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A Day No Pigs Would Die
Robert Newton Peck's novel of a Vermont farm boyhood has become a celebrated classic, captivating readers year after year with its quiet humor and poignant drama. It is the timeless story of one Shaker boy, his beloved pet pig, and the joys and hardships that mark his passage into manhood. A Day No Pigs Would Die is told in a unique and compelling voice, one with all the u...more
Paperback, 150 pages
Published
September 20th 1994
by Random House
(first published 1972)
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I didn't read this book as a young adult, but I recently read it as an old adult. This is one sad story.
It could also go on the "I had to face the death of my beloved pet" shelf with Old Yeller and Where the Red Fern Grows . At least the kids who loved those dogs didn't have to eat them.
It could also go on the "I had to face the death of my beloved pet" shelf with Old Yeller and Where the Red Fern Grows . At least the kids who loved those dogs didn't have to eat them.
This book is about Peck and his farm life. In this story, the three things the author wants to show is the bond of a father and son, the importance of education and the struggle we go through adolescence.
Peck lived in a farm with is parents, a cow and a ox. One day, Peck was teased from his friends at school and ran away, to his house. Surprisingly, at that time, Mr Tanner's (their neighbor) cow was having a calve. He helped the cow to get the calve safely out, but got injured badly while tryin...more
Peck lived in a farm with is parents, a cow and a ox. One day, Peck was teased from his friends at school and ran away, to his house. Surprisingly, at that time, Mr Tanner's (their neighbor) cow was having a calve. He helped the cow to get the calve safely out, but got injured badly while tryin...more
Although overall I enjoyed the book, I felt it would be somewhat challenging for younger readers. Pinky’s rape scene is quite brutal, and although there is some truth to the grotesquerie of animal husbandry- I found it a bit gruesome. Also there is quite a bit of sexism, which I found unpleasant, especially in the assumption that Pinky will be better now that she has been raped. Also the Shaker values are historically inaccurate in many ways rendering the text useless to a history class.
A DAY NO PIGS WOULD DIE
Robert Peck
“Gilded by Work”
Twelve-year-old Rob is the only surviving son of a poor Shaker farm family in Vermont. All his life he has yearned for a pet, for something which belongs to Him alone. When he receives a piglet from a kind and grateful neighbor he is thrilled—lavishing both time and affection on tiny Pinky. An ironic coincidence however: his Pa is famous locally as a high-quality pig butcher. A perfect set up for future dramatic conflict.
This is a straightfor...more
Robert Peck
“Gilded by Work”
Twelve-year-old Rob is the only surviving son of a poor Shaker farm family in Vermont. All his life he has yearned for a pet, for something which belongs to Him alone. When he receives a piglet from a kind and grateful neighbor he is thrilled—lavishing both time and affection on tiny Pinky. An ironic coincidence however: his Pa is famous locally as a high-quality pig butcher. A perfect set up for future dramatic conflict.
This is a straightfor...more
Jeremy Yong
Advisory
Ms. Gondek
2/15/13
So far, I am not too impressed with this book. A Day No Pigs Would Die, by Robert Newton Peck, has not really grabbed me yet. I did admire the scene where Rob Peck, a young boy, saves Apron, a big neighbor cow. It was an interesting scene, but from then on out, I have become extremely bored with this book. Though this book had a great start, I fear that it will not be so great as I continue to read. I predict that there will not be as much action in this boo...more
Advisory
Ms. Gondek
2/15/13
So far, I am not too impressed with this book. A Day No Pigs Would Die, by Robert Newton Peck, has not really grabbed me yet. I did admire the scene where Rob Peck, a young boy, saves Apron, a big neighbor cow. It was an interesting scene, but from then on out, I have become extremely bored with this book. Though this book had a great start, I fear that it will not be so great as I continue to read. I predict that there will not be as much action in this boo...more
Review
“Reading this book is like sipping hot cider in front of a crackling potbellied stove. Every page is suffused with wit and charm and glowing with warmth.”–Newsweek
“A lovely book. . . . Honest, moving, homely in the warm and simple sense of the word. . . . It is small, accepting and loving and it succeeds perfectly.”–Boston Globe
“You’ll find yourself caught up in the novel’s emotion from the very opening scene. . . . Love suffuses every page.”–*The New York Times
"With plenty of Yankee com
...more
I have never cried so much while reading a book as I have with this one... by a long shot. I have read it twice--once when I was 9 and again this month. It had the same effect both times. I read with the boys and I believe that it has a great message and is a beautiful coming of age story but there are parts that are definately hard to read and can benefit from editing by the reader when reading with kids. *****SPOILER ALERT: Some reviewers are particularly concerned about the scene where the pi...more
"A Farmer's heart is rabbit soft,
and a farmer's eyes are blue.
