A House by the River [Library Binding]

William Miller (Author), Cornelius Van Wright (Illustrator), Ying-Hwa Hu (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up

Belinda hates her house by the river, and as a terrible storm approaches, she wishes that she and her mother lived in town, safe from the rising waters, until she begins to understand that her house is fortified by family and loving memories.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2. Belinda wants to live in town in one of the houses on the hill. She is afraid of the floods that threaten her small house on the river every spring. Her mother's insistence that their home is special makes no impression on the child, until a terrible storm forces them to spend the day together inside. Wrapped up in a blanket by the fire, Belinda hears the story of how hard her parents worked to buy the house and how her father placed her tiny hand against the window the night she was born. The reminiscences make Belinda feel her father's presence, even though he died shortly after her birth. A gentle climax shows mother and daughter pressing their hands on the window, telling the storm to "blow on," and feeling the house fight back against powerful winds. Watercolor illustrations portray the loving relationship between this African-American mother and child, as well as Belinda's fears. Independent readers are unlikely to appreciated the subtle story line, but the dramatic pictures and haunting text make this book a warm family story for sharing and discussing, especially on a stormy night.?Jackie Hechtkopf, Talent House School, Fairfax, VA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 5^-7. Belinda watches a storm approach and dreads the heavy rains that could flood the river by their lowland home. Hating the house and fearful for her safety, she is reassured only when her mother returns from town and shares her happiest memories of their home: the night she and Belinda's father moved in and the night Belinda was born there. Gradually the girl begins to see the house as a safe haven, her protector from the storm. Children will empathize with her initial fears as well as with her sense of belonging as she begins to feel the solidity of her home and her family. Words and pictures alike depict this single-parent, African American household with warmth and dignity. The watercolor artwork varies in style, from realistically (and sometimes idealistically) rendered faces to landscapes so impressionistic that they border on the abstract. The memorable jacket art poses Belinda in a wind-whipped yellow rain cape, standing in front of her house beneath the dark, stormy sky. A convincing story of a child buffeted by fears but finding safe harbor within her family. Carolyn Phelan

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Library Binding: 32 pages
• Publisher: Lee & Low Books (April 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1880000482
• ISBN-13: 978-1880000489
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #755,987 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 Great Story about a Flood, March 28, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: A House by the River (Library Binding)

I read this book for one of my classes at school. I really enjoyed reading the book, because the area I live in has floods at least once a year. After I read the book to my students, it really hit home to them. Most of them has gone through what the girl and her mother has gone through.