Secret Letters From 0 to 10 [Hardcover]

Susie Morgenstein (Author), Gill Rosner (Translator)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

Ernest Morlaisse leads an unadventurous life. He comes home every day and eats the same snack: a green apple and a cracker and then he sits down to do his homework. Enter Victoria de Montardent, the new girl in class. When Victoria sees Ernest it's love at first sight. And she makes her declaration to everyone: "I love Ernest....We're getting married in thirteen years, eight months and three days. This is an invitation to our wedding." And believe it or not, Victoria's bulldozer approach works! Quickly Ernest begins to discover that beating inside his chest...is his heart. And he begins finding ways to use it. Secret Letters from 0 to 10 has won sixteen international prizes, including France's Prix Totem (the equivalent of the Newbery Medal) Susie Morgenstern is one of the most popular children's book writers in France. A native of Newark, New Jersey, she moved to the South of France thirty years ago. Gill Rosner is a long-time friend and collaborator with Susie Morgenstern. Susie Morgenstern and Gill Rosner live in Nice, France.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Terse prose and a lovable hero in the form of Ernest Morlaisse, a deprived young man whose life turns topsy-turvy with a new neighbor's arrival, give this French novel universal appeal. There is no magic involved here, just the irrepressible spirit of Victoria de Montardent. This human "bulldozer" charges into his classroom and pulls 10-year-old Ernest into the colorful, modern world lying outside the door of his 80-year-old ("the kind of eighty that is really old") grandmother's house, a place where daily routines are as bland and predictable as the soup he has for dinner each night. Led by Victoria (and occasionally some of her 13 lively brothers), Ernest experiences a wide range of firsts: "I have tasted a delicious fondue, I have held an adorable baby in my arms, I have discovered the supermarket experience," he later reflects in a letter. He also learns the whereabouts of his long-lost father and is finally able to unveil the meaning of a puzzling missive written by his grandfather half a century ago. Not only will readers relish the serendipitous twists this novel has to offer, but their appreciation of ordinary pleasures (such as eating chocolate and scanning a book in the grocery store) may be heightened as they share Ernest's delight in discovering each new taste, texture, smell, sound and sight. Wrought with energy and wit, this chronicle of Ernest's metamorphosis from sheltered na?f into vibrant young man is not to be missed. Ages 9-12.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-7-Winner of the French equivalent of the Newbery medal, this novel portrays the poignant journey of a young boy who learns to enjoy life, express his love for others and, at the same time, learn to love himself. Ten-year-old Ernest Morlaisse leads a quiet, uneventful life. He comes home from school, eats the same snack each day, and does his homework. He lives with his elderly grandmother who hardly speaks to him, especially about his dead mother and the father who deserted him when he was one day old. All this changes when a new girl, Victoria de Montardent, comes on the scene. For her, it's love at first sight. "We're getting married in thirteen years, eight months and three days" she tells him at one point. Her exuberance and joie de vivre captivate Ernest. Victoria and her 13 brothers befriend him, and he slowly begins to find joy in experiencing new things and encouraging his grandmother to leave her self-made prison behind. He also finds the courage to search for his father. The translation from the French is only noticeable because of a certain formality and precision in language that is not usually found in books for this age group. This formality lends considerable charm to the telling but requires a more thoughtful reader. Morgenstern has created extremely well-drawn, distinct, and sometimes quirky characters with eloquent dialogue. Since this is a quiet novel, it may need to be pushed. However, readers will not soon forget Victoria de Montardent and the journey Ernest takes to embrace life.
Jennifer Ralston, Harford County Public Library, Belcamp, MD
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Viking Juvenile (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670880078
• ISBN-13: 978-0670880072
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,774,254 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully engaging!, October 12, 2000

By 

Gwyneth Calvetti (West Salem, WI United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Secret Letters From 0 To 10 (Puffin Books) (Paperback)

I don't know if it is the rhythm of the story, or the delightful characters and their changing relationships that enchanted me so in this story of Ernest and his completely boring, predictable world being upset by Victoria, the new girl in school.

Ernest has lived a clockwork life with his elderly grandmother and equally aged housekeeper for 10 years. That begins to change, when Victoria and her 13 brothers come into his life. He begins to stray from his dull routine, and one day, discovers a book in the grocery store. He has NEVER been to the grocery store until he helps Victoria, but on this fateful day, he discovers a book in the paperback rack that may have the answer to his life-long question; where is his father, and why did he leave him?

As Ernest pursues this quest, he finally begins to live life, bringing his grandmother along with him. Ernest does discover the answer to many of his questions, but more importantly, he, along with his grandmother, discover what it means to really live and love. "Secret Letters From 0 to 10" is a completely charming read.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Secret Letters" Should Not Be A Secret, August 18, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Secret Letters From 0 To 10 (Puffin Books) (Paperback)

This book has all the elements that a person wants in a good read. Secret letters, dreary lives suddenly switched upside down into colorful lives, new people constantly being introducted, and a mystery slowly unveiling through-out the book. Well written and with characters you really want to get to know, Susie Morgenstern has created a wonderful, real, fantastical story. The story sets its own pace, gliding the reader alone as lonely 10 year old orphaned Ernest meets vivacious Victoria, the new girl at school, and, after helping her carry her books home, her 13 brothers. Victoria and her family help Earnest and his sad grandmother re-awaken to the wonders of life, helping them see the colors and enjoyment of it all instead of just the old dusty dead past. This reviewer can just hope that this is just one of many books to come - hopefully this will be a series. There is still so much to uncover, so much to learn, and so many more people to meet. A novel to be recommended highly, to readers of any age.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting and funny. Very good!, April 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Secret Letters From 0 to 10 (Hardcover)

This book was very funny. Victoria (the girl whi loves Ernest) barges into Ernest's life and takes over. Ernest has lots of questions, and Victoria inspires him to ask. Victoria is a loud and proud girl, and Ernest is a very quiet and polite boy. Together they have loads of baby adventures, and fun. Victoria, who has 13 brothers, a total of 16 in her family, and Ernest who just has 2 (he lives with his grandmother), there lives differ incredibly. Then while grocery shopping one day, Ernest finds a book, written by his unknown father. He writes to him, then recieves a package full of letters, written to him since the day he was born, every day, from 0 years to 10 years old. He starts to contact him, and soon finds out that he lives in America. Before the summer, his Grandmother surprises him. With tickets to visit him in America! Can't tell the end, but there is loads more I didn't mention.