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32nd out of 90 books
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125 voters
My rating:
add to my books
Criss Cross
Debbie is wishing something would happen. Something good. To her. Soon. In the meantime, Debbie loses a necklace and finds a necklace (and boy does the necklace have a story to tell), she goes jeans shopping with her mother (an accomplishment in diplomacy), she learns to drive shift in a truck (illegally), she saves a life (directly connected to being able to drive, thus p
...moreHardcover, 337 pages
Published
September 1st 2005
by Greenwillow Books
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This book won the 2006 Newbery Medal, and I am for once in complete accord with the Newbery Committee. Perkins' prose is spare and clean. Some of the passages simply glow, especially when they are highlighting the ways in which we try to communicate and fail. Characters who love each other are at cross purposes with the best intentions in the world. The characters are sympathetic and believable, there are no emotional pyrotechnics, no huge tragedies these kids have to recover from, they are ordi...more
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Jackie "the Librarian"
rated it
Recommends it for:
Thoughtful girls
Shelves:
childrensbooks,
awardwinners
I LOVED this book. YOU may hate it. This story is subtle as heck, and while it resonated with me down to my toes, it is a peculiar tale that some people will throw across the room and rage to the heavens "Why in the world did THIS win the Newbery Award?"
Funny, insightful, and wry. Yes, things DO happen, although not everyone will agree with me on that. I loved the start, where Hector, 14, experiences satori at a coffeehouse concert. And now, I know what satori means. Thank you, ...more
Funny, insightful, and wry. Yes, things DO happen, although not everyone will agree with me on that. I loved the start, where Hector, 14, experiences satori at a coffeehouse concert. And now, I know what satori means. Thank you, ...more
I just loved this. It reminded me of the great fiction I read in Sassy magazine when I was a young teenager, before it went bust. I honestly didn't expect to like it, but it wasn't nearly as weird or quirky as I expected--I'd heard that parts of it were "told in verse", for instance, but there's just one short chapter of that and it isn't esoteric.
The setting made me think of what Laurie said about the Penderwicks--if you're going to write a book set in the forties, SET i...more
The setting made me think of what Laurie said about the Penderwicks--if you're going to write a book set in the forties, SET i...more
To some readers, "nothing happens" in this story. But to me there is a whole universe of wonder in that "nothing"! It was as real to me as my own Junior High days, as if Lynn Rae Perkins lived in my neighborhood, hung out with us and could see into our dreams. I loved the illustrations; they seemed so genuine, with a home-grown, sometimes droll feel. Pieces of the text are like that too--unfettered expressions, as if created by an exploring young diarist.
I think this b...more
I think this b...more
A book without much plot, but with beautiful writing and convincingly drawn characters. Set in what appears to be the 70's, Perkins tells the criss-crossing stories of a group of friends on the cusp of adolescence. Constantly shifting point of view between characters suddenly awkward as they consider the possibilities before them, and the selves they might become, Perkins focuses not on the life-changing moments, but on the small events when a piece of oneself comes into greater focus. This won'...more
Well now I better understand the fuss about disappointing Newbery Medal winners. This book was boring, not memorable, and the characters did not interest me one bit. I don't know if perhaps it was the "listening" rather than actual "reading" that made it unejoyable, but this story just didn't grab me in any way.
As I struggled through the 2 1/2 discs that I listened to, I was trying to figure out why it won the Newbery. Hmmmm....
As I struggled through the 2 1/2 discs that I listened to, I was trying to figure out why it won the Newbery. Hmmmm....
I loved this book. It's funny and touching. It actually reminded me of what it was like to be 14. The tag line drew me in immediately: "She wished something would happen." I definitely remember spending my teen years wishing "something would happen." I still feel that way! The author writes so simply and perfectly. For example:
"Whatever her name was, she was pretty. She had a thick, careless braid of chestnut hair, a quick smile, and dark, merry eyes. She wore some...more
"Whatever her name was, she was pretty. She had a thick, careless braid of chestnut hair, a quick smile, and dark, merry eyes. She wore some...more
In one word: cute. Criss Cross about the lives of a group of friends (14 years old, I believe). There is not a big moment, no climax; it is just a nice story. The ending really stuck with me, the idea that things must happen in the right moment or they may be missed. The characters also have great dialog, discussing life and love in a realistic way.
