Gentle's Holler (Maggie Valley Novels) [Hardcover]

Kerry Madden (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up | Series: Maggie Valley Novels

The sixties may have come to other parts of North Carolina, but with Mama pregnant again, Daddy struggling to find work, and nine siblings underfoot, nobody in the holler has much time for modern-day notions. Especially not twelve-year-old Livy Two, aspiring songwriter and self-appointed guardian of little sister Gentle, whose eyes "don't work so good yet." Even after a doctor confirms her fears, Livy Two is determined to make the best of Gentle's situation and sets out to transform the family's scrappy dachshund into a genuine Seeing-Eye dog. But when tragedy strikes, can Livy Two continue to stay strong for her family?

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.

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

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Viking Juvenile (March 3, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670059986
• ISBN-13: 978-0670059980
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,769,637 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dear Kids,
I write books and teach writing workshops to kids of all ages. My first novel, OFFSIDES, was called "A Great Santini" from the girl's point of view and selected by the New York Public Library as one of the Ten Recommended Books of 1997 for Mature Teens. My dream is for it to find a second life someday. It's been out of print for many a year now.

My second (published) book, WRITING SMARTS: A Girl's Guide to Writing Great Poetry, Stories, School Reports, and More! (published by American Girl Library, 2002) hopefully helps kids craft their own stories and poetry. I love using it when I teach writing workshops and get kids to write about their favorite secret places.

My debut children's novel, GENTLE'S HOLLER, was included in the "100 BOOKS FOR READING AND SHARING" by the New York Public Library in 2005. The Chicago Public Library also selected GENTLE'S HOLLER for its 2006 Best of the Best Bibliography. GENTLE'S HOLLER received a SIBA Nomination for Favorite Children's Books of 2005. I loved writing GENTLE because I got to go to the Smoky Mountains in my head and play lots of mountain music.

GENTLE'S HOLLER (Starred Kirkus and PW review) is the story of a young girl from the Great Smoky Mountains, coming to terms with life in a large family and her desire to create her own adventures beyond the holler.

My next Maggie Valley book, LOUISIANA'S SONG has just been published this spring, 2007, and JESSIE'S MOUNTAIN will be published in 2008. Right now, it's a Smoky Mountain trilogy.

GENTLE'S HOLLER has just been released by Recorded Books this spring, read by Kate Forbes.

So that's about it...I post kids' stories and poems on my blog.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 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

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:

5.0 out of 5 stars Introduction to the Weems family is a great read!, April 27, 2008

By 

Iris Gardener (Western NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gentle's Holler (Maggie Valley Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

Gentle's Holler was my introduction to the Weems family. Totally enjoyable! Although the book is listed under youth fiction, I (well past youth) found the book absolutely delightful.

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.