Customer Reviews

The Gypsies Never Came

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Augie, the hero of this beautifully written book, is unusual in many ways. He suffers from a physical handicap and a yearning for the father he has never known. When a wonderfully eccentric girl comes to town, she changes his life. At first Lydie Rose is a thorn in Augie's side as she encourages him to celebrate the fact that he is different from other kids. While he slowly comes to believe that the "gypsies" will come for him, the reader is drawn into his world, a realistic small town. I gave this book to my young brother because I recall reading another of the author's books when I was his age. That book was funny. This book is funny too, some of the time. But it is much more than that. It is a story that stays with you, filled with interesting characters. My brother insisted that I read it myself and I enjoyed it as much as he did

As a 50 year-old, I don't usually read books for people in this age bracket, but since I bought "The Gypsies Never Came" for the 12-year old daughter of a friend I thought I'd better look through it before I gave it to the girl. I read the first few pages and sat in my chair for the next hour-and-a-half, following Augie through a certain spring when he came to grips with so much of his life. Mr. Roos has an ability to summon the psyche of a child with such accuracy that I was often stunned to recall having felt the same way Augie feels. I heartily recommend this book to anyone looking for something that is entertaining and THEN thought provoking.

A good story about a boy whose life is hard because he is different. He has a bad hand and he is picked-on by school bullies and suddenly he meets a strange new girl in school. She makes his life even harder until he understands what she is talking about when she tells him that his difference are to be honored not hidden as he hides his deformed hand. The story takes place in an unusual very realistic setting. It seems real. The people in it are interesting and alive. Augie is a boy you have to love. And Lydie Rose is scarey and magic at the same time.

I'm a retired 5th. and 6th. grade teacher, and I would have loved to use this novel in my classroom. It could be used either as a whole classroom novel or a read aloud book because it offers a lot of area for discussion and has a subtle and sensitive approach to disability. It is also unpredictable. I did Not expect the story line to go the way it does, and I'm very familiar with children's books for this age level. This is right up there with Betsy Byers's Pinballs.

"THE GYPSIES NEVER CAME is an insightful, touching account of a teenage boy's coming to terms with his physical disability and the deeper, unseen loss of his father. Stephen Roos tells this story with an abundance of wit, humor and audacity, brilliantly exploring the many ways that Augie masks his pain. Roos writes in a terse, masterful style that makes this story even more real and touching. What a lovely read this brilliant novel will make for any teenager and for any parent who is trying to understand one."

And also thought-provoking, too. Yes, the story is heart-felt. Wonderfully so. But it also makes you laugh (out loud!) and it makes you think too. It's about time stories for middle-graders got their brains back, isn't it?

Reminiscent of Wringer and Holes (two recent Newbery Awards) this one has a nice ending that would make it a good readaloud in Middle School where fitting in and being just the same as everybody else is of paramount importance. The two main characters are finely drawn, funny and engaging, kids will find them a bit mythic (good) as well. If you've read Jerry Spinelli's STARGIRL, this one will link to it nicely. It's about entelechy, that fine art of knowing what you'll grow up into--how an acorn knows to grow into an oak tree and not a petunia. It's about compassion, courage, friendship and eccentricity and (gasp) nobody gets tattoed, pierced, drunk, drugged or even in trouble! Yikes, what is the world coming to?

but I teach 9th graders and I'm not its intended audience. This too spare book I found ultimately uninvolving. Augie's troubles left me flat. Lydie Rose would have been the main character in a high school book and the hinted at fantasy would have been more blatant.

Stephen Roos' Gypsies Never Came tells of a small town, a kid with a deformed hand, and a collection of secrets which eventually involves Augie the secret-keeper himself. A fine story evolves of close-knit secrets, insecurities, and the power of friendships.