I enjoyed the story. However, as an audiobook listener, was not impressed. Maybe because it is for younger readers, the narrator seemed to...more
I enjoyed the story. However, as an audiobook listener, was not impressed. Maybe because it is for younger readers, the narrator seemed to...more
Not a bad read, but disappointing for a Newbery medalist. A lot of the writing seemed too meta-literary for the target readership to comprehend or appreciate, and even some of the vocabulary I thought was too esoteric. The book also uses a multiple-narrative perspective throughout, which I find too fragmentary. At the end the auther pulls together the pieces (somewhat) for the reader, but not enough to justify a novel that felt like random camera angles shot for the sake of being "artsy"...more
My husband tossed me this book to read and as I got a few pages in, it seemed familiar. As I read on, I realized that sure enough I had previously read this book, but I finished it all the same. Some people have complained that "nothing happens" in the book, however, often times don't you feel like "nothing" happens in your day. Or lives are full of these "nothing" moments. Many have also complained about the book having too many characters for you to really ge...more
This was such a great book! Lynne Rae Perkins is an incredible writer. The sarcastic humor in this book made me laugh out loud several times. It is a Newberry winner, but I would never read it in a class room. It deals with adolescent "romance" - the time when you just start noticing the opposite sex. Even though it's a kids book it's such a good grown-up book! I promise you'll relate to SO MUCH OF IT. It made me kind of miss that age, but mostly thank God I'll never have to be ...more
"She wished something would happen. Something good. To her." keep wishing! This was just a random collection of memories, most of them not contributing towards the story in any way. Kirkus Reviews says 'A poignantly funny coming-of-age story'. Not only did I not find it funny, most of the characters barely changed and were just as childish at the start as at the end.
I picked this book up because of the interesting cover, and the reviews and blurb on the back. I was under th...more
I picked this book up because of the interesting cover, and the reviews and blurb on the back. I was under th...more
Good quotes:
"I think it does make some people feel better. That's when they say, "God works in mysterious ways." Although no one wants to be the one He's working on that way. It makes people feel like there really is some really worthwhile reason that they're having such a crappy life. And like they will be rewarded later." (Pg. 86)
"I think," he said, "that it's a good thing to get out of your usual, you know, surroundings. Because you find ...more
"I think it does make some people feel better. That's when they say, "God works in mysterious ways." Although no one wants to be the one He's working on that way. It makes people feel like there really is some really worthwhile reason that they're having such a crappy life. And like they will be rewarded later." (Pg. 86)
"I think," he said, "that it's a good thing to get out of your usual, you know, surroundings. Because you find ...more
Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins
“Criss Cross” is about a group of friends who are around 14 years old that get together every week to listen to the radio show “Criss Cross”. Hector, Debbie, and their other friends live together in the same small town during the 1970’s. The main characters are Debbie and Hector. Debbie gets her first shot at love, meets new people, and learns how to drive stick shift. Hector makes an accomplishment by learning how to play guitar and he also asks his cr...more
“Criss Cross” is about a group of friends who are around 14 years old that get together every week to listen to the radio show “Criss Cross”. Hector, Debbie, and their other friends live together in the same small town during the 1970’s. The main characters are Debbie and Hector. Debbie gets her first shot at love, meets new people, and learns how to drive stick shift. Hector makes an accomplishment by learning how to play guitar and he also asks his cr...more
I struggled with this Newbery Medal-winning novel by the author who just dazzled me with As Easy As Falling Off the Face of the Earth. There's a nifty budding-romance part featuring the female lead, Debbie, and the visiting-from-out-of-state grandson of an elderly neighbor, that had me hooked, but then the grandson goes back home and not much else ever happens. Which would be okay, but the not much that ever happens happens (or doesn't) in a way that seemed to be leading up to something. Near...more
'Criss Cross' leads with its quintessential sentence: 'She wished something would happen.' Quintessential because the reader may often find himself wishing the same thing.
