Throwing Shadows [Paperback]

E.L. Konigsburg (Author)

Book Description

' A retired college president is determined to best a young beachcomber

' A store manager accuses a boy of shoplifting

' A tour guide strikes a bargain with an enterprising orphan

' A boy recovering from a broken arm befriends an elderly woman

in an old folks' home

' A widow and her son seize an opportunity presented

by a pair of antiques dealers

In each of these extraordinary short stories from the perceptive pen of E. L. Konigsburg, a chance meeting between two people casts a shadow on what things have been and what they can become, and changes a life forever.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"five short stories...all crisp and compactly tailored in setting forth their common theme of self-awareness."

-- Booklist, starred review

"Five short stories...all crisp and compactly tailored in setting forth their common theme of self-awareness." -- Booklist, starred review

From the Publisher

Here are five extraordinary short stories from the perceptive pen of E.I. Konigsburg. Each captures the moment when someone's life changes -- when a chance meeting between two people casts a shadow on what things have been like, and what they can become. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (September 25, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416949593
• ISBN-13: 978-1416949596
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,102,969 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

E. L. Konigsburg is the only author to have won the Newbery Medal and be runner-up in the same year. In 1968 From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler won the Newbery Medal and Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth was named Newbery Honor Book. Almost thirty years later she won the Newbery Medal once again for The View From Saturday. She has also written and illustrated three picture books: Samuel Todd's Book of Great Colors, Samuel Todd's Book of Great Inventions, and Amy Elizabeth Explores Bloomingdale's. In 2000 she wrote Silent to the Bone, which was named a New York Times Notable Book and an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, among many other honors.

After completing her degree at Carnegie Mellon University, Ms. Konigsburg did graduate work in organic chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh. For several years she taught science at a private girls' school. When the third of her three children started kindergarten, she began to write. She now lives on the beach in North Florida.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Everyone throws a shadow..., August 13, 2002

By 

Jay - See all my reviews

This review is from: Throwing Shadows (School & Library Binding)

Konigsburg has written 5 short stories that each are designed to teach a lesson about life in a subtle manner. The stories are somewhat entertaining and beautifully written. While there is something that can be learned from life, none of these stories have large impacting moments; rather they are all lessons we learn from daily experiences with people. That was what I liked about it.

What I didn't like is that it was very slow moving and the stories were a bit lengthy with too much background information about characters we will not know for very long anyhow. Because of this I would not use the book as a read-aloud in a classroom environment, but some children may enjoy reading.

Why 4 stars?:
This is a beautifully written book that shows some lessons that we all learn in life through varied experiences. It doesn't suit well to read-alouds and the stories can get a bit long and bogged down with unimportant details. However, this may be just the right book for some child and if it keeps him reading then it is invaluable.

3.0 out of 5 stars Throwing Shadows by E. L. Konigsburg, January 31, 2012

By 

Quackie Homer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Throwing Shadows (Paperback)

The book Throwing Shadows is interesting and confusing. The confusing part was that you didn't know there were morals to the stories after reading each one you would look up and say 'What is the point of this? or I don't get it!!' Once you understand the reasons for the story though, you find yourself in a wonderful world which then quickly ends and wanders on to the next. I think readers should know about these morals to enjoy and make more sense of the plot and other inner details.

E. L. Konigsburg uses writing tools such as metaphors and her senses to describe the characters and settings and times they are in. She has also written longer books that I think she is much better at. Like The Mixed up files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. Any of these stories could be turned into suspenseful fantastic page turning chapter books especially The Village of the Weavers.
She is a truly exceptional writer.

Overall, the book taught me a few valuable lessons and I'm glad I read it.

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice Relationships, March 21, 2007

By 

A. Luciano (Lowell, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Throwing Shadows (Paperback)

This book is a collection of five short stories. In the first, a conceited college president recruits a boy to help him search for fossilized shark teeth on the beach--and is disappointed when the boy is better at it than he is.

In the second story, we meet Avery, who always seems to be getting into trouble, even when he isn't doing anything wrong.

In the third story, the main character is a tour guide who takes people through Ecuador. She manages to befriend a boy who sells weavings and he takes advantage of their friendship in order to make a bigger profit for himself.

In the fourth story, a boy who is recovering from a broken arm goes with his mom to the nursing home where she volunteers. By chance, he starts to record some of the residents, and finally builds up a reputation for recording histories of what the residents went through before they ended up in the nursing home.

In the fifth story, a boy and his mother realize that they have a knack for the antiquing business.

These stories were all uplifting. The characters in them were likable and through the stories they realized something good about themselves. I liked the relationships between people in these stories. The problem with short stories is that you don't get very deep into the lives of the characters. I would have liked to have known more about some of these characters, but the stories ended too quickly.