Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
More of the Tillerman family!, May 9, 2000
I read Dicey's Song by Cythia Voigt and I really liked it. The book Homecoming is the companion to Dicey's Song. I had read that, and I couldn't wait to read this one next. Dicey's Song talks about what happens to Tillerman's after they get to their Grandma's. Dicey is now 13 and doesn't like school, and she is having a hard time with not always doing things for her siblings. It talks about how things are different now between her siblings and her. It talks about them not needing her as much anymore. You also find out more about Dicey's mother and the relationship Dicey's mother and grandmother had. I thought the story was very suspenseful. It was hard to put down because you wanted to find out what was going to happen next to Dicey. The characters are another reason I gave the book this rating. They are great. Cythia Voigt does a great job of giving you a glimpse into the characters thoughts. My favorite character isn't Dicey though, it's her little brother Sammy. He is a goofball and the things he does crack me up. My third reason for this rating is that I liked how you got to find out what happened to the Tillerman's after they moved in with their grandma, but the story still had a plot. Some sequels can be pretty dull, but this one wasn't at all.
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Don't worry if it's not good enough for anyone else to hear. Sing, sing a song., October 2, 2005
When the Newbery Award (given each year to a children's book that is deemed the best-written work of the past 365 days) is handed to a sequel, I always get a bit incredulous. Really? This book is great in and of itself without having read its predecessor? In my opinion, sequels should never receive awards. If you thought that they were so great, award the first book/movie/album in the series, cause otherwise the awardee isn't going to make much sense. Harumph! There are exceptions to every rule, though. "Dicey's Song" may be one of the few. Unlike Lloyd Alexander's, "The High King" or "The Grey King" by Susan Cooper (the Newbery has a penchant for "King"ly sequels), Cynthia Voigt's quiet masterpiece does not necessarily require that the reader know the story that preceded it. It wouldn't hurt and it would probably make for a much better read, but not reading "Homecoming" isn't going to lessen your enjoyment of Book Two in the Tillerman family series.
After walking with her younger brothers and sister for months and months to their grandmother's house, Dicey Tillerman and her sibs have found a home. Granted, that home is with crochety possibly-mad Grandma Tillerman, but that's good enough for them. Grandma has made it perfectly clear that she enjoys their company, regrets some of the mistakes she made with her own children, and is willing to adopt them immediately. As the eldest, Dicey is pleased but being adopted by a beloved relative isn't enough to ease her day-to-day worries. Younger brother James is making himself appear like an average kid in school (rather than the genius he truly is) so that he'll have friends. Little Maybeth has never done well in her classes, and though she's a whiz at music comprehension, she doesn't even understand basic fractions. And youngest child Sammy hasn't been getting into fights like he used to, but at the same time he's wearing this mask of being a "perfect" child at school. Such a strain is definitely gonna take its toll on him. While Dicey is worrying about these things, it's not as if her own life is perfect either. She shuns friends and cares mostly about scraping the paint off an old sailboat belonging to her grandmother. Still, as things come to a head, Dicey's gonna learn what it means to hold onto the people you love, what it means to let go, and when to decide which action to take.
Unlike "Homecoming", which was a kind of epic tale of four small children against the world, there's no real danger or adventure at the heart of "Dicey's Song". Instead, it's more of a thoughtful piece. Dicey is trying to understand what it means to be an adult. She's been acting like one, more or less, ever since her mother abandoned her children in that mall parking lot a year ago. While "Homecoming" encountered villain farmers, nice circus folk, easy-going college kids, and the task of charming an otherwise wooden grandmamma, "Dicey's Song" is about social relations. You've just survived and found someplace to live? Great! Now get along with your fellow man. It's just a difficult (sometimes more so) and requires a whole different set of muscles.
Voigt's voice in this book rings out loud and clear. It's simple writing that doesn't lower itself to simple ideas. This is a story that touches on problems that all kids face, one way or another. Doing badly in school or doing too well. Wanting to make friends or not caring whether you have friends or not. Each Tillerman child has their own separate agenda and each agenda is completely different from that of their siblings. If you think it's difficult to write a convincing three-dimensional character in a book, just imagine trying to write four. Plus Grandma. Can't forget Grandma.
So forget everything I said about sequels not deserving major awards. That idea was trumped mightily by Voigt's remarkable (and remarkably good), "Dicey's Song" back in 1983. Again, if you want to read it I urge you to seek out "Homecoming" first. If you haven't the time or inclination though, feel free to give it a go on its own. This is the kind of writing that all children should be introduced to at least once. It'll bore some, but it'll definitely thrill others.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Toucing Story, February 14, 2001
Dicey has always looked out for her family, and after her mother and father abandon her and her siblings, she feels a great responsibility to care for her brothers and sister while they are living with their grandmother. Each member of her family is having a hard time fitting in. Maybeth, her younger sister is having a very difficult time in school; her brother James is doing fine in school, but having a hard time fitting in, while her other brother Sammy is having a hard time behaving. Cynthia Voigt wonderfully describes Dicey's feelings and the troubles she's having trying to keep up with her family's troubles. Dicey's Song is a realistic book about a family, who cares very much, about each other and the people surrounding them, and their struggles to survive with very little money. Their love for each other is strong and they help each other as best they can. This is a touching book that will make you think about how lucky you really are. I really enjoyed this book because it was interesting and about every day life, it was sometimes funny, and sometimes sad, but I can assure you putting this book down will be one of the hardest things you ever do.
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