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14th out of 37 books
—
84 voters
Child of the Mountains
It’s about keeping the faith.
Growing up poor in 1953 in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia doesn’t bother Lydia Hawkins. She treasures her tight-knit family. There’s her loving mama, now widowed; her whip-smart younger brother, BJ, who has cystic fibrosis; and wise old Gran. But everything falls apart after Gran and BJ die and mama is jailed unjustly. Suddenly Lydi...more
Growing up poor in 1953 in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia doesn’t bother Lydia Hawkins. She treasures her tight-knit family. There’s her loving mama, now widowed; her whip-smart younger brother, BJ, who has cystic fibrosis; and wise old Gran. But everything falls apart after Gran and BJ die and mama is jailed unjustly. Suddenly Lydi...more
Hardcover, 272 pages
Published
April 10th 2012
by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
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As of late I haven't read as much, which is a shame since there are so many titles out that just sound wonderful. What I'm trying to get at is that when I choose to read a book it has to easily win me over, and this story is a prime example of a little book that won my heart over completely.
Lydia at the moment is living with her Aunt and Uncle away from Paradise (the actual town she used to live in). Her life has turned right on its head in just a few moments. Her Gran and younger brother have d...more
Lydia at the moment is living with her Aunt and Uncle away from Paradise (the actual town she used to live in). Her life has turned right on its head in just a few moments. Her Gran and younger brother have d...more
This was a very heartfelt book for me. I can't believe how many times a felt a little ache in my chest for Lydia. Why is it that I fall for these books? Because they feel honest. I believe my favorite genre is fantasy and I will always love it but then there are books like this. That isn’t at all dystopian or full of dragons or love triangles and yet it made my heart yearn and ache. There was still magic in something as ordinary as fermentation. You'll know what I'm talking about if you read the...more
This is a sneaky little book. I started it on the bus, and when I read the first page I groaned internally. I wondered if it wouldn't be better just to stare into space. My mama's in jail. It ain't right. Leastwise, I don't think so. Them folks that put her there just don't understand our family.
Then I read the second page, and laughed out loud. That's why I stopped by the company store after school yesterday and bought me the biggest spiral notebook they had. Maybe writing everthing down will...more
Then I read the second page, and laughed out loud. That's why I stopped by the company store after school yesterday and bought me the biggest spiral notebook they had. Maybe writing everthing down will...more
[This review also appears on Andi's Young Adult Books.]
Child of the Mountains by Marilyn Sue Shank is the story of a young girl named Lydia who lives in Appalachia. It takes place in the year 1953. Lydia feels pretty lost right now. She has been sent to live with her aunt and uncle. Her father passed away in an accident some years ago. Her mother is currently in jail, for theoretically killing her little brother, BJ, who had cystic fibrosis. Her grandmother has also just passed away. She is angr...more
Child of the Mountains by Marilyn Sue Shank is the story of a young girl named Lydia who lives in Appalachia. It takes place in the year 1953. Lydia feels pretty lost right now. She has been sent to live with her aunt and uncle. Her father passed away in an accident some years ago. Her mother is currently in jail, for theoretically killing her little brother, BJ, who had cystic fibrosis. Her grandmother has also just passed away. She is angr...more
I loved this book. I sank into it immediately, like an overstuffed couch, and only came out for chores. It’s a beautiful, gentle story of strength despite injustice with a good dose of picturesque Appalachian culture. A wonderful combination.
