Customer Reviews

Perch, Mrs. Sackets, and Crow's Nest

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Sometimes a good little book goes unnoticed by the reading public. It would be a shame if great children's books like "Perch, Mrs. Sackets, and Crow's Nest" were lost on some bookstore shelf gathering dust because it is a very worthy book for any young reader to add to their book collection.

Author Karen Pavilicin weaves a gentle story that slides in some very good messages without being too blatant. Her story and plot are aimed at young readers - although a young minded adult might enjoy reading it as well. The characters are well defined and interesting. The book will capture the attention of both boys and girls.

If you are a parent, a grandparent, an aunt or an uncle or just someone who has a special young person in their life then this would make a great gift. No batteries or instructions are need - just place the book in their hands and they are ready to roll.

PERCH, MRS. SACKETS, AND CROW'S NEST is a fiction novel set in a small town in upstate New York - West Carthage - and is told through the eyes of ten-year-old Andy, who has just lost his dad to a terrible illness; and his best friend, Anthony, who moves to Colorado. Andy's mom decides they both need a change to cope with all that's happened, so they leave Minnesota for the summer to head to Grandma's.

This story flows with warm images from the author's own childhood, of family time spent on Grandma's front porch, peeling apples that had fallen from the apple trees and were wormy, bruised, and smushed. But, this story's not about the apples...it's about Andy and how he adapts to all that has happened to him.

At first he's bored - he's a city boy, after all, and he's used to having lots of things to do. Grandma soon puts him to work doing chores - picking up the fallen apples, visiting with Mrs. Sackets who is busy catching the sunshine through her windows and sending mysterious notepaper back to Andy's mom, who sends it back again to Mrs. Sackets through Andy each day. He finds out that his mom's relationship with her good friend from childhood, John, could be turning into more than just a friendship . . . can Andy cope with this? John takes him fishing and Andy breaks down about missing his father. John offers sage words of comfort to Andy, and they soon haul in a record catch of perch.

Andy adapts to the slower pace of life in Grandma's world and flows with the changes going on around him. He soon makes friends with a fellow soccer player - a girl! Then, one day, he discovers that his friendship with Anthony isn't really over after all.

Although this story isn't really about the apples, the author supplies a delicious recipe from her youth - crow's nest! You must read this book to learn how to make it. [...]

I found this book to be compelling, gentle, flowing, and woven with the rich memories of the past melding into the present. I highly recommend this book for kids that want an interesting book to read with lots of neat ideas in it, and for parents, who want their kids to read a REALLY GOOD BOOK with no violence, swear words, or anything objectionable. Best of all, a portion of all book sales is donated to charity. This is a must read!

Perch, Mrs. Sackets, and Crow's Nest is a novel for young adults about a ten-year-old boy visiting his grandma for the summer. He dearly misses his deceased father, and his best friend Anthony has moved away. But it turns out that even a sleepy little small town can be a haven for summer fun! An enjoyable adventure of discovery ensues.