Be careful what you wish for ...Andi is short. And she has lots of wishes. She wishes she could play on the school basketball team, she wishes for ...
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Sep 01, 2010
Tina
rated it: 
Full review posted at Pinoy Pop
My brother doesn’t know this, but I consider him to be one of my best friends. He’s four years older than me, and like every other sibling pair, we used to have our share of screaming matches when we were kids. We only started having serious conversations as we grew up, thanks to the long rides from school to our house during college, when he'd pick me up. My relationship with him gave me a soft spot for stories about brothers and sisters, so it was no More...
My brother doesn’t know this, but I consider him to be one of my best friends. He’s four years older than me, and like every other sibling pair, we used to have our share of screaming matches when we were kids. We only started having serious conversations as we grew up, thanks to the long rides from school to our house during college, when he'd pick me up. My relationship with him gave me a soft spot for stories about brothers and sisters, so it was no More...
15 comments
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(4 people liked it)
Nov 25, 2010
Chachic
rated it:
Originally posted here.
This book is more middle grade or younger YA for me, just to give you guys fair warning. The story is told in alternating perspectives of Bernardo and Andi (real name: Amandolina, such an old school Filipino name). Andi is a thirteen-year-old girl who lives in London with her parents. She has a half-brother named Bernardo and he lives in the Philippines. Their mum came to the UK to work as a nurse and that's when she met Andi's father, who also works as a nurse More...
This book is more middle grade or younger YA for me, just to give you guys fair warning. The story is told in alternating perspectives of Bernardo and Andi (real name: Amandolina, such an old school Filipino name). Andi is a thirteen-year-old girl who lives in London with her parents. She has a half-brother named Bernardo and he lives in the Philippines. Their mum came to the UK to work as a nurse and that's when she met Andi's father, who also works as a nurse More...
4 comments
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Aug 30, 2010
Caroline
rated it:
This is one of the sweetest and most refreshing books I've read this year. It is a very sweet story, extremely well written and deeply enjoyable !
Actually, you want to know a funny story? My roomie is from the Philippines and (wait for it) is a nurse! Exactly like the mother of Andi and Bernardo. And I laughed so much when Andi transcribes what she thinks is Tagalog, because that's exactly what I hear when my roomie talks to her family there. Sorry, I'm in a boring anecdote mode today More...
Actually, you want to know a funny story? My roomie is from the Philippines and (wait for it) is a nurse! Exactly like the mother of Andi and Bernardo. And I laughed so much when Andi transcribes what she thinks is Tagalog, because that's exactly what I hear when my roomie talks to her family there. Sorry, I'm in a boring anecdote mode today More...
2 comments
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(3 people liked it)
Jun 05, 2011
Teresa
rated it:
With four children, all under the age of 10, spending the weekend here, this was the perfect kind of book for me to be reading if I wanted to get any reading done at all. (And, of course, I always do.)
Besides enjoying this book very much, I learned new things about the Philippines, such as that the country loves basketball -- I had no idea -- and the legend of Bernardo Carpio, which I especially enjoyed, as I love folktales from other countries and noting the similarities and differ More...
Besides enjoying this book very much, I learned new things about the Philippines, such as that the country loves basketball -- I had no idea -- and the legend of Bernardo Carpio, which I especially enjoyed, as I love folktales from other countries and noting the similarities and differ More...
2 comments
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(5 people liked it)
Feb 03, 2012
Becky
rated it:
3.5 stars
This book is split between Andi and Bernardo. Andi is a tomboy, she lives in London and dreams of playing Basketball, she just makes the team at her school when her mum tells her they are moving, but the worst thing is that her new school Basketball team is boy only so she can't see any way of achieving her dream of being Point Guard on the team.
Bernardo lives in the Phillipines, he is Andi's half brother, when his mum came over to England they wouldn't clear his paperwork More...
This book is split between Andi and Bernardo. Andi is a tomboy, she lives in London and dreams of playing Basketball, she just makes the team at her school when her mum tells her they are moving, but the worst thing is that her new school Basketball team is boy only so she can't see any way of achieving her dream of being Point Guard on the team.
Bernardo lives in the Phillipines, he is Andi's half brother, when his mum came over to England they wouldn't clear his paperwork More...
Jan 18, 2012
Nicky
rated it: 
A beautifully constructed book, well-written and full of humour, magic and pathos.
This is storytelling at it's finest. It's a story about wishes and being careful of your wishes - because they may not come true in quite the way you expect.
From the start, Candy Gourlay draws you into the worlds of fire-cracker Andi and Bernardo, the giant - a brother and sister who have lived at opposite sides of the world - one in London, one in the Phillipines. And herein lies Candy Gourlay' More...
