Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge lives next door to a nursing home in which several of his good friends reside. Of course, his favorite is Miss Na...
read full description
reviews
Feb 03, 2009
Jack Kirby and the X-man
rated it: 
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Aug 06, 2011
This may just be my favorite picture book ever. I discovered it during grad school when I worked at a children's bookstore, and it was love at first read. I don't think I have ever once read it without tearing up. When I read it to the littles yesterday, Scott had to step in near the end when I was too choked up to speak. It's a beautiful book, and true in the way that sometimes only fiction is.
Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge is a little boy who lives next to an old-age home. He is More...
Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge is a little boy who lives next to an old-age home. He is More...
Jan 30, 2011
Yael
rated it: 
What a book! I get tears in my eyes each time I read this book, even though I know what's coming. Here are the things I liked and think are worthy to notice in a classroom: the illustrations, although cartoon like, are accurate in an interesting way. The older people in the book are overweight, have wrinkles, wear glasses, and wear commonly worn clothes for people at an old age home. I have been to an old age home where you walk in and see several people lined up in comfortable chairs just
More...
2 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Feb 21, 2010
Ch_hayley
rated it: 
I listened to Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox on storylineonline.net. It was read by Bradley Whitford, whom I was not familiar with, but was thoroughly impressed with oratory skills during the read aloud. Young Wilfrid is a boy that lives next door to a retirement home. He befriends several of the residents and the reader is introduced to many of them. Wilfrid "loved Mrs. Jordan who played the organ. He listened to Mr. Hosking who told scary stories. He played with Mr. Tippet w
More...
Mar 06, 2011
Julia
rated it:
Wifrid Gordon McDonald Partridge was the first of Mem Fox's books to be published in the United States. The story is based on her experience with her grandfather who lived in a nursing home. Fox creates a young boy, Wilfrid (her grandfathers name), who lives next door to a nursing home. He knows all the people who live there but his favorite person of all is Miss Nancy Alison Delacourt Cooper. He tells her all his secrets. When Wifrid hears his parents talking about poor old Nancy loosing h
More...
Aug 23, 2010
Rebekah
rated it:
Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge, a small boy of unspecified age but “he wasn’t very old either,” lives next door to an old folks’ home and visits the residents there. Upon hearing that his particular friend Miss Nancy has lost her memory, Wilfrid Gordon sets himself a quest to learn what a memory is, and to find one to give Miss Nancy. Drawing on the insights of his other older friends and reaching into his own special treasures, he succeeds.
This is one of those children’s books More...
This is one of those children’s books More...
Jan 15, 2012
Amy
rated it:
Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge is a small boy with a big name. He lives next door to a retirement home and he’s friends with all the residents, from Mr. Hosking who tells him crazy stories to Miss Mitchell who walks with a wooden stick. But Wilfrid’s favorite is Miss Nancy Alison Delacourt. She has a name as long as his and he tells her all his secrets. Wilfrid is confused when his parents tell him that Miss Nancy has lost her memory. He’s not quite sure what a memory is, so he asks his frien
More...
Feb 17, 2010
Kayla
rated it:
A young boy spends time in a nursing home trying to get to know the people who live there. While visiting he learns very important things about life and memories.
The brightly colored pages hold a great lesson about what young people can learn from older people. Often times, people forget how much we can learn from older people but Mem Fox writes this story to remind readers about how valuable the elderly are. For some students this book may have a difficult theme to grasp. It is More...
The brightly colored pages hold a great lesson about what young people can learn from older people. Often times, people forget how much we can learn from older people but Mem Fox writes this story to remind readers about how valuable the elderly are. For some students this book may have a difficult theme to grasp. It is More...
Apr 08, 2009
Megan
rated it:
Bought this one on sale last week for $4. It's an oldie but a goodie - I remembered the cover from my own childhood, but not the story. The story is amazing. It literally made me weep when I read it to Jasper the first time. It's about a little boy with four names who lives next door to an old people's home. One day he hears his parents talking about his favourite old person, saying she's lost her memory, so he goes to the old people's home and asks all the people what a memory is. Then he colle
More...
Sep 12, 2011
Atziri
rated it:
Mem Fox is one of my favorite authors. she has an wonderful way of pulling one into a story. In this story "a small boy called Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge.. who wasn't very old" is friends with all the old people from the house next door. But, his special friend is Miss Nancy Alison Delacourt with whom he shares all his secrets. One day Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge learns that he best friend has lost her memory. And this is where the magic of Mem Fox comes in. Wilfrid collec
More...
