My Mom and Other Mysteries of the Universe [Hardcover]

Gina Willner-Pardo (Author)

Book Description

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

When her parents go away for a month-long business trip, Arlie Metcalfe and her little brother, Michael, get to stay with their fun-loving aunt, Isabel. It seems as if it’s going to be a month-long vacation, particularly for Arlie, who’s looking forward to the time away from her demanding mother. But only a few days into the trip, Arlie’s parents are seriously injured in a car accident, and her mother falls into a coma. On the very same day, a new girl arrives in Arlie’s fifth-grade class. Casey has the same short brown hair, the same stubbornness, and the same bossiness as Arlie’s mother. Is it possible that she is actually Arlie’s mother as an eleven-year-old girl? Can Arlie somehow help her mother by befriending Casey? Or is this a gift from the universe for Arlie: a strange and wonderful way to know her mother before she was her mother?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-7–Arlie, 11, and her mother do not see eye to eye on anything. Mrs. Metcalf is a "neat freak" and is strict about rules. Arlie's father, on the other hand, is a musician who is more relaxed (and easier to talk to). When her mother joins his band on tour for six weeks, Arlie is thrilled that she and her younger brother will be staying with their Aunt Isabelle. But only a day into the trip, her parents are involved in a serious car accident, leaving her mother in a coma. On that same day, a new girl enters Arlie's fifth grade–a girl who looks strikingly like her mother. As the days go by, Arlie discovers much about Casey that is exactly like her mom. Could she really be the woman as an 11-year-old? And, if she is, why is she here and what is Arlie supposed to do? Arlie struggles with these questions while coping with her parents' accident and her conflicted feelings of love for and irritation with her mother. Casey, too, brings up contradictory feelings in Arlie–she is bossy, but she does make Arlie work harder. Willner-Pardo has written a fantasy with a surprisingly serious foundation, including a look at a complicated mother-daughter relationship. Arlie's feelings all ring true to an 11-year-old, especially one who is unsure of her mother's love. And all of the other characters are equally well-rounded.–Terrie Dorio, Santa Monica Public Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-6. No matter how hard fifth-grader Arlie Metcalfe tries, nothing seems good enough for her critical mom. So Arlie is excited when her parents leave for a month because she's going to stay with young aunt Isabelle, Mom's opposite. Then two things happen: Casey, a new girl who bears a disconcerting resemblance to Arlie's mother as a child, join's Arlie's class; and news arrives that Arlie's parents have been in an accident, and her mother is in a coma. As Arlie copes with the uncertainty of her mother's condition and gets to know Casey, she becomes increasingly aware of the complexities of relationships. Diverse supporting characters, family members to best friend Belinda, help round out the story. Told in readable prose, this is a sympathetic portrayal of the many ways love can be conveyed and expressed. Shelle Rosenfeld
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books; New title edition (October 18, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618430202
• ISBN-13: 978-0618430208
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #67,057 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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