Only Opal: The Diary of a Young Girl [Paperback]

Opal Whiteley (Author), Jane Boulton (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

A lyrical adaptation of the writings of Opal Whiteley, a young girl growing up in the early twentieth century, describes Opal's love of nature and her life in an Oregon lumber camp at the turn of the century. Reprint. AB. K. "

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4-Boulton has successfully adapted this picture book from her longer work, Opal (Tioga, 1984). Opal Whitely, born around 1900, was orphaned and brought up by foster parents in Oregon. These selections from the diary she kept "in her fifth and sixth year" bring to life an extraordinary child and evoke images of a frontier life style that will fascinate young readers. It is astonishing that this child, facing the hardships of living with a cruel and demanding stepfamily, as well as the trauma of moving to 19 different lumber camps during her girlhood, could find the time and courage to record her thoughts, feelings, and impressions in such a lyrical style. Her optimism, sense of humor, and heartfelt love and respect for living things shine through her spare prose and sometimes awkward phrasing. Cooney's muted watercolors expand the imagery created by the simple text, realistically portraying living conditions and conveying the majestic beauty of the Northwest. Readers will respond positively to this glimpse of history and will share Opal's sense of wonder and gratitude for things that are often taken for granted. Not simply an adaptation of an unusual diary, this book is a tribute to the resiliency of the human spirit.
Martha Rosen, Edgewood School, Scarsdale, NY
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Ages 6-9. The inner life of children, long ignored in accounts of pioneer history, is here given an unforgettable voice. Opal was five years old when her parents died, and she went to live with a foster family in a lumber camp in Oregon at the turn of the century. She was just learning to print, and she wrote about her life on scraps of paper, in her own solemn idiom, words of simple intensity. An afterword explains that the poetry in this picture book has been selected from Opal's childhood diary, which was published when she grew up. Opal calls her foster mother "the mama" ("The mama where I live says I am a nuisance . . . the mama likes to have her house nice and clean"). Cooney's clear, beautifully detailed watercolor paintings show the sturdy, solitary child, who imagines her own secret, mischievous world even while she's up to her elbows scrubbing laundry. Whenever she can, Opal escapes into the woods, and she finds her home there. She makes up names for her special companions: for example, her pet mouse is Felix Mendelssohn and her sheltering tree is Michael Raphael. When Michael Raphael is cut down, Opal's lament is a poem of tearing grief ("There was a queer feel in my throat / and I couldn't stand up"); and Cooney's double-page-spread painting shows the rich woodland, the crouching child, and the huge quivering tree crashed to earth. The story ends with Opal once again having to move and leave behind what she loves. Older readers might go on from this diary to read more about Opal and children like her. Hazel Rochman --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (June 16, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0698115643
• ISBN-13: 978-0698115644
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 7.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #998,771 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Only Opal, April 28, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Only Opal: The Diary of a Young Girl (Paperback)

This story is about the life of a little girl named Opal who loves nature. Her mother and father died and went to Heaven. Just by looking at the pictures you can tell that she has a sad life. Her new mama is not very nice. Opal has a favorite tree that she loves. The tree is called Michael Raphael. He has an understanding soul. She also has a sweet dog named Brave Horatius. My favorite part is when Opal writes about her feelings. Kids who like to relax will like this book because it has soothing words. It has really great illustrations, too! This is a terrific story!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars every edition is worthwhile, April 20, 2000

By 

Amelia Sunderland "tesslouise" (Charlotte, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Only Opal: The Diary of a Young Girl (Paperback)

The "point" of the picture book edition of Opal's diary is to make it accessible to younger readers. I would not hand a young child Boulton's longer edition or _The Singing Creek Where the Willows Grow_, whereas any Barbara Cooney book can be recommended to young children without reservations.

That said, this edition is satisfying in itself. The book is touching and beautifully illustrated and unique. I recommend it highly, along with the other editions of the diary and everything else illustrated by Barbara Cooney.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Read the unabridged version -- it's much better, December 21, 1999

By 

Betsy Bowen "Betsarama" (Connecticut) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Only Opal: The Diary of a Young Girl (Paperback)

Opal Whitely's story is an utterly amazing thing in every respect. Her life as a child, her exquisite sensitivity, and her way of expressing herself -- it's all just amazing.

That said, I don't understand this version! Compared to Jane Boulton's original adaptation (if that's what you'd call it), "Opal, Journal of an Understanding Heart," this seems gutted and meaningless. Maybe it's meant to be less sad for young children, I don't know. Read the original version.