Oct 06, 2009
This book did not have a book jacket the plastic around it was something similar. Just from looking at the cover and the title I was never be able to guess what was going on. This book did not have a dedication pages which weird to me because I wanted to know what made this author write this story. The images and colors uses on the cover give an old-school vibe. I thought the author did a great job with the space and having big characters on certain pages to emphasis their importance. The media
More...
Nov 26, 2010
Nancy
rated it:
Published: 1984, Kane/Miller Book Publishers
Age: PreK-3
A touching story about a little boy who lives next to a nursing home. He talks to the people who live there and finds something interesting about each one of them. He especially likes one lady who has 4 names just like he does. The boy's parents say she has lost her memory because she is so old. He sets out to find out what "memory" is so he can help her get it back. He unknowingly ends up helping the lady get som More...
Age: PreK-3
A touching story about a little boy who lives next to a nursing home. He talks to the people who live there and finds something interesting about each one of them. He especially likes one lady who has 4 names just like he does. The boy's parents say she has lost her memory because she is so old. He sets out to find out what "memory" is so he can help her get it back. He unknowingly ends up helping the lady get som More...
Feb 01, 2012
Roger
rated it:
Mem Fox’s Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge uses first-rate dialogue to express ideas of friendship, caring, curiosity, and remembrance. Fox also makes splendid use of figurative language by comparing memory throughout the book to a number of different things. She describes memory as something “warm,” something “from long ago,” something “that makes you cry,” something “that makes you laugh,” and something “as precious as gold.” This picture book allows young readers to engage in a rich and rew
More...
Sep 23, 2009
Taya
rated it:
This story contained a wonderful mixture of hearwarming scenes and goofy characters. The different senior citizens that were portrayed were each made more enjoyable by the illustrations and the extremely relatable descriptions. The tale explained in a beautiful way how to discuss to children the sometimes hard truth of Alzheimers disease. The repetition of the dialoge worked very well to bring emphasis to each of the different answers given by the characters to the question of what a memory was.
More...
Aug 31, 2011
Jenna
rated it:
This book was very touching as it took you through Wilfrid's journey to find out what a "memory" is. Wilfrid is friends with all of the people in the retirement home next door, but his favorite is Nancy... Children will find Wilfrid's descriptions funny and adults will be deeply moved by the emotions relived by Nancy as Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge helps her to find her memories.
I think this is a great book to read to students and something adults can connect to as we More...
I think this is a great book to read to students and something adults can connect to as we More...
Dec 04, 2011
Elizabeth
rated it:
Fox and Vivas create a friendship between a "not very old" boy and very old people that is whimsical, innocent, down-to-earth, and deep. I haven't found enough books about young and old friendships - and fewer that handle them with such a light touch. As always, Fox creates a cadence using rhythm and repetition that makes you want to read along. Vivas is illustrations are full of life and movement. Wilfrid Gordon, in particular, is always in motion. The older people are huge - just as
More...
Apr 10, 2011
Sheniece
rated it:
this is a very nice read aloud book that would get students to think about how they could help someone the way Wildfrid did for Miss. Nancy. It would be a good idea to have a discussion about why we should be thoughtful and willing to help other people and how it would make the person feel. Most students will understand how and why Miss. Nancy has memory loss because they too may have grandparents. Hopefully reading this book to students will encourage them to do something meaningful for their g
More...
Sep 26, 2011
Mary
rated it:
I have to say this is a favorite of mine. I loved how the child went around asking all the neighbors of hers what a memory was and when they gave him an answer he kept it close. By the time he was finished asking he joined all the answers together and went to his friend. I think this is a great book to teach children that even if they have a memory of something small that it could mean a lot later down the road. Hold on to everything you can and learn from it if something were to happen a
More...
Jan 24, 2012
Shannon
rated it:
A beautiful story about a boy trying to help an elderly woman retrieve her memories. This is included in our unit when we discuss themes of stories, because the theme of friendship is so well supported.
The book also contains a lot of talk about what a memory is. I use this to form a poem about memories using metaphors with my students. They in turn form their own metaphor poems about something else. I got this lesson from writingfix.com, which is one of my favorite sites for writ More...
The book also contains a lot of talk about what a memory is. I use this to form a poem about memories using metaphors with my students. They in turn form their own metaphor poems about something else. I got this lesson from writingfix.com, which is one of my favorite sites for writ More...