Perkins makes clever use of different styles of text and illustration in this novel about teen-age lives intersecting during a lazy summer in a small town. And the kids are interesting characters with depth. I was particularly fond of Hector, who actually does something (learns how to play the guitar). For the...more
Perkins makes clever use of different styles of text and illustration in this novel about teen-age lives intersecting during a lazy summer in a small town. And the kids are interesting characters with depth. I was particularly fond of Hector, who actually does something (learns how to play the guitar). For the...more
Miz Lizzie
rated it
This book was not at all what I was expecting from the cover blurb. That is to say, basically, I expected something to happen. Five neighborhood young teens meander through a summer vacation. Debbie opens the novel wishing something would happen, something good, to her. Things do happen but mostly as isolated incidents. The through-line of the plot is with a necklace Debbie wears around her neck that apparently is trying to make her wish for some romance to come true (similiar to the watch ...more
If Wes Anderson ever wrote books . . . .
What is cute/funny/ironic in film doesn't seem to work for me in books. I read this for a rather long time before I could figure out what the story was. (This makes me wonder why anyone who was required/compelled by work to read the book would even bother.) By the time I had finished, I had enjoyed many clever sections of writing that didn't add up to a fulfilling story. As I judge most books by their ability to tell a story, I can't quite fatho...more
What is cute/funny/ironic in film doesn't seem to work for me in books. I read this for a rather long time before I could figure out what the story was. (This makes me wonder why anyone who was required/compelled by work to read the book would even bother.) By the time I had finished, I had enjoyed many clever sections of writing that didn't add up to a fulfilling story. As I judge most books by their ability to tell a story, I can't quite fatho...more
I picked this book up at a used book sale and grabbed it because it had the newberry medal winner seal stuck on it. As I held the book the seal started to unstick and roll. I was having a hard time liking the book and started wondering if it had really won the Newberry medal or if someone had haphazardly stuck the sticker on this book by accident. I read another 20 pages and then had to go look online to see if it was really a winner.
It is.
So, with affirmation that...more
It is.
So, with affirmation that...more
Realistic Fiction- Newberry Winner
Perkins, Lynne Rae. Criss Cross. New York: HarperCollins, 2005. Ages 10 and up. Pages 337. ISBN- 976-0-06-009274-0. Time spent: app 6 hours.
Awkwardness, insecurity and confusion all have one thing in common, they happen in adolescence, sometime simultaneously. The story unfolds in a small town, somewhere- and is about a group of neighborhood friends. They each have their own story, some brief, but all intertwine with each other and have small effec...more
Perkins, Lynne Rae. Criss Cross. New York: HarperCollins, 2005. Ages 10 and up. Pages 337. ISBN- 976-0-06-009274-0. Time spent: app 6 hours.
Awkwardness, insecurity and confusion all have one thing in common, they happen in adolescence, sometime simultaneously. The story unfolds in a small town, somewhere- and is about a group of neighborhood friends. They each have their own story, some brief, but all intertwine with each other and have small effec...more
I enjoyed this sweet, quiet book about adolescence because of the beautiful shining moments of perfectly capturing the feeling of transformation that happens as children turn into young adults. I also really enjoyed the way the author played with form and media. The story is almost entirely character-driven; you'd be hard pressed to come up with a real plot summary, but nonetheless, there are so many small events that change the characters as they criss and cross each other all around the smal...more
There was a lot I liked about this. I liked Debbie, the fragments of Debbie I got anyway. And I liked that this was suburban. Rarely is there that middle ground in children's fiction (in fiction in general?). It's always New York City or some desolate dusty town, population: 12. I like reading about those places plenty, but it was nice to read about kids whose adolescence actually had something to do with my own. And I liked that Perkins tried new things (the columns with the simultaneous vignet...more
I loved this book. It says something about an author's ability to create character when my favorite chapter was about the 8th-or-so most important character, and the (relatively short) book ends and you feel like you now know about a dozen people pretty well. The book is funny, clever, beautiful (great illustrations done by the author herself), and highly engaging. I really recommend this one -- the Newbery Medal people chose another good one.
Another Homework book.
