Sparrow Road by Shelia O’Connor. Release Date: May 12th, 2011. (ARC Copy)
Raine O’Rourke’s life is turned upside down when her mother suddenly takes a job at a dilapidated mansion in the middle of nowhere, inhabited by four eccentric artists and owned by a mysterious older man nicknamed Iceberg. With no T.V., phone, or radio, and no talking before dinner, Raine is less than thrilled to spend her summer at Sparrow Road. But soon she embraces her life as she gets to know the other artists and uncovers the mysteries surrounding Sparrow Road. Raine finds out that the house used to serve as an orphanage, and the other artists help her uncover the past. But the mystery of why her mother took the job at Sparrow Road in the first place will be the one that changes Raine’s life forever.
I don’t read middle grade fiction often, but a friend told me I had to read this book. That, plus the fact that the author is from Minnesota, compelled me to pick it up off the ARC cart. Now I realize that I need to read more middle grade fiction because this story was wonderful! O’Conner’s rich language makes the world of Sparrow Road come alive for readers. Raine is a beautifully developed character. She’s insightful, thoughtful, and trying to find her place in the world. She’s also quite the aspiring writer. She imagines detailed and thought-provoking conversations with Lyman Chase, one of the orphans of Sparrow Road. Her imagined conversations will make readers want to create their own stories using the world around them thinking about “what was or what could be,” making this book perfect for Language Arts classes. All of O’Connor’s characters contain hidden depths that the reader gets to unravel throughout the story to see the finished work at the end.
This story is about imagination, creativity, forgiveness, family, growing up and letting go. It is a must read for the summer–so get your copy today!
Lindsey L.
Lori C.
Mackin Books In Bloom
Mackin Guest Blogger
Mindy R
Ryan H.
Tracey L
Tuan N
Jaymie said,
May 12, 2011 @ 10:35 am
I love middle grade fiction and this book sounds excellent! Thanks for the recommendation.
Connecting Fiction to the Curriculum « Books in Bloom said,
December 8, 2011 @ 5:02 am
[...] Lindsey blogged about Sparrow Road by Sheila O’Connor back in May, and I must agree with her that it is “perfect for Language Arts classes.” It is the story of Raine, who finds her life uprooted when her mother suddenly takes a job at an artist’s colony for the summer. At first it’s hard to spend the day in silence with no other kids around, while the eccentric group of artists work. But she finds that there are stories to be told and secrets to uncover about the history of the estate that used to be an orphanage–and about her own family. This is a lovely novel perfect for young writers looking to find their voice. Help your students find their own inspiration with Picture Yourself Writing Fiction: Using Photographs to Inspire Writing, which is part of the “See It, Write It” series. Each book is highly browse-able and full of great writing guidance and ideas. [...]
Mindy’s Top 10 of 2011 « Books in Bloom said,
December 19, 2011 @ 7:04 am
[...] Road by Sheila O’Connor – Lindsey reviewed this title, and I mentioned it in this post about connecting fiction to the curriculum. I [...]
Lindsey’s Top 10* of 2011 « Books in Bloom said,
December 22, 2011 @ 7:21 am
[...] Sparrow Road by Sheila O’Connor. A young ambitious writer, a artist’s retreat filled with eccentric characters, and several secrets make this title one of the best of the year. Raine is an endearing character, and I loved reading her coming of age story. For more about this title, check out my full review. [...]
Tracey’s Top 10 (or so) Books of 2011 « Books in Bloom said,
December 26, 2011 @ 8:02 am
[...] Road by Sheila O’Connor. (read full review) (Gr [...]
Mock ALA Awards – Lindsey’s Picks « Books in Bloom said,
January 19, 2012 @ 6:01 am
[...] she discovered secrets about herself and her past. To read more about this title, also check out my full review [...]