Apr 08, 2011
Deanna
rated it:
I Love this book! My great grandmother lost her memory when I was younger, so this is very close to home to me. I would love to use this with students and have them all create their own definition of what a memory is. I would also love to have this for any of my students who may have parents or grandparents or any family members who have lost their memory to help them cope with it and show them how even the simplest things can help people jog their memory. This is truly a special book!
Sep 16, 2011
I used this for memory care storytime. Excellent--except change "he lived next to an old folks' home" to "retirement community". I also included a box with all the items mentioned in the book: a ball, an award/a ribbon, a medal, a shell, etc, and passed them around after the book was read, one by one, and listened to all the stories come out. We spent the rest of the hour listening to other's accomplishments and marvelous memories. It was a wonderful morning.
Dec 15, 2008
Janene
rated it:
I usually keep children's books off of goodreads, but I so absolutely loved this one that I had to recommend it! My four-yr-old may not have enjoyed it quite as much as I did, but it is simple story-telling at its finest. Please read it to your pre-schooler. Or to yourself! And tell me if you don't almost cry as I did... :o)
A extra bonus is that it is illustrated by one of my absolute favorites, Julie Vivas.
A extra bonus is that it is illustrated by one of my absolute favorites, Julie Vivas.
Sep 06, 2011
Shelbi
rated it:
Wilfred Gordon loves talking to Senior Citizens. One is his favorite, Mrs. Nancy, because she has four names just like him. On his quest to find out what memories are, he finds that they can be many things. He takes Mrs. Nancy a basket of his memories because Mrs. Nancy doesn't have her own.
This would spark a great activity for the classroom. The students can write about what this book made them think.
This would spark a great activity for the classroom. The students can write about what this book made them think.
Jul 21, 2009
Suzanne
rated it:
A young boy helps an old woman recover some of her memories. Very touching!
themes: Alzheimer's, use to kick off student's memory writing or to launch the building of individual memoirs (separate assignments such as favorite family recipe, a picture, interview a family member, write or clip out important ords and phrases to accumulate into a scrapbook or folder to give to student at end
themes: Alzheimer's, use to kick off student's memory writing or to launch the building of individual memoirs (separate assignments such as favorite family recipe, a picture, interview a family member, write or clip out important ords and phrases to accumulate into a scrapbook or folder to give to student at end
Aug 30, 2011
Ashley
rated it:
I thought this book was a very good book that I would like to read to my class one day. Wilfred helped Ms. Nancy remember things from her past which made her feel happy. Wilfred would ask different people he knew the meaning of memory and they replied with all differnt types of answers. He realized memories are very special and everyone has different memories that mean a lot to them.
Mar 19, 2010
Mona
rated it:
I read this a couple days ago because I was in need of a simple story, and the best kids' books are actually for any age. Bradley Whitford read this book to me at Storyline Online, because sometimes you're too tired to read to yourself. ;)
Great book about memories and the act of remembrance. It uses repetition of language and characterization, and this contributes to an almost sing-song quality. Only nitpick is that some of the language is a bit dated ("old people's home"), More...
Great book about memories and the act of remembrance. It uses repetition of language and characterization, and this contributes to an almost sing-song quality. Only nitpick is that some of the language is a bit dated ("old people's home"), More...
Apr 03, 2011
Christian
rated it:
Everyday people do not realize how the small things that we do for others can have a real impact on them. This story protrays that message. Ms. Nancy lives in a nursing home and is having trouble with her memory. Its the little things that Wilfrid does that helps Ms. Nancy with her memory. This book goes into conversations of what memories are and how it affects us.
Apr 28, 2010
Jentrie
rated it:
I fell in love with this book the first time I read it. I have since added it to my personal library and read it many more times. This little boy lives next door to an old people's home and he is friends with all of the elderly people that live there. There is one woman there who is losing her memory and this little boy helps her find it. I highly recommend this book.
Feb 01, 2011
Beth
rated it:
Wilfrid loves Ms. Nancy the best, but at age 96 she is having a difficult time with her memory. He asks around to find out what a memory is and brings many items to share with Ms. Nancy. This helps her recall happy, sad, and funny moments from the past.
I watched this at Storyline Online http://www.storylineonline.net/
Bradley Whitford read the story.
I watched this at Storyline Online http://www.storylineonline.net/
Bradley Whitford read the story.
Sep 03, 2011
Casey
rated it:
This book is a good book to used to teach about friendship. It can also be used to teach about memoir. I had never read or heard of this book until it was read to our class by our professor. I think it's easily related to because we all have memories, and one of the main characters is an elderly woman. She comes across very grandmotherly.