This book was weird, but in a good way. It combines several styles of writing, and includes a smattering of art, to tell the story of a handful of young high school kids. They're dealing with typical issues of this age - growing up, feeling awkward, out of place, searching for meaning.
The problem for me is that this is a "companion book", which is a euphamism for "sequel". The author did a fine job of not letting me know that for ...more
This book was weird, but in a good way. It combines several styles of writing, and includes a smattering of art, to tell the story of a handful of young high school kids. They're dealing with typical issues of this age - growing up, feeling awkward, out of place, searching for meaning.
The problem for me is that this is a "companion book", which is a euphamism for "sequel". The author did a fine job of not letting me know that for ...more
From my blog: I love how [this book is:] about, well, nothing, and yet completely entertaining. Okay, it’s not about nothing; it’s about smart kids’ thoughts. Debbie, one of the main characters, really wants something…good…to happen to her. She finally meets a nice boy, but he’s only in town for a few days. They start talking and decide that interesting things only happen Somewhere Else. Peter says, “I really like how when you go somewhere for the first time, everything seems unusual.” I really ...more
This book seems like a continuous sketch of sorts. As other reviewers have noted, there's not really a plot. There are a few themes, though. It's a slice of life sort of story, but the events aren't particularly out of the ordinary. It seems to be conveying something sentimental, or emotional, perhaps. It has a fairly relaxing pace. There's not a lot of stressful drama (but maybe a little of the non-stressful kind, as in it doesn't stress out the reader). It's pretty enjoyable. It's quite differ...more
YOU: I dunno what people see in this book. I can't believe it won the Newbery. It has no plot.
ME: No plot, you say? Sign me up!
Ah yes, the "no plot" litmus test. I suppose it was my initial attraction to Criss Cross. I use it for TV shows and movies, too, and it's definitely burned me a couple times -- some books / movies / whatever are just quietly suspenseful in there own way, but I've run across a few that didn't have enough tension to hold up any plot, wheth...more
ME: No plot, you say? Sign me up!
Ah yes, the "no plot" litmus test. I suppose it was my initial attraction to Criss Cross. I use it for TV shows and movies, too, and it's definitely burned me a couple times -- some books / movies / whatever are just quietly suspenseful in there own way, but I've run across a few that didn't have enough tension to hold up any plot, wheth...more
This book was one of the most terrible books I had ever read in my life! I did not finish the book because it was really boring. I mean the first 5 chapters should be intersting but it was really boring I decied to quit on it! This book was also very confusing because of all the characters switching from place to place! It made me feel like i was going to fall asleep! I would not recommend this book to anyone
I read this book a couple of years ago, but I decided to pick it up again. I could really relate to the characters in this book and how they were feeling and the situations that they were in. Something that I learned from this book is that everything's extraordinary and that what you may feel/think is ordinary is totally different to someone else, it will probably seem extraordinary to them. It taught me to look at the brighter side of life and make the best of it. After all, you only got one li...more
this book is good, but is not easy to understand. there are many different characters and the book tells about each of their lives. the main character is Debbie and she wished something would happen to her. And, something does.
this book talks about many different people in many different points of view. some events r happening at the same time but there are different chapters with two different points of view. it is very confusing.
i think that this book is a lot like rea...more
this book talks about many different people in many different points of view. some events r happening at the same time but there are different chapters with two different points of view. it is very confusing.
i think that this book is a lot like rea...more
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Lynne Rae Perkins is the author of several novels, including her most recent Newbery Award winning book, Criss Cross. She enjoys working in her studio, being with friends, watching her kids grow, and watching her husband, Bill, chase their dog around town.
More about Lynne Rae Perkins...
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“I know I'm still young and there's a lot of time for things to happen, but sometimes I think there is something about me that's wrong, that I'm not the kind of person anyone can fall in love with, and that I'll always just be alone.”
—
11 people liked it
“They looked for one another when nothing else was happening, the way you pick up a magazine or look in the cupboard for a snack. Not exactly by accident and not exactly on purpose. You could go out in the world and do new things and meet new people, and then you could come home and just sit on the stoop with someone you had never not known, and watch lightning bugs blink on and off.”
—
8 people liked it
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