Eleven-year-old Lydia finds herself unexpectedly living with her Aunt Ethel Mae and Uncle William after a series of tragic circumstances, which are explained through back story during the first several chapters. The plot looks back about as often as it looks...more
Eleven-year-old Lydia finds herself unexpectedly living with her Aunt Ethel Mae and Uncle William after a series of tragic circumstances, which are explained through back story during the first several chapters. The plot looks back about as often as it looks...more
This story is both heart-wrenching and heart-warming. Lydia Hawkins is a young woman (child really), that has been forced to see a lot of adversity in her young years. She doesn't really see much of the poverty and hard-work as anything other than routine until the death of her brother. Even after this event, Lydia strives to keep going strong. Ms. Shank has written a beautiful story of mountain living in the West Virginia hills in the early 1950s. There are no apologies made, nor are any needed...more
This is a touching and endearing novel. Lydia is both an engaging character and a symbol of the mountain folk - their strengths and weaknesses as well as their history of survival. Understanding that wealth does not lie in the luxuries of society but in the love of family and the strength it creates to endure hardship is one of the many life lessons that this novel has to teach young people. Too often, our perceptions of ourselves are based on what we own, instead of who we are. I was born in 1...more
A solid middle grade read with a wonderful narrative voice. Shank masterfully brings to life the rich culture of Appalachia in the 1950's through the eyes of Lydia, an authentic, relatable girl on the cusp of adolescence who is struggling to maintain her identity as the world seems to be trying to tear her down. The adults in her life are complex and interesting as well, though there is a lack of other child characters - Lydia doesn't really interact with her peers much, and the scenes with her...more
What a blessing to read a book like Child of the Mountains by Marilyn Sue Shank! This book is written in the first person, in a dairy format, by Lydia Hawkins, a West Virginia girl who grew up in the Appalachian mountains. She writes as she speaks, in the Appalachian dialect. It is hard to get used to at first, but becomes easier as the book goes on. The story is about Lydia, her younger brother BJ who has cystic fibrosis, her mom, who ends up in jail unfairly, and her Gran, who was a complete h...more
Recommended Age:
12+
Overall Rating: 4.5 stars
Overall Review:
Because I grew up not far from the Appalachian mountains and have cystic fibrosis myself, I was immediately intrigued by the description of Marilyn Sue Shank's Child of the Mountains. This rich, layered book did not disappoint. Lydia's lilting mountain voice is lovely and authentic, and I enjoyed the wonderful characters that peopled the novel. I found Lydia's love for her family, and her tentative first steps into womanhood, moving. Al...more
12+
Overall Rating: 4.5 stars
Overall Review:
Because I grew up not far from the Appalachian mountains and have cystic fibrosis myself, I was immediately intrigued by the description of Marilyn Sue Shank's Child of the Mountains. This rich, layered book did not disappoint. Lydia's lilting mountain voice is lovely and authentic, and I enjoyed the wonderful characters that peopled the novel. I found Lydia's love for her family, and her tentative first steps into womanhood, moving. Al...more
Child of the Mountains – A Good First Book!
This is a story about Lydia Hawkins born and raised in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia. After her Mama is taken to prison Lydia ’s life is turned upside down. She has to move from the home that she has grown to love into the home of her Uncle William and Aunt Ethel Mae’s. Lydia feels she is a burden on her Uncle and Aunt and tries her best to please them.
Lydia had to change schools when she went to live with her Uncle and Aunt and is not mad...more
Originally published at www.apatchworkofbooks.com
Lydia loves growing up in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia. She's not at all embarrassed as to how poor she is or how strange others think she speaks and is proud of her heritage. She loves her family very much, despite their incredibly difficult life, the hardships they've had to face, and the lack of hope that seems to come from all directions.
It's 1953 and Lydia's world seems to be falling apart. Her beloved Gran died and now her brot...more
Lydia loves growing up in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia. She's not at all embarrassed as to how poor she is or how strange others think she speaks and is proud of her heritage. She loves her family very much, despite their incredibly difficult life, the hardships they've had to face, and the lack of hope that seems to come from all directions.
It's 1953 and Lydia's world seems to be falling apart. Her beloved Gran died and now her brot...more
May 14, 2012
Dara
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
ya-fiction,
books-read-in-2012
I picked this book up because I absolutely love stories set in Appalachia (probably due to generations of ancestors who lived there). The story was intriguing too.
I have to admit, it did take me a little while to get into the book. I initially had a difficult time with the dialect, considering I grew up in Northern Ohio, despite the Appalachian blood :P
It picked up by the middle of the book and went at a great pace the rest of the way. There was one aspect of the plot I was a tad disappointed...more
I have to admit, it did take me a little while to get into the book. I initially had a difficult time with the dialect, considering I grew up in Northern Ohio, despite the Appalachian blood :P
It picked up by the middle of the book and went at a great pace the rest of the way. There was one aspect of the plot I was a tad disappointed...more
The book is a journey into a journal chronicling her thoughts and stories. What I thought was interesting about this book is the dialect. It is written in West Virginia Appalacia diaclect of a 11 year old girl set in 1953. She talks about her brother, her Gran, and her Mama being sent to jail. She also talked about a dog that she befriended, living with her Aunt and Uncle after her Mama was in jail, and getting her first period. I did enjoy reading this book, and it did tug on my heartstrings to...more
When we meet Lydia Hawkins, she has been torn from Paradise, the aptly named hollow she calls home. There she churned apple butter with her beloved granny, played with her precocious younger brother BJ, and traded hugs with her loving momma. That is, until her whole world fell apart.
