Summer of the Skunks [Hardcover]

Wilmoth Marshall Foreman (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up

Told from the point of view of the third of four children, ten-year-old Jill, this moving novel portrays one summer in the life of a family being raised by two loving parents. Jill's dad is a factory foreman, while her mom is a homemaker. The three eldest children help around the house, but 16-year-old Margo hates country living, and Jill's adored brother Calvin is growing up and ignoring her. It seems only her four-year-old brother is really happy at home. The family's summer begins with their discovery that a family of skunks has moved in under their house. Afraid that the skunks will be startled and release their scents, the family tiptoes around until Calvin devises a plan to remove them. The skunks bring a myriad of problems, but the real change comes when a childhood friend of Jill's father shows up drunk one night, rousing the entire family from their beds. The children take J. B. in and sneak food to him in his hideaway in a distant corner of their property. Jill's limitless spunk and courage help her learn the value of family and friends as she comes to understand her own identity and role within the family.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6-When skunks move in under their farmhouse, Jill, 10, and her teenage sister and brother must stop their usual bickering and work together to get rid of them. As the summer progresses, the siblings provide shelter for their father's old friend, a former soldier who has a drinking problem, and, with the help of a "de-scented" skunk kept as a pet, rid the house of their mother's bossy, lazy cousin when he comes to stay. Although the story is set in the 1940s, there is no strong sense of time to it. Jill's perception of her arrogant, seemingly perfect sister and independent brother, and her struggle to bond with them through their adventures is a wonderful example of family life and the need to find one's place. The girl is a strong heroine who is likable for her spirit and earnest nature.
Alison Grant, West Bloomfield Township Public Library, MI
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-6. On balance, there's more triumph than tragedy in this country idyll, which doesn't seem so idyllic for middle-child Jill, whose two older sibs, both deep in the throes of adolescence, treat her with scorn one moment and affection the next. Despite their rocky relationship, the kids work together to coax a family of skunks from under the house, and later to get their mother's shiftless cousin to move out. They also find a secret place for an alcoholic friend to stay until he can get back on his feet. None of this is accomplished, however, without plenty of lively bickering, along with an array of minor mishaps, wrapped up in the general business of growing up and getting the chores done. With its sturdy, likable preteen narrator, a cast of recognizable characters (plus one notably mercurial milk cow), and a sunny emotional climate wracked by intense, but passing, storms, this will appeal to readers in search of stories that are not about broken homes, abuse, ugly secrets, racial prejudice, or (with the exception of a pet) death. John Peters
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 156 pages
• Publisher: Front Street imprint of Boyds Mills Press; 1 edition (March 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1886910804
• ISBN-13: 978-1886910805
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,556,493 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Warmth without sentimentality, October 30, 2005

By 

Lyda Phillips "writerperson" (Silver Spring, MD United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Summer of the Skunks (Hardcover)

Summer of the Skunks draws the reader into the lives of a family forced out of its normal patterns by the presence of another family, a mama skunk and her babies who move in under the house. This deceptively simple story told by 10-year-old Jill trembles with undercurrents. It's as riveting as watching the bubble of surface tension on top of a glass of clear water.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review of Summer of the Skunks, October 2, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Summer of the Skunks (Hardcover)

Wilmoth Foreman pulls the reader right into the warm family dynamics from the first emergency, the discovery of skunks under the house, to the ultimate resolution of joint efforts for the protection and rehabilitation of an alcoholic friend and, finally, one descented pet skunk.

The author vividly presents each of the four children accurately re their natural sibling competition and developmental stages. The voice of Jill is both compelling and sage as she reflects on her low station compared to her more experienced older sister and brother. Her deductions and reports remind this reader of Bailie White's stories of southern rural living. Foreman's agility and ability to write voice and character are in the best southern tradition and extend beyond to caring families of any region.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Story About Family, October 20, 2004

By 

Amy Bradhsaw (KY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Summer of the Skunks (Hardcover)

"Summer of the Skunks" is a funny story about family told through the eyes of ten-year-old Jill. Jill wants so badly to be part of anything her fourteen-year-old brother does. She use to be his shadow but, this summer he doesn't want her hanging around as much. So, when her brother,Calvin, comes up with a plan to get rid of the family of skunks who have taken residence under their house, Jill is extatic. This is one of many plans (from finding a place for an old family friend to live, to getting rid of a dead beat cousin who's worn out his welcome) Calvin comes up with that summer which include her and their sixteen-year-old sister, Margo. It seems that Jill spends most of this summer trying to get thier attention, and feels pretty special when they ask her to do anything.

This is a nice, wholesome story I think kids would enjoy reading. The entire story takes place on their farm and there is enough humor and adventure to keep anybody reading. The characters are very likeable, especially Jill. It is so easy to connect with her right away, particularly if you are one of the yungest of several siblings.

So, what happens to the skunks? Does their plan to get rid of Old Retread work? Who is Rabies and what happens to him? "Summer of the Skunks" is worth reading to find out.