Finding Day's Bottom [Library Binding]

Candice F. Ransom (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6–After the death of her father in a sawmill accident, Jane-Ery, 11, passes through levels of grief so poignantly revealed that her voice sets a ragged emotional tone throughout. This tension, paired with a languorous pace, deepens the value of an authentically drawn backdrop that embodies stillness and reflection. The Virginia mountains are home and push Jane-Ery into a personal space where her memories prick her heart. They pour over her and then fade away, leaving an ache that she cannot escape. Her pain is balanced by her mothers contained grief and Grandpaps wisdom, kindness, and humor, characteristics reminiscent of her dad. Though her grandfathers folksy speech evokes her father, it both uplifts and uncovers the familys raw and slowly healing spirits. A novel full of insight and truth.–Nancy Call, Santa Cruz Public Libraries, Aptos, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

After Jane-Ery's father dies in a sawmill accident, her grandfather comes down from his mountain home to live with his daughter and granddaughter. Missing her daddy's songs, pet names, and just his presence in her life, Jane-Ery finds herself looking for him in the shadows of the woods around her home. Grandpap takes her to pick blackberries, explains why he talks to his bees, regales her with traditional stories, teaches her to weave baskets from pine needles, and tells her of a mysterious place called Day's Bottom. Jane-Ery says from the beginning, "He'd better not even try" to take her daddy's place, but Grandpap slowly makes his own place in the family and in her heart. Set in the mountains of Virginia in the 1950s, this affecting first-person novel is an involving story of loss, pain, healing, and family love. Told in Jane-Ery's quiet voice and sometimes-colorful local vocabulary, the narrative is inseparable from its well-realized setting, but the characters and emotions are universal. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Library Binding: 176 pages
• Publisher: Carolrhoda Books (November 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1575059339
• ISBN-13: 978-1575059334
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 6.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,183,595 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Candice Ransom (1952-) is the author of more than 100 books for children, including Tractor Day (Walker), Pony Island (Walker), Finding Day's Bottom (Carolrhoda), Seeing Sky-Blue Pink (Carolrhoda), Secret in the Tower (Wizards of the Coast), and Hello, Virginia! (Sterling). Ransom's books are often set in her native state of Virginia, where her family has lived since 1711. Honors and awards include starred reviews, IRA Teacher's Choice, IRA Children's Choice, Pick of the List, New York Public Library Best 100 Books, and Smithsonian Notable Book. Nearly 50 of her books have been translated into twelve languages. She has an MFA in writing from Vermont College and an MA in children's literature from Hollins University and teaches in Hollins University's graduate program in children's literature. Ransom lives with her husband in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Didn't want to move my bottom, October 19, 2006

By 

Lydia Griffin "Lydia Griffin" (Colorado) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Finding Day's Bottom (Library Binding)

Ransom has an incredible gift for telling a story from the perspective of a child. When I finished the book, I wanted to start all over again, as I know I missed some great detail and tidbits. Finding Day's Bottom is the type of book that you can read again and again and always find something new and interesting. Completely unfamiliar with the South, I loved the description, captivating dialogue, and unfamiliar speech. I recommend it highly!

5.0 out of 5 stars Heartfelt Tale of Loss and Recovery, September 30, 2006

By 

Anna C. Morrison "annamorrison" (Southern California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Finding Day's Bottom (Library Binding)

I loved the relationships between the characters, and the nuances which carried them along. The dialogue was just right, the grandfather was a hoot, and now I know what a ramp is, but I don't want to eat one. I read this in two sittings. I didn't want to put it down. I was right there with her as she picked out her fabric and I felt the mother's pain at the extra expense. This is a lovely tale of family and of growing up, learning how to deal with the loss of those closest to you.