But a farmer's eyes are eagle fierce
and look a man right through."
That's what caught my attention. It has a powerful beginning and it sums up what the book is all about. I loved reading this book, because everything is told from the perspective of a child-who turns thirteen after his Father's death. Their neighbor, Mr. Tanner tells him at thirteen is when a boy becomes a man, and he yearns for his Father love and guidance, but all he...more
and a farmer's eyes are blue.
But a farmer's eyes are eagle fierce
and look a man right through."
That's what caught my attention. It has a powerful beginning and it sums up what the book is all about. I loved reading this book, because everything is told from the perspective of a child-who turns thirteen after his Father's death. Their neighbor, Mr. Tanner tells him at thirteen is when a boy becomes a man, and he yearns for his Father love and guidance, but all he...more
I am amazed at many of the negative opinions regarding this book. It is very well written, the author balances humor with realism and emotional content. Although there are some disturbing scenes, they are not fictional violence, but a part of the life of the time and place. My book club read this as adults and many of them were more upset at the scenes than the students who read the book. Sometimes as adults we seem to read more into things than children do. Weasling the dogs was very hard for m...more
May 04, 2011
Veronika Walker
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Young Adults
Shelves:
favorites
Many readers don't like A Day No Pigs Would Die because of its religious connotations and its "sexism." Personally, I loved it because it depicts real life in all its glory...and its gruesomeness.
Robert is a young boy who learns the reality of life's hardships - the necessity of doing the hard things, the joys of the little things, the truth about making decisions and becoming a man. Though I'm female, I could sympathize with Robert's maturing into an adult and coming face to face with the trut...more
Robert is a young boy who learns the reality of life's hardships - the necessity of doing the hard things, the joys of the little things, the truth about making decisions and becoming a man. Though I'm female, I could sympathize with Robert's maturing into an adult and coming face to face with the trut...more
Peck has written a great "boy becomes a man" book.. In this semi-autobiographical novel, the 12-year-old narrator Robert is a Shaker farm boy living in Vermont in the 1920s. The book follows a year in his life involving several experiences that change him from a boy into a man, and along the way there are graphic descriptions of several gruesome and gory things that happen on the farm, including the opening scene where Robert helps a cow that is having trouble giving birth. In general though, th...more
This book takes time during a modern period in Learning- a small village in Vermont. Most of the important events take place on the shaker farm which is owned by the Peck family. The protagonist in the novel is Robert Peck. Robert is a hard-worker who accepts his life; until he turns thirteen and his father passes away. Robert then has to take the responsibilities as head of the farmer while being young and growing up. The antagonist in this novel is the challenges that Robert has to face at a y...more
I chose this because I had seen it on the banned/challenged books list and I could see that it was short (do you see a theme here?) Apparently it was challenged for its depiction of pigs mating and being slaughtered. And that is gross! There are also descriptions of a hawk killing a rabbit, squirrel hunting, and a dog killing a weasel and then having to be put down. So there is a lot of icky stuff at least to this suburban girl. While it was violent, it wasn't for the sake of violence; the latte...more
This was a sweet coming-of-age story about a Shaker boy in Vermont and "his acceptance of faith, death, and the hard work of wresting a life from the land." In the course of a year, the 13-year-old takes on
the role of the man in his family. There were some down-home phrases
like: "Let's all put on the feed bag." "He'll stand without hitching" (super compliment). Also lots of wisdom: "Never miss a chance to keep your mouth shut." "Why tell people what they don't want to hear?" "A man's worship cou...more
the role of the man in his family. There were some down-home phrases
like: "Let's all put on the feed bag." "He'll stand without hitching" (super compliment). Also lots of wisdom: "Never miss a chance to keep your mouth shut." "Why tell people what they don't want to hear?" "A man's worship cou...more
I needed a short, light-weight book to take backpacking with me into the Wind River Mountains in Wyoming. I came across an old, beat-up copy of A Day No Pigs Would Die that I had bought at a second-hand store and decided to take it. While on my trip I read the first 25 or so pages. I was not really impressed, but because it was a short book I decided to finish it when I got home. Some of the things that really bothered me were the the focus on sex and reproduction (not really appropriate in a ch...more
I picked up A Day No Pigs Would Die from our old bookshelf in the basement last weekend when I went home. I couldn’t remember hearing anything about it, and had no idea if it was worth reading, but the tattered cover and faded pages seemed to whisper that I try it out. I’m so glad I did. The book follows a young 12-year-old boy named Robert who is growing up on a rural farm in Vermont. A Day No Pigs Would Die is one of those books you experience, not just read. It left me changed in a quiet subt...more
This a beautifully "simple" memoir about a 12-year-old boy who lives on a farm in Vermont during the Great Depression.
