John and the fiddler [Hardcover]

Patricia Foley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1990 | Age Level: 8 and up

A young boy befriends an old violin maker who teaches him the beauty of music and friendship.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5-- When John's mother sends him to Mr. MacLoegaire's woodworking shop to have her old rocker repaired, a friendship is born between the boy and the old man. They both love music; when Mr. MacLoegaire is not mending furniture, he makes violins. To John's great pleasure, Mr. MacLoegaire teaches him to play a small teardrop fiddle, and the two friends spend many hours playing together during the turning and the falling of the year. But in December, the old man becomes ill, and John begins to feel "sure that he will never see Mr. MacLoegaire again, even if the grownups couldn't quite bring themselves to say so." On Christmas day, John unceremoniously learns the truth from his Aunt Rin, who has also befriended the old man. But Aunt Rin brings something Mr. MacLoegaire has left for John--his very own violin. Time and place are not explicitly stated, but the atmosphere is that of a New England village a couple of generations ago. Sewall's pen-and-wash drawings, such an integral part of the book, seem to bear that out. The people, like the land that produced them, are spare, not given to expressing deep emotions easily. The difficulty John's family has in telling him of his friend's death may jar some readers. Others will welcome Foley's first book for its convincing portrayal of a friendship between a boy and an elderly man. --Ann Stell, The Smithtown Library, NY
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 63 pages
• Publisher: Harper & Row; 1st edition (1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006021841X
• ISBN-13: 978-0060218416
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,040,458 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars John and the Fiddler, January 19, 2009

By 

D. Benka "Dan" (VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: John and the fiddler (Hardcover)

Our Violin teach has a small library of all kinds of violin books. I ready this book in one violin lesson, and it was captivating from the first page. This is an awesome story about a boy growing up in a very small community who befriends an old wood worker.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in violin or just a good quick read.

Enjoy.