Lydia is on her own now. Her granny and BJ have both passed, and while her momma is alive, she is imprisoned, serving time for a crime she didn’t commit.
Lydia proves to be a pragmatic girl. She tries to make the best...more
Lydia is on her own now. Her granny and BJ have both passed, and while her momma is alive, she is imprisoned, serving time for a crime she didn’t commit.
Lydia proves to be a pragmatic girl. She tries to make the best...more
This book too me home to the Mountains of WV. It was nice reading about areas that I know so well as I grew up there.
Lydia Hawkins treasured her tight knit family of her Gran, her Mama and her brother BJ, who has cystic fibrosis. Things change rapidly for Lydia after Gran and BJ die and her Mama is sent to jail. Lydia has lost all those she loves in a short period of time. She moves to a coal town with her Aunt and Uncle and things continue to go poorly for her as she adjusts or at least tries...more
Lydia Hawkins treasured her tight knit family of her Gran, her Mama and her brother BJ, who has cystic fibrosis. Things change rapidly for Lydia after Gran and BJ die and her Mama is sent to jail. Lydia has lost all those she loves in a short period of time. She moves to a coal town with her Aunt and Uncle and things continue to go poorly for her as she adjusts or at least tries...more
I picked this book up to read because there was some talk about it being a contender for the Newbery Award. I enjoyed it, but even though it dealt with a very sad occasion in a young girl's life, losing her brother to Cystic Fibrosis and having her mother arrested for his death, I just couldn't feel the pain that Lydia was experiencing. There were scenes in which she had herself a "good cry," but despite what she was facing, I didn't feel attached to her feelings and didn't feel the pain like I...more
Though it is largely predictable and somewhat didactic, this is still a pretty good book. I liked the journey of the main character, Lydia, and there was a great hook in the beginning of the book to keep you reading. Why is Lydia's mother in jail for killing Lydia's little brother?
Many other reviewers are saying the 1950s Appalachian voice in this book is pitch-perfect, so I may be all alone in my opinion, but I thought it was overdone. I can only take so many folksy analogies (e.g. "He didn't...more
Many other reviewers are saying the 1950s Appalachian voice in this book is pitch-perfect, so I may be all alone in my opinion, but I thought it was overdone. I can only take so many folksy analogies (e.g. "He didn't...more
Lydia's family doesn't have very much money in1950s Appalachia, but they make do. Her grandfather has passed away, as has her abusive father, but her grandmother is a strong presence in helping to make ends meet and help her father care for her young brother, BJ, who has cycstic fibrosis. In an effort to help her brother, Lydia's mother has signed papers to put him in a special hospital, but when it is clear that he doesn't have much time left, the family takes him out of the hospital, and he di...more
Oh my, what an endearing and emotional read! I loved this one for so many reasons!
I have a soft place in my heart for stories involving Appalachia and the people who live there. Much of my family calls these mountains home, I chose a college there, and my husband is from the Southwestern Virginia area and calls these mountains his home. For those reasons, and just a pure love of the history of the area, books like this reach me on a whole new level!
I also have to give the author much credit beca...more
I have a soft place in my heart for stories involving Appalachia and the people who live there. Much of my family calls these mountains home, I chose a college there, and my husband is from the Southwestern Virginia area and calls these mountains his home. For those reasons, and just a pure love of the history of the area, books like this reach me on a whole new level!
I also have to give the author much credit beca...more
Review originally posted http://hobbitsies.net/2012/03/child-o...
Child of the Mountains by Marilyn Sue Shank is a beautifully honest and heartbreaking coming-of-age historical fiction.