Summary:
Robert's family is different from a lot of the families of his classmates. They are Shakers; they are called the "plain people" by Robert's classmates. His father works at a slaughter house killing pigs, so Robert has to do most of the work on the family farm. One day, Robert saves his neighbor's cow during a difficult birthing, and as a thank-you, the neighbor gives him...more
Summary:
Robert's family is different from a lot of the families of his classmates. They are Shakers; they are called the "plain people" by Robert's classmates. His father works at a slaughter house killing pigs, so Robert has to do most of the work on the family farm. One day, Robert saves his neighbor's cow during a difficult birthing, and as a thank-you, the neighbor gives him...more
I came across this book after doing some research (for my current novel) on junior high required reading lists, and thought I'd try it. I finished it last night, and found myself horrified that junior high students might actually be required to struggle through it. Billed as a sweet little farm tale, or a coming-of-age story of a Vermont Shaker boy, there were elements that absolutely appalled me. First let me say that I am a farm woman, used to the gritty details of farm life, and in fact, I us...more
"'Never miss a chance', Papa had once said, 'to keep your mouth shut.'"
—A Day No Pigs Would Die, P. 91
Here is truly one of the most memorable narrative voices in modern young adult literature.
Robert Peck's life as the only surviving son of a quiet, unassuming Shaker family isn't exactly fraught with action and adventure, but it sure seems that way. I think that is because of the power embedded in the deep emotional moments of his family's life, a life that adheres completely to the Shaker id...more
—A Day No Pigs Would Die, P. 91
Here is truly one of the most memorable narrative voices in modern young adult literature.
Robert Peck's life as the only surviving son of a quiet, unassuming Shaker family isn't exactly fraught with action and adventure, but it sure seems that way. I think that is because of the power embedded in the deep emotional moments of his family's life, a life that adheres completely to the Shaker id...more
This was a quiet, thoughtful YA novel about a Shaker farming family, told from the point of view of a twelve-year-old boy, Rob. Expect a gamut of emotions in this one. There is genuine humor in young Rob’s observations of life around him. However, the main plotline of the story is a tragic one. Rob lovingly raises and cares for a pet pig named Pinky. Although he had hoped to stave off Pinky’s execution by keeping her as a breeding sow, he later determines Pinky cannot breed. Rob’s is a poor hous...more
This is a small book filled with deep,heavy,significant things like character,service,love of family and a wonderful intimacy between father and son.Robert Peck and his father Haven were simple people of the Shaker faith.They believed in everything written down in the Book of Shaker to guide them through their lives.
The story begins with Robert saving the life of his neighbor Benjamin Tanner's Holstein cow ,Apron,helping to deliver her of 2 bull calves and plucking from her throat the goiter th...more
The story begins with Robert saving the life of his neighbor Benjamin Tanner's Holstein cow ,Apron,helping to deliver her of 2 bull calves and plucking from her throat the goiter th...more
My oldest son, James, had to read this book in middle school. A few years later, I decided to pick it up to read. Interesting story about farming and the plainspoken "Shaker" world. I am presuming this is a true story since the author's name is the same.
Pretty graphic parts in the book, but I guess that's all in a farming family's life. It starts off with the main character, Rob Peck, a 11 year old boy, helping his neighbor's cow give birth (with lots of gross detail) at the start of the story (...more
Pretty graphic parts in the book, but I guess that's all in a farming family's life. It starts off with the main character, Rob Peck, a 11 year old boy, helping his neighbor's cow give birth (with lots of gross detail) at the start of the story (...more
I'm not sure if I should throw up or cry on this. I guess it's one of those books that came along at the right time. I've spent 19 years in the same house in the same town with the same mother and now I have to step out into the city and live alone - which is why this story about a boy growing up abruptly at the age of 13 hits me so hard.
It touches me for the simple fact that when I was 13 I was a helpless nobody, and this here is a kid who can do anything short of building a rocket. I can't ev...more
It touches me for the simple fact that when I was 13 I was a helpless nobody, and this here is a kid who can do anything short of building a rocket. I can't ev...more
This book is written in an easy manner that a child can follow, but the subject matter, while written about a young boy on a farm, is deep. The main character, Robert, takes the reader on a journey to manhood through his experiences on his farm. There are times when he shows more strength and understanding than the grown men around him. He learns of the realities of life and death, the joys the small things in life, the love of family, the strength to do what is necessary for the greater good,...more
Robert Peck's semi-autobiographical novel of growing up in the Shaker Way in rural Vermont in 1940 is full of life lessons--some funny, some painful and violent, and some heart-wrenching.
