THE BALLAD OF LUCY WHIPPLE by Karen Cushman
Book Review: Historical Fiction
THE BALLAD OF LUCY WHIPPLE by Karen Cushman
Bibliography
Cushman, Karen. 1996. THE BALLAD OF LUCY WHIPPLE. New York, New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0395728061
Plot Summary
When California Morning Whipple’s widowed mother decides to relocate her family from their comfortable lives in Massachusetts to the 1849 Gold Rush town of Lucky Diggins, California resents the upheaval and decides to hate it before she even arrives. Grasping for some sort of control over her young life, California declares her name to be unsuitable when she arrives in the state of California, and decides that her new name will be Lucy. Everything familiar to Lucy has been left behind, including her beloved library, so she plans to save her coins from her pie baking business to pay for immediate travel back east. Lucy’s brother, Butte, and sisters, Prairie and Sierra, seem to embrace their new surroundings while Lucy, ever willing to lose herself in a book, resists the pull of the west as she ultimately finds her way home.
Critical Analysis
Karen Cushman pens a witty and vividly descriptive narrative of the California Gold Rush that begs to be read aloud. Lucy, the irresistible tween, provides wry humor and a sharp tongue throughout the novel which lightens the somber mood of the actual trials and tribulations during this period in history. Cushman’s usage of first person narrative breathes life into the background information and historical facts surrounding the 1849 Gold Rush.
Review Excerpts
“PW gave a starred review to this gold-rush novel by Newbery Medalist Cushman, calling it "a coming-of-age story rich with historical flavor.” Publishers Weekly.
“Cushman's forceful writing combined with a narration in which the characters live and breathe make this a first choice for libraries.” School Library Journal
Connections
Read nonfiction accounts of life during the California Gold Rush. Create a Venn diagram with the accounts of the nonfiction books and THE BALLAD OF LUCY WHIPPLE by Karen Cushman.
Levy, Jo Ann. THEY SAW THE ELEPHANT: WOMEN IN THE CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH. ISBN: 0806124733
Chartier, Jo Ann. WITH GREAT HOPE: WOMEN OF THE CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH. ISBN: 1560448881
Photo courtesy of www.amazon.com
Book Review: Historical Fiction
THE BALLAD OF LUCY WHIPPLE by Karen Cushman
Bibliography
Cushman, Karen. 1996. THE BALLAD OF LUCY WHIPPLE. New York, New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0395728061
Plot Summary
When California Morning Whipple’s widowed mother decides to relocate her family from their comfortable lives in Massachusetts to the 1849 Gold Rush town of Lucky Diggins, California resents the upheaval and decides to hate it before she even arrives. Grasping for some sort of control over her young life, California declares her name to be unsuitable when she arrives in the state of California, and decides that her new name will be Lucy. Everything familiar to Lucy has been left behind, including her beloved library, so she plans to save her coins from her pie baking business to pay for immediate travel back east. Lucy’s brother, Butte, and sisters, Prairie and Sierra, seem to embrace their new surroundings while Lucy, ever willing to lose herself in a book, resists the pull of the west as she ultimately finds her way home.
Critical Analysis
Karen Cushman pens a witty and vividly descriptive narrative of the California Gold Rush that begs to be read aloud. Lucy, the irresistible tween, provides wry humor and a sharp tongue throughout the novel which lightens the somber mood of the actual trials and tribulations during this period in history. Cushman’s usage of first person narrative breathes life into the background information and historical facts surrounding the 1849 Gold Rush.
Review Excerpts
“PW gave a starred review to this gold-rush novel by Newbery Medalist Cushman, calling it "a coming-of-age story rich with historical flavor.” Publishers Weekly.
“Cushman's forceful writing combined with a narration in which the characters live and breathe make this a first choice for libraries.” School Library Journal
Connections
Read nonfiction accounts of life during the California Gold Rush. Create a Venn diagram with the accounts of the nonfiction books and THE BALLAD OF LUCY WHIPPLE by Karen Cushman.
Levy, Jo Ann. THEY SAW THE ELEPHANT: WOMEN IN THE CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH. ISBN: 0806124733
Chartier, Jo Ann. WITH GREAT HOPE: WOMEN OF THE CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH. ISBN: 1560448881
Photo courtesy of www.amazon.com
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