The People in Pineapple Place [Hardcover]

Anne Lindbergh (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

An absorbing, classic fantasy that taps into the wishful thinking of every imaginative child.

In THE PEOPLE IN PINEAPPLE PLACE, August Brown, new kid on the block in Washington, D.C., finds more than he bargains for when he follows the ragbag lady to a mysterious street called Pineapple Place. There, on a quaint cobblestone block of cheerful houses, live seven invisible - except to August - children from another time. Before he knows it, August and his fantastic new friends are off on the adventure of a lifetime!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Feeling alone and friendless in a new town, August Brown discovers a wondrous fantasy street and experiences thrilling adventures with his new playmates. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

The author, the daughter of Anne Morrow Lindbergh, brings vitality and charm to her descriptions of Washington's parks and pleasures. --New York Times Book Review

A beautifully handled fantasy. --Philadelphia Inquirer

A beautifully handled fantasy. --Philadelphia Inquirer

A beautifully handled fantasy. --Philadelphia Inquirer

A beautifully handled fantasy. --Philadelphia Inquirer

The People in Pineapple Place is about a boy whose life has been turned upside down and the friends he makes who help him settle in. It is also a love story about living in the city, something exceedingly rare in teen fiction, and while decidedly set in 1982 (with a fun foray back to the pre-WWII era), it has a contemporary realistic feel. Nothing terrifying happens in this book, nothing horrifying or disturbing. The divorce is tough, but August learns to voice his feelings and navigate an honest path with his mother who is a wonderful sort of parent who gives him the kind of freedom that most tweens dream about. The most refreshing thing about this novel was how I didn't have to worry about it -- the kids have their big secret but it's a fun secret, a secret of parks and picnics and skating down the halls of the National Gallery. It's a secret that hurts no one and readers are allowed to simply enjoy how the friendships unfold and the revelations are made. The People of Pineapple Place is a perfect title for precocious younger readers who want a secret, but not something to worry about. --Colleen Mondor, Bookslut --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick (May 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763621315
• ISBN-13: 978-0763621315
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,289,751 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A totally terrific book for everyone!, April 20, 2000

By 

Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux (Charlottesville, Va.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: People of Pineapple Place (Polish Edition) (Hardcover)

This book is one of the best I ever read. Set in Georgetown in the 1980s, August Brown is the main character. He is unhappy because his parents got a divorce, and he is being forced to go to Georgetown with his mother. He has nothing to do until he meets April Anderson, a girl his age (about ten) who lives in the alley Pineapple Place that seemingly nobody but August, April, the other children who live on Pineapple Place, and a bag lady named Mrs. Pettylittle. In fact, April tells him that she is fifty-nine. Her street was moved by the eccentric Mr. Sweeny at the beginning of WWII because he was convinced that the place they were living was going to be bombed. Now she and the street move around and the children can't be seen or heard in the present time except by special people and when they go back to their own time. This is a marvelous book for all ages, it should be in print, and I think everyone should read it.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good book for kids over 5., April 5, 2001

A Kid's Review

This review is from: People of Pineapple Place (Polish Edition) (Hardcover)

The book is about a boy who moves from Vermont because his parents have divorced. In his new town he doesn't have any friends, until he sees a street that begins on P Street that is invisible to almost everyone but him. The people who live on this street are very nice. At the beginning the book was a little boring, but when you got to the middle it started getting exciting and I could not put it down. Towards the end, the book was exciting and a little sad. The ending was happy and sad at the same time, depending upon who you are thinking about. My favorite part of the book was when there was a party in Pineapple Place and August gave strange gifts to each person living in Pineapple Place.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A strange gift, December 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: People of Pineapple Place (Polish Edition) (Hardcover)

I received this book from an uncle at my Bat Mitzvah in 1983. I couldn't understand why he gave it to me. Then I read it and understood. This book is fabulous. When I became a teacher, this book was always the first "read-aloud" book of the year. No matter how old they were, they could never get enough of it! I even had kids writing stories of their own based on this book, taking the characters to new places! It is one of the best books about friendship that I have ever read.