Gentle's Holler (Maggie Valley Novels) (Paperback)

by Kerry Madden (Author) "From the high branch of our old red maple where I sit under a starry sky, I spy Mama in the bedroom tending to the..." (more)
Key Phrases: watermelon shoes, banjo hit, library truck, Uncle Hazard, Livy Two, Miss Attickson (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 6-8–A family story set in the North Carolina hills during the 1960s. With a father who chases a seemingly impossible dream and a homemaker mother who tries to compensate by multitasking, 12-year-old Livy Two wonders if she will ever get to see the world she's been introduced to via her schoolbooks and the bookmobile. She is distressed to learn that her 14-year-old brother plans to run away to find a job; her three-year-old sister, Gentle, is blind; another baby is on the way; and her cranky (although ultimately wise) grandmother is turning a visit into a long stay. Daily worry and struggle wear Livy down until she begins to express anger and frustration over the brother who has left (but does send money back home) and the librarian who at first cannot produce materials for Gentle. When an accident places her father in a coma, Livy begins to reconsider her feelings. Madden's characters are endearing, even when they are stubborn. The differing opinions that Livy's parents express display both normal friction and love. Grandma becomes the family's center of strength, and Uncle Hazard, the family dog, provides humor. Women in professional roles and references to the Civil Rights movement tie the story to national events. Livy's narration rings true and is wonderfully voiced, and Madden's message about the importance of forgiveness will be well received.–Cindy Darling Codell, formerly at Clark Middle School, Winchester, KY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist
Gr. 5-8. Livy Two, named for her deceased sister Olivia, is one of nine siblings living in the North Carolina mountains during the 1960s. With her head-in-the-clouds, banjo-playing father and an overworked, perpetually pregnant mother, Livy Two assumes many of the child-care and household responsibilities. Still, she has time to dream of future travels, a home of her own, and her own country-music hits. Her worry over blind little sister Gentle dampens her dreams, but she finds creative solutions with the family's minimal resources. In spite of the poverty and hardships, this is a family story that's full of love and delight. The parents have a visible, strong, working marriage, something often ignored in children's books. Their love and acceptance keep the children secure, even in their hunger, and gradually smoothes extended family members' rough edges. Taken individually, these characters are very human, but together they form a strong unit that will help readers understand what it means to be a family. Frances Bradburn
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (March 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0142407518
• ISBN-13: 978-0142407516
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #489,748 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Sweet and Gentle Story, March 28, 2007

By	Little Willow (USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Gentle's Holler (Hardcover)

In GENTLE'S HOLLER, Kerry Madden introduced young readers to Olivia (better known as Livy Two) Weems, a twelve-year-old with a passion for books and music. Livy has eight siblings of various ages and tempermants, a sweet mama, and a starry-eyed daddy. Money's tight - Daddy's music fills the heart and ears more than it fills the pocketbook - but the Weems make do, and their household is always bursting with family, love, and music. Livy Two also sings and plays music, often writing songs about the struggles her family has faced and the hardships they've overcome. The story is set in 1960s North Carolina, a beautiful backdrop for this artistic and energetic family.

As the tale progresses, Livy Two watches carefully over Gentle, the next-to-youngest one in the family, who has always had difficulty with her eyes. Meanwhile, the eldest son, Emmett, looks beyond the holler and fixes his eyes on Ghost Town in the Sky, a new place on the top of a mountain where he might be able to get a job. Livy Two's trips to the lending library truck connect her with another kind soul, Miss Attickson, who encourages Livy's voracious appetite for novels and poetry.

GENTLE'S HOLLER is the first in The Maggie Valley Trilogy. The second book, LOUISIANA'S SONG, is just as precious as the first book. I can't wait to read JESSIE'S MOUNTAIN, the final book in the trilogy. This series will be loved by kids and families who enjoyed the All-of-a-Kind Family books by Sidney Taylor, The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall, and Cheaper by the Dozen and Belles on Their Toes by Frank B. Gilbreth and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A young girl's struggles in the 1960s, June 25, 2006

By	Balanna "young adult lit. reader" (Takoma Park, MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gentle's Holler (Maggie Valley Novels) (Hardcover)

Livey 2 (named after her late sister whom she talks and prays to) struggles through life in North Carolina during the 1960's. She has lots of sisters and not much food for the whole family, so she's constantly hungry. But the biggest problem of all is that her younger sister, Gentle, is blind. This story about a musician, (Livey 2 plays the guitar), is not as sad as it sounds. It uses no bad language and is child appropriate. I thought the characters were realistic and the plot was very interesting.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you love Laura Ingles Wilder..., June 30, 2005

By	Mark Twain - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gentle's Holler (Maggie Valley Novels) (Hardcover)

We are big fans of "Offsides" [Kerry Madden's first novel], and have been anticipating the author's next book. Gentle's Holler delivers! It has earned its place on our shelves with other all-time favorites...the Little House books, Christy, Cheaper By The Dozen, A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, and etc.
The book reminded me of my childhood, that brief unique late 50's-early 60's window of Americana that I'd forgotten how precious it was until Gentle's Holler reminded me all over again. Even if you have never lived/visited the tucked-away corners of Appalachia where the book takes place, you will easily be transported there. A great book for readers of all ages, and great for families to enjoy together. Publisher wisely has released the book in time for summer vacations!