While spending the summer before seventh grade with his aunt, Willy Wilson finds his first friends ever in the colorful characters who all love the neighborhood park owned by an eccentric old man.
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Book Description
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Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Grade 4-7-Willy Wilson's whole life changes when his recently widowed Aunt Bridget, a somewhat unconventional costume designer, invites her timid, sheltered nephew to spend his summer vacation with her. Everything in Gloria is different, and, most surprisingly, Willy finds that he is different, too. His aunt thinks he's funny, he makes friends easily, and he even plays a decent game of baseball. While Aunt Bridget sews 30 gorilla suits, Willy plays ball in Gill Park and gets to know the colorful characters who live in and around it. When Otto Pettingill, its eccentric owner, unwittingly agrees to sell the park to a mall developer and allows his orphaned charge, Willy's new friend Liesl, to be adopted by an unsuitable couple, the two children save the park and her future. By September, the seventh grader is richer in ways he never imagined, and he and Gill Park are forever connected. The protagonist's first-person narration is both humorous and insightful, enabling readers to experience his exciting summer firsthand. An action-filled bildungsroman with quirky, unforgettable characters.
Barbara Auerbach, New York City Public Schools
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Barbara Auerbach, New York City Public Schools
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 4-7. When his eccentric, widowed Aunt Bridget invites him for a summer visit, Willie thinks she feels sorry for him--"an only child with busy parents, not so many friends, not so good at things." At first, Willie is awkward and shy, but he's delighted by Aunt Bridget's apartment, which is as wacky and lovable as his aunt. A nearby park reveals more eccentric characters, including the park's owner, a musician who plays music over park speakers, and a sour, young orphan, who befriends Willie. Adventures in baseball and music give way to a wild caper to save the park from greedy developers as Willie discovers, to his great surprise, that he's talented, kind, intelligent, athletic, and capable. Gordon successfully weaves several unusual plot threads into a suspenseful, winning story that combines delicious words, clever dialogue, and endearing characters. Middle-graders will cheer for Willie and his friends as they triumph over bullies old and young and find joy in their own creative pursuits. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic book,
A Kid's Review
This review is from: The Gorillas of Gill Park (Hardcover)
I picked up this book not expecting to finish it due to the fact that I never have the time to read. I soon found myself caught among the memorable characters and the storyline. I could not put this book down!
From Willy first going around Gill Park to the teary ending.... this book is fantastic!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fun in the park,
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This review is from: The Gorillas of Gill Park (Hardcover)
I liked this book so much! Once I started reading it, I did not want to stop.
Willy Wilson does not seem to fit in with his family. He feels like he never lives up to his parents expectations. When he is offered the chance to spend the summer with his interesting and fun Aunt Bridget he jumps at the chance. Aunt Bridget is sewing an order of 30 gorilla costumes and recovering from the death of her husband. Willy settles in to life in her apartment which is across the street from Gill Park. Music is an underlying theme to his stay and the book. Music plays continuously in Gill Park and the different styles become the rhythm of his life. One day the music suddenly stops and the news spreads that the eccentric owner, Otto Pettingill is going to sell the park to shopping mall developers. The book has a great cast of characters who are determined to save the park. Willy grows and gains confidence in the events that follow. Baseball games, an elevator to a tree house, gorilla masks, a wild girl, violins--this is a very unique story line with an upbeat message about the difference individuals can make in their community.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Go, Gorillas!,
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This review is from: The Gorillas of Gill Park (Hardcover)
The spirit of Pippi Longstocking, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle and Momo live in the Amy Gordon's Gorillas of Gill Park. The people who inhabit Gill Park exhibit spunk and zest. When Willie visits his Aunt Bridget,the feelings he brings with him (of exclusion, being different, and not quite good enough) become secondary to the need to save Gill Park and help Liesl. This is a story in which the wit and resourcefulness of the characters, not magic, save the day. Drawings by Matt Cordell perfectly capture the whimsical tone of the writing as well as the characters depicted in the story.
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