This is storytelling at it's finest. It's a story about wishes and being careful of your wishes - because they may not come true in quite the way you expect.
From the start, Candy Gourlay draws you into the worlds of fire-cracker Andi and Bernardo, the giant - a brother and sister who have lived at opposite sides of the world - one in London, one in the Phillipines. And herein lies Candy Gourlay' More...
Nov 19, 2011
Beth
rated it:
This is an unusual story about a family divided by thousands of miles who are reunited. The brother, Bernardo, has been living in his native Phillippine village with his aunt and uncle. His widowed mother left her son and moved to London to work as a nurse, where she remarried and had a daughter. She has struggled to bring her son to the U.K. to be with her, and finally the paperwork comes through after several years of waiting.
Bernardo, meanwhile, has developed a medical condition, gi More...
Bernardo, meanwhile, has developed a medical condition, gi More...
Sep 27, 2011
Mary
rated it:
Andi and Bernardo, half-sister and brother, tell this story in alternating chapters. For most of their lives the two have lived half a world apart. Andi (Amandolina) lives with their mother and her father in England, and Bernardo lives with his aunt and uncle in San Andres in the Philippines, because his mother has been unable to get a visa to bring him to England. Bernardo is named for a famous legendary giant, Bernardo Carpio, who is said to have saved San Andres from a devastating earthquake,
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Apr 06, 2011
Doret
rated it:
16 yr old Bernardo lives in the Philippines with is aunt and uncle. His mother lives in London with her husband and Andi, his step sister. For years Bernardo's family has been trying and waiting to get his Visa. Finally Bernardo is allowed to be with this family.
12 yr old Andi is looking forward to welcoming her step brother to London. Though when Andi discovers that Bernardo is 8ft tall, she doesn't know what to make of him and keeps her distance.
Andi's short like their mom. S More...
12 yr old Andi is looking forward to welcoming her step brother to London. Though when Andi discovers that Bernardo is 8ft tall, she doesn't know what to make of him and keeps her distance.
Andi's short like their mom. S More...
Apr 24, 2011
Lauren
rated it:
Sixteen year old Bernardo has lived with his aunt in the Philippines his whole life, while his mother, stepfather, and younger sister Andi live in Great Britain. He is finally granted citizenship and comes halfway across the world to live with them. Bernardo has many growing pains to grapple with, including living with a full-time sister, learning a new culture, and being 8 feet tall! In his old village in the Philippines, the people hailed this giant boy as the prophesied, legendary figure who
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Apr 21, 2011
Terri
rated it:
When I was going through a new batch of books, the cover of "Tall Story" got my attention - plus the small size of the book was ironic it light of the title. When I read the jacket, I thought, "This book will never get read unless I read it and booktalk it." So...
"Tall Story" is a gentle, charming book. The story is told from the points of view of 13 year old Andi and her brother, 16 year old Bernardo. The two literally and figuratively live worlds apart More...
"Tall Story" is a gentle, charming book. The story is told from the points of view of 13 year old Andi and her brother, 16 year old Bernardo. The two literally and figuratively live worlds apart More...
Jun 16, 2010
Carly
rated it:
What I liked: To be honest, I knew I would adore this story before I even began. Everything about it screamed ‘heart-warming’ at me, which is exactly how I would describe Tall Story. It’s one of those books that is so sweet it makes me want to frolic through a field with a puppy or something, in a good way. When I finished the book I sat back for a few minutes and savoured what I had read, feeling all warm and fuzzy and that definitely cannot be a bad thing.
I always enjoy a split nar More...
I always enjoy a split nar More...
Sep 25, 2011
Phoebe
rated it: 
A sweet tween story about a Filipino boy reunited with his family in London. Left behind when his mother emigrated, Bernardo has been raised by relatives in a tiny village. He dreams of the day when he can see his mother again and meet his half-sister. Short Andi lives in London and eats, sleeps, breathes basketball. She also wants to meet her half brother--but when they see him in the airport, when he at last is granted permission to come to England, it's a shock: Bernardo is eight feet ta
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Apr 11, 2011
Jinky
rated it:
"What you want is not always what you get. Even when your wishes come true. Andi desperately hopes her long-lost half brother, Bernardo, will be as crazy about basketball as she is. But when he steps off the plane from the Philippines, she can't believe her eyes. She hasn't seen him for ten year, but even so, how did he get to be EIGHT FEET TALL? This eight-foot-tall boy is about to crash into her life with his size 22 feet. But Bernardo is not what he seems. Bernardo is a hero, Bern
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4 comments
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(6 people liked it)
Mar 11, 2011
Digitalenviromentalist
rated it:
MIRACLES HAPPEN EVERY DAY...let us pray to earthquake/tsunami victims
THIS BOOK REVIEW IS DIFFERENT FROM the rest of my previous reviews. Honestly, I don't intend to write this review very soon but today is very important for us to offer our prayers and support (in any means) to people who are currently affected by a 8.9 magnitude earthquake (that created tsunamis/surges) in Japan (coast of Sendai City) and for those people in Christchurch (New Zealand) that suffered the same fate few More...
THIS BOOK REVIEW IS DIFFERENT FROM the rest of my previous reviews. Honestly, I don't intend to write this review very soon but today is very important for us to offer our prayers and support (in any means) to people who are currently affected by a 8.9 magnitude earthquake (that created tsunamis/surges) in Japan (coast of Sendai City) and for those people in Christchurch (New Zealand) that suffered the same fate few More...
May 24, 2011
Jbachelder
rated it:
A short, simple book that will appeal to basketball fans, "Tall Story" is about a fractured family from two very different cultures. Andi is thrilled when she makes the basketball team, and quickly devastated when she learns that her family is moving out of their tiny flat to a bigger home -- in a new school district with no girl's basketball team. How can she prove to the boys that she's good enough to play on their team?
Bernardo is her half brother living a very different More...
Bernardo is her half brother living a very different More...
Mar 01, 2011
Tracie
rated it:
3.5 stars and my summary won't come close to explaining this story told in alternating chapters by Bernardo and his sister Andi. Bernardo's mother moved to England when he was a baby to pay medical debts but she had to leave him behind. Now sixteen, Bernardo has finally been granted a pass to come live in England with his mother, her husband and Bernardo's half sister, Andi. Bernardo is a hero in his small village, where it is believed his height (unknown to them, he has Gigantism) and name
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Aug 24, 2011
DeAnn
rated it:
Childen's literature with Filipino author and characters is a rarity, so I picked up this book and breezed through it. I hadn't heard anything about it, it just popped up on our new book shelf. Young teen Andi is short, and desires to play basketball more than anything. She has just made point guard on her school team, when her family moves, and the new school only has a boys team. The other protagonist in this story is her half brother, Bernardo, who has been living in the Phillipines, waiting
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Jan 23, 2012
Shelley
rated it:
Andi, England born and bred, has a half brother who was raised in the Philippines by their aunt after their mother got a chance to work as a nurse in the UK. After 15 years of fighting with the Home Office, Bernardo is given permission to move to the UK to be with his family...but he's TALL. Like, 8 feet tall. This is a very interesting story not only about the brother-sister relationship, but Filipino mythology as well. I loved the characters and the mix of superstition and reality worked well.
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Jul 20, 2011
rhea
rated it:
I'm so glad this book was passed onto me, it was very touching. I am close to my family, especially my mom and brother and to read about a family like this was emotional, happy and sad. I also learned a lot from this book, the mythology or folklore of other cultures can be very cool. My first thought after reading this was to email my favorite anthropology teacher, who I took Cultural Anthropology from, and see if she'd read this. Maybe she'd even want to teach this book with the other ones she
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6 comments
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(5 people liked it)
Jul 26, 2010
Sue
rated it:
This is an excellent book, for teens and older children, about a spunky British girl who loves basketball, and her extremely tall Filipino half-brother. They meet in their teens, when Bernardo goes to live with his family in England. He struggles with the alien environment, and gradually they learn what it is to be a family.
Amusing in places, thought-provoking, and sometimes moving. The book addresses issues such as sexism and superstition, and has a backstory cleverly woven tog More...
Amusing in places, thought-provoking, and sometimes moving. The book addresses issues such as sexism and superstition, and has a backstory cleverly woven tog More...
May 28, 2011
K.D.
rated it:
Candy Gourlay truly loves the Philippines and it just shows in this book, Tall Story. This being her first novel makes me agree with one of the blurbs that she is an author to watch. Having been married to a British national and now raising her three sons in London, I will not be surprised to know that she has changed her citizenship from Filipino to British. But the way that she carefully, positively and realistically depicted the Philippines and its people, culture, folklore and even superstit
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(19 people liked it)
Jun 13, 2011
Jennifer
rated it:
Reviewed by Kira M for TeensReadToo.com
Standing over 8 feet tall with size 22 shoes, Bernardo has always felt like somewhat of an outcast. While his mom, stepfather, and half-sister live in England, Bernardo lives in the Philippines in hopes of making it back to England one day. When his wish comes true, however, he has a hard time dealing with the hustle and bustle and unfamiliar feel of his family and home.
Will he be able to adjust?
Amandolina has always live More...
Standing over 8 feet tall with size 22 shoes, Bernardo has always felt like somewhat of an outcast. While his