Hero of Lesser Causes [Mass Market Paperback]

Julie Johnston (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1994 | Age Level: 10 and up

In 1946 twelve-year-old Keely is devastated when her older brother Patrick is paralyzed by polio, and she starts a campaign to reawaken his waning interest in life.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Johnston makes a rousing debut with this moving book, set in 1946, winner of the Governor General's Award for Children's Literature in Canada. Keely, age 12, and her spirited, slightly older brother Patrick are "Siamese twins joined at the mind." But a carefree summer in their Canadian town ends abruptly when Patrick contracts polio (presumably from swimming, despite warnings, in a particular pool). Frustrated by his near-total paralysis, the boy lashes out at family and friends, and castigates himself. Eager to bolster Patrick's morale, his sister enlists the help of best friend Ginny and Alex, a good-natured new neighbor. Although the story takes off slowly (a paragraph is spent on toasting bread), it accelerates into a spectacular novel, balancing coming-of-age angst with the grief from a sudden, devastating affliction. Keely, a captivating narrator, has moments of jocularity; after a showdown with an angry skunk, for example, she confides, "I knew I had reached the depths, the absolute Grand Canyon of embarrassment." Although the characters live in a more innocent time, they are easy to identify with, as is this story's espousal of hope and determination over self-pity and despair. Ages 10-14.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8?A resilient and adventurous girl worships her gifted older brother; when he is stricken with polio and loses interest in life, she commits herself to restoring his broken spirit. A story set in Canada in 1946 that pulses with emotion and determination.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (November 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140369988
• ISBN-13: 978-0140369984
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,025,687 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Happy Discovery, September 11, 2005

By 

Nadia (Oxfordshire, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hero of Lesser Causes (Library Binding)

Never having heard of the author before, I came across a copy of this book in our local library and took it out to read to my eleven-year old, visiting god-daughter. We had a good time reading and discussing it and considered it far above the average in present-day children's books. Although the author deals with serious and even tragic topics, she does so with great sensitivity and with humour. We rolled with laughter at some of the scenes. The serious side of things led to interesting discussions about life, and I appreciated Julie Johnston's courage in presenting such topics for children to consider, in a context which was not too difficult for them to digest. My god-daughter still likes to talk about the time we read this book and how much she enjoyed it.

Since then, I have read Adam and Eve and Pinch Me, by the same author, which I also enjoyed, but not as much as Hero of Lesser Causes.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Happy Discovery, September 11, 2005

By 

Nadia (Oxfordshire, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hero of Lesser Causes (Paperback)

I'm astonished that I'm the first to review this outstanding children's book! Never having heard of the author before, I came across a copy in our local library and took it out to read to my visiting god-daughter. We had a good time reading and discussing it and considered it far above the average in present-day children's books. Although the author deals with serious and even tragic topics, she does so with great sensitivity and with humour. We rolled with laughter at some of the scenes. The serious side of things led to interesting discussions about life, and I appreciated Julie Johnston's courage in presenting such topics for children to consider, in a context which was not too difficult for them to digest. My god-daughter still likes to talk about the time we read this book and how much she enjoyed it.

Since reading this book, I have read Adam and Eve and Pinch Me, which I also enjoyed, but not as much as Hero of Lesser Causes.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good, December 27, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: Hero of Lesser Causes (Mass Market Paperback)

This book was good because of the real life epidemic, Polio. It made you think and feel for Patrick. It had a good ending with the freind with the horse