Sweet, Sweet Memory [Hardcover]

Jacqueline Woodson (Author)

Book Description

Grade Level: K and up

FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. A child and her grandmother feel sad when Grandpa dies, but as time passes, funny memories of him make them laugh and feel better.

--This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4-A sad young girl readies herself for her beloved grandfather's funeral. Soon relatives gather to share prayer, food, and stories. Sarah's story, however, remains "stuck there in the back of my throat" until an uncle reminds her that her grandfather always said, "Everything and everyone goes on and on." That "sweet memory" finally brings a smile to her face and to the faces of others who recall that he told them the same thing. And life does go on for the girl and her grandmother. There is much to like about this lyrical text, but there are some jarring transitions as well. It is also difficult to believe that a child who is combing her hair by herself for the first time would utter sentences like, "The house is hushed and golden," and "Outside, the sun fades and the crickets' song grows loud." Still, the repetition of "everything and everyone goes on and on" is well paced throughout the text and delineated in the movement of seasons, and memories of the deceased man continuing to live on in the hearts and minds of those who loved him. Cooper's signature soft-textured illustrations are the perfect complement for Woodson's gentle text. They are large, framed in the same cream-colored background on which the text is placed, and spill over onto each facing page. Cooper's faces are filled with a range of emotions, from sorrow to joy to determination to continue with the business of living.
Marianne Saccardi, Norwalk Community College, CT
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 5-8. Woodson's words will resonate with those who have lost someone dear. The young narrator is wearing a white dress, and there is no one to help her comb her hair. Children slowly come to realize the reason the house is hushed is because Grandpa has died. As the narrative unfolds, relatives gather and tell stories, but the little girl's story is stuck in her throat. Finally, she is able to repeat Grandpa's words, "Everything and everyone goes on and on." Afterward, the girl does as her grandfather advised: she watches the world. She watches for Grandpa's collards, cabbage, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes to be harvested; everything is a sweet memory. The elegant text is matched by Cooper's images, which manage to be both dreamy and strong. Unfortunately, the jacket painting looks confusingly similar to that of another book reviewed in this issue, Amy Littlesugar's Freedom School, Yes!, on p.1155 Inside, though, the story is distinctive: its emotional context is clearly portrayed as a family's sorrow and joy come to the fore. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Jump At The Sun (December 31, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786802413
• ISBN-13: 978-0786802418
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,389,657 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jacqueline Woodson's awards include 3 Newbery Honors, a Coretta Scott King Award and 3 Coretta Scott King Honors, 2 National Book Awards, a Margaret A. Edwards Award and an ALAN Award -- both for Lifetime Achievement in YA Literature. She is the author of more than 2 dozen books for children and young adults and lives with her family in Brooklyn, New York

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sweet sweet story, November 18, 2004

By 

Mason 5th_Grade (Roxbury, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sweet, Sweet Memory (Hardcover)

<u>Sweet, Sweet Memory</u>, by Jacqueline Woodson, is a beautifully written and illustrated picture book. It deals with the difficulty of losing someone you love, but highlights the importance of remembering happy times you've shared. Sarah's character is believable and you feel the sadness she is going through while trying to cope with her Grandfather's death. I greatly enjoyed this book and was very touched from start to finish.
This book is an excellent read aloud for upper elementary school. It has wonderful voice and has proven to be quite helpful to the students in writing their memoirs.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book that brought tears to my eyes, May 21, 2001

By 

Eileen (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sweet, Sweet Memory (Hardcover)

This heartwarming book tells the story of a little girl whose grandfather passed away. The lovely pictures combine with the poetic words to convey the message that our loved ones live on in our memories. What a beautiful book to read to any child, but especially one who has lost a loved one.