures come to a satisfying conclusion as she "falls out" of her school closet a little wiser and maybe a bit more likely to make a friend, and she reminds readers to just believe that "the doors are out there. Don't be afraid to turn the knob."—D. Maria LaRocco, Cuyahoga Public Library, Strongsville, OH
(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Feeling like a changeling in her own world, sixth-grader Isabelle Bean falls into another, where she meets her healer grandmother, Grete, and corrects a misunderstanding that had terrorized generations of children. Although it uses traditional tropes and the faintly medieval setting of much of children’s fantasy, this perfectly paced story has enough realistic elements to appeal even to nonfantasy readers. The plot centers on Isabelle’s efforts to convince the other world’s children that her grandmother is not a wicked witch. This task is complicated but ultimately accomplished by Grete’s accidental poisoning at the hands of a small boy. The storyteller’s voice is evidenced by the opening line (“On the morning this story begins”) and occasionally interrupts the narrative with explanation and rumination. The decidedly opinionated narrator’s privileged stance lends a sense of directness and immediacy to the telling, and the adult perspective allows for more complex language and deeper understanding. Dreamy and distractible, Isabelle is an appealing protagonist whose newfound gift for hearing calls for help reflects how she has grown up enough to see beyond herself. Like Isabelle, her story has that “barely visible edge of otherworldliness” that gives it power. Grades 4-7. --Kathleen Isaacs

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (March 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 141695032X
• ISBN-13: 978-1416950325
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #576,552 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Frances O'Roark Dowell is the bestselling and critically acclaimed author of Dovey Coe, which won the Edgar Award, Where I'd Like to Be, the bestselling The Secret Language of Girls, and its sequel The Kind of Friends We Used to Be, Chicken Boy, Shooting the Moon, which was awarded the Christopher Medal, and most recently Falling In. She lives with her husband and two sons in Durham, North Carolina.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Enchanting Introductory Fantasy for Younger Readers, April 6, 2010

By 

Silmarwen (Huntington Beach, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Falling In (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

Isabelle Bean never quite fit in at school or at home or anywhere really. So she is not a bit surprised to find another world on the other side of the nurse's closet door at school and she eagerly steps in. The children Isabelle meets in the other world presume that she is a witch and want nothing to do with her. After convincing the children that red, pointy boots do not a witch make, Isabelle is instructed to retreat to the children's camp in the woods so that the witch won't find her and eat her. But Isabelle doesn't always do what is sensible or even what she is safest. She decides that it would be much more interesting to meet a witch in this new world and promptly heads off in that direction. Along the way, she befriends Hen, a clever young girl about her own age, and Grete, a wise, old herb woman who is both more and less than she seems...

This is a charming little book intended for readers ages 8 - 12. I think that it is a good, gentle introduction to fantasy books if your child is interested in reading that genre. The story is fairly simple and easy to follow, but while the "mystery" is really no surprise for older readers, younger readers will delight in trying to figure out who Isabelle really is and if Grete is really a witch. The type is fairly large and the pages a bit smaller than usual so young readers will make rapid progress and should finish the book pretty quickly.

The writing style was my favorite part of the book. It is written in a confidential, story-telling mode that experienced actors and performers use to engage their audience. However, I will say that one of the things I both enjoyed and did not like about the writing style were the random asides inserted by the author. You will be reading along the story and then all of a sudden be jolted out for an explanation of what a changeling is or to discuss the holes in modern education. These little interruptions are entertaining and may even be useful for those less familiar with fantasy books, but I did not think that they were placed very well sometimes as I thought they disrupted the pace of the story. The characterization and descriptions were really well done, however. I liked Isabelle right away and thought it was wonderful that this book is based around a quirky, offbeat young girl who knows that she is different, but is okay with it. Her thoughts and rationales for doing things are really hilarious! Hen and Grete are also interesting to get to know and help you realize that not everyone is who or what they seem and that sometimes stories have a way of taking on a life of their own.

I recommend this book for young readers, but I especially recommend it to those parents or teachers who are looking for a fun book to read out loud. There is a lot of personality in this book and many opportunities to unleash your inner performer as you relay these words to your audience. I would love to hear this in audiobook format or to have the chance to read it to some young children as I think that the book is written in a style that is like an old-fashioned bard performing a story. This is a fun, cute read that young girls will particularly enjoy, but young boys should find entertaining as well.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Educate your imagination!, March 30, 2010

By 

J. Prather (IN USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Falling In (Hardcover)

The narrarator of Falling In bemoans the public school systems for not educating the imaginations of children - here is a big step to fixing that problem! I am a big fan of this author, so I come into this with a bit of a bias, in that I was very excited to hear she had turned her attention to the fantasy realm. Not since Alice fell in that rabbit hole has there been such a charming story of a discovery of an alternative world. Our main character, Isabelle Bean is a bit different, with just "a silver strand of otherworldliness barely visible along her spine" that sets her apart from her fellow sixth graders. When she falls through a door in the nurses office and winds up in another land, she gamely sets off in search of a witch that has been terrorizing the population's children. Why would she set off after the witch? Because witches aren't dull, of course and Isabelle is surrounded by dull all the time.

There are many lighthearted moments in this story, but not all is light and dreamy. Isabelle finds herself facing illness and death. So, be prepared for some adventure! I loved this story and feel very heartened that people are still writing such imaginative tales that pay tribute to the classic fairy tales of old. This is perfect for fourth through sixth graders and maybe even a third grader or two if they have a stout heart and a big vocabulary!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Before You Turn That Door Knob..., April 17, 2010

By 

C. Maynard (Saline, MI United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Falling In (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

Something could be on the otherside of that door. Perhaps another world? This is the setting to "Falling In" by Frances O'Roark Dowell. This book was overall inventive; I found that I didn't always know where the author was going with the story, and I like that.

Isabelle Bean is a misfit in her life. She thinks about things differently from the average kid. She ends up having an adventure that explains why she is so different. Or, was it all real? It is kind of similiar to Alice in Wonderland in the sense it leaves you wondering if the author intended the story to be real or not.

I really enjoyed the author's style of writing. She speaks to the reader in a confidential way. It was refreshing. Overall, the book itself is well-written. Nowadays, we get some great storylines, but the quality of writing isn't very good. Not so here. She demonstrates an ability to actually "write" in the true sense of the word. The book is written for ages 8-12. I think boys may like the story as well (or at least read it in secret).