From the very first page of Child of the Mountains, I was immediately there with the main character, Lydia. She’s from the mountains and her dialect and English isn’t very good, but I was sucked into her story. I was rooting for her from the first page because she’s so heartbroken and honest and good, I guess, is t...more
Child of the Mountains by Marilyn Sue Shank is a beautifully honest and heartbreaking coming-of-age historical fiction.
From the very first page of Child of the Mountains, I was immediately there with the main character, Lydia. She’s from the mountains and her dialect and English isn’t very good, but I was sucked into her story. I was rooting for her from the first page because she’s so heartbroken and honest and good, I guess, is t...more
When I started reading this book, it took me a couple of chapters to get into the rhythm of the Appalachian dialect. Once I did, though, I couldn't put it down. I loved the story, the voice, the setting. The author is from West Virginia, and this story comes from her heart and experiences. Now I feel like I should read Anne of Green Gables (Lydia's favorite book) since I never have....A lovely, slowly developed story, good for diligent readers who won't be deterred by the different way of speaki...more
Apparently I am in the minority on this one but, I just started this book and I literally cannot stand it. The dialect/writing is driving me crazy. I am not sure if the backwoods Appalachian dialect is written well and it just a personal thing or if it as is horrible as I think it is. Beyond the writing the story is glacially paced and quite frankly not all that interesting. I really hate excoriating books in a review but this YA novel just isn't doing it for me.
This was a gift and I read it not knowing quite what to expect. I must say I was pleasantly surprised to be taken back in time to the West Virginia I once knew. The language and dialect may be foreign to the untrained ear but it is genuinely how the older generations of West Virginians speak. The targeted age for this book seems to be 12-16, but will also be enjoyed by adults. I was hooked by the story from the very first sentence.
You probably have guessed by now that I’m a sucker for novels set in the Appalachian Mountains. It should be no surprise that I jumped on Marilyn Sue Shank’s debut novel, Child of the Mountains, since it’s set in the 1953 West Virginia mountains. This heartwarming and heart-wrenching novel is intended for tweens and young teens but I think it’s going to appeal to some older teens and adults as well.
“These women of Appalachia, they didn’t survive. They prevailed.” Margaret Hatfield, West Virginia...more
“These women of Appalachia, they didn’t survive. They prevailed.” Margaret Hatfield, West Virginia...more
This is a sweet story with a plot that kept me reading. The author honors Appalachian heritage in a number of ways that I enjoyed. She discusses crafts, music, food, and in general, life in a mountain home. I did not like the dialect and thought it was exaggerated to the extreme. The author was a little heavy-handed with the "coming of age" themes, but I find that typical for YA genres. I thought many of the historical plot elements were thought-provoking, and the characters were well-developed....more
I loved this book that happens in Appalachia. I liked the family connections the love between them, the sad stories and times they shared and the resiliency they have to carry on. I could imagine the difficult awkwardness that Lydia felt living with her aunt and uncle; and the bullying she experienced for a time at school. She is a strong character that shines and perseveres. Good ending too!
A beautiful story, well researched and executed. It was like reading about Katniss's (Hunger Games) forbearers. What I loved about it was the realness of it. Someone once told me, 'Children have real problems.' This story takes the problems of a child and gives them her perspective. I good read for any thoughtful young girl (10+).
A pretty good book, but I felt detached from Lydia and her experiences. I think it was the time-bending structure of the narrative (telling the story as journal entries that touch on "modern day" and then flashing back to the backstory). The voice was extremely strong and I really enjoyed that. All in all, a good read. I'm probably too old to truly appreciate it and I'm okay with that.
The major problem I had with this book was reading through all of the distracting dialect. But I loved the spirit of it and it made me cry (which so rarely happens with a book) and that more than made up for it. Wonderful, wonderful book that I finished in only a day.
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| Appalachian Leaves: Child of the Mountains | 1 | 9 | Aug 12, 2012 10:51am |
Marilyn Sue Shank earned her PhD in special education from the University of Kansas, where she majored in learning disabilities and behavior disorders and minored in counseling psychology and families with disabilities. She has taught general and special education at the elementary, secondary, and college levels.
Marilyn’s work has been published in journals, and she coauthored the first four editi...more
More about Marilyn Sue Shank...
Marilyn’s work has been published in journals, and she coauthored the first four editi...more
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Dec 31, 2012 10:52am
Jan 01, 2013 08:48pm