Morgy Makes His Move [Hardcover]

Maggie Lewis (Author), Michael Chesworth (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

Morgy hates being the new kid in a new school in a new town in a new state. He wishes he were back in California. Here in Massachusetts he has to contend with Ferguson, who's older and seems to have singled out Morgy to pick on. Ferguson is even there when Morgy tries to learn how to play hockey, and he never misses a chance to dump Morgy on the ice. And hockey becomes even more humiliating when Morgy is demoted from the ten-and-unders to the seven-and-unders, where he's the oldest kid on the team.Each day brings more things to get used to, from weird Boston accents to surviving the blizzard of the century. Gradually, though, Morgy begins to figure out life in Puckett Corner and learns that he just might fit in after all.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Grade 2-5-Fans of Louis Sachar's "Marvin Redpost" books (Random) or Suzy Kline's "Orp" series (Putnam) will tap into Lewis's sense of humor. Third-grader Morgy MacDougal-MacDuff has just moved with his family from California to Puckett Corner, MA. He has difficulty understanding his classmates' accents and regionalisms, and he becomes the target of a fifth-grade bully, Ferguson. However, Morgy gradually adjusts to his new surroundings and his mother makes the surprise announcement that she's expecting twins. He exhibits typical sibling concern when wondering how the new babies will fit into the family, and also worries that they might be girls. He is disappointed when the hockey coach suggests that he practice for a year with the team before actually playing, and is humiliated when he is moved down to the seven-and-under team in order to stop Ferguson's disruptions. Things finally look up for the protagonist, though, and a surprise twist at the end will delight young readers. Morgy is a realistic, well-developed character, and most children will relate to the ups and downs in his life. One or two full-page line drawings appear in each chapter.
Julie Shatterly, York County Public Library, Rock Hill, SC
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

Lewis packs a lot of action into this short novel and plenty of changes into her hero's young life. Morgy has just moved from California to Massachusetts, where he gets lost on the way home after the first day of school, is repeatedly picked on by an older bully, finds out his mother is pregnant with twins, tries to learn to play hockey, and survives a chimney fire, a blizzard, and a blackout. In between trials, he makes new friends and writes to old ones, is visited by his aunt, and helps raise money for new equipment for the school playground. This lighthearted novel is filled with incident and warmth, nicely matched in tone by Chesworth's black-and-white illustrations. Especially pleasing is the easy way the members of his family and his new friend Byron's family come together during the storm, spend Thanksgiving together on the spur of the moment, and thereafter are naturally integrated into one another's lives. (Fiction. 6-9) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 80 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (October 25, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395922844
• ISBN-13: 978-0395922842
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,670,837 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You'll be begging for a sequel!, October 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Morgy Makes His Move (Hardcover)

This is a fast-moving story filled with many touching and funny situations that every child will recognize--even those who have not made cross-country moves. In the beginning, it seems impossible that Morgy will ever overcome his new kid's isolation, but his happy membership in a quirky new neighborhood comes about in surprising and satisfying ways. Kids will appreciate this character's humor as well as its heart.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Morgy" hits home for so many!, April 10, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Morgy Makes His Move (Hardcover)

I read this book to a grade four class. Not only did it become their instant favourite, but mine too. As a librarian, I recommend this book for its quality and content. The main character is sincere, and like any other North American kid, one with strong emotions and feelings. I was very pleased to see a fresh new approach to how he dealt with the local bully and started coping with the changes in his life. The inclusion of hockey made it popular with both boys and girls, as it is not the main focus of the story. I look forward to seeing a lot more work from Maggie Lewis!

4.0 out of 5 stars Morgy Scores!, October 9, 2001

By 

Crazy James (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Morgy Makes His Move (Hardcover)

Though bullies and childhood exploits seem to be all too common in juvenile literature, Maggie Lewis creates a delightful story with Morgy MacDougal-Macduff. Through the story one can picture what it must be like to move from California to Puckett Corner, Massachusetts as a boy and experience the wonders of life: making friends, learning how to deal with the school bully, becoming proficient in hockey, and braving the harsh winters that New England has to offer. As someone who went to college in Maine, it gave me additional perspective of what life might have been like as a kid for my New England friends. Maggie Lewis gives us delightful character sketches and wonderful detail of setting in this charming book...