Twelve-year-old Robert idolizes his father. Haven Peck may not know how to read or write, but he is wise in the ways of the natural world, a good neighbor, and a good man. He is steadfast in his determination to raise his son up to be a good man, too, and to that end teaches him how to take care of the animals,...more
Twelve-year-old Robert idolizes his father. Haven Peck may not know how to read or write, but he is wise in the ways of the natural world, a good neighbor, and a good man. He is steadfast in his determination to raise his son up to be a good man, too, and to that end teaches him how to take care of the animals,...more
I read this for my student internship because my mentor teacher has her students read it every year, and I can see why! This book is filled with metaphors, similes, imagery, allusions, and all kinds of other figurative language kids learn about in 10th grade English. As for the story, I enjoyed it for the most part. There are a few chapters that dragged a bit (such as the one where he talks about a hawk killing a rabbit for four pages, then goes on to discuss for another 3 pages what he feeds hi...more
This is definitely a book that will elicit strong emotions!
What I liked: the simple prose, the effortless storytelling that truly could have originated from a 12 year old boy. I appreciated the quiet wisdom of the father, the courage to accept what is inevitably a hard life, not only as a farmer but as a butcher, or as any hired laborer. Peck skillfully captures the sentiment of the farmer, who is proud to own his own land and "captain his own ship". To work for another man, although often neces...more
What I liked: the simple prose, the effortless storytelling that truly could have originated from a 12 year old boy. I appreciated the quiet wisdom of the father, the courage to accept what is inevitably a hard life, not only as a farmer but as a butcher, or as any hired laborer. Peck skillfully captures the sentiment of the farmer, who is proud to own his own land and "captain his own ship". To work for another man, although often neces...more
This book has been challenged and banned several times. The author uses an authentic dialect, which some find degrading. The author also accurately describes the harsh realities of farm life and the sometimes tough decisions that must be made. Is this inappropriate for middle-school-aged children? There are also descriptions of what happens when breeding takes place between a male and female pig and the description of how pigs are slaughtered. These are graphic, however, all one needs to do is w...more
The book A day no pig would die is a very good book. I liked to because he is a very young boy his name is tom and tom gets in alot of trouble in school so he dont want to go. so his dad said sence u skipped school how bout you go cut me a switch and ill where it out on you .Then tom said he was srry for skipping school and then he left the house and went down the road where he herd a cow having trouble.So he went to in vestigate and found that she was having trouble giveing birth to her small c...more
From My Summer of Challenged Books.
A Day No Pigs Would Die By Robert Newton Peck
Newberry Award Winner (I think)
8/10
This was a favorite of an ex boyfriend of mine. I can see why people love this book, but it isn't one I like to read. It is written in a matter of fact dialect, and makes you feel like you've been kicked in the stomach. If you are of a delicate nature, and can't take farm talk, stay away from this book. In the interest of not offending my journal buddies, I will not summarize the pl...more
A Day No Pigs Would Die By Robert Newton Peck
Newberry Award Winner (I think)
8/10
This was a favorite of an ex boyfriend of mine. I can see why people love this book, but it isn't one I like to read. It is written in a matter of fact dialect, and makes you feel like you've been kicked in the stomach. If you are of a delicate nature, and can't take farm talk, stay away from this book. In the interest of not offending my journal buddies, I will not summarize the pl...more
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From Wikipedia--
Robert Newton Peck is an American author of books for young adults. His titles include Soup and A Day No Pigs Would Die. He claims to have been born on February 17, 1928, in Vermont, but has refused to specify where. Similarly, he claims to have graduated from a high school in Texas, which he has also refused to identify. Some sources state that he was born in Nashville, Tennessee...more
More about Robert Newton Peck...
Robert Newton Peck is an American author of books for young adults. His titles include Soup and A Day No Pigs Would Die. He claims to have been born on February 17, 1928, in Vermont, but has refused to specify where. Similarly, he claims to have graduated from a high school in Texas, which he has also refused to identify. Some sources state that he was born in Nashville, Tennessee...more
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“Never miss a chance...to keep your mouth shut.”
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19 people liked it
“Somehow, the Good Lord don't want to see no man start a cold morning with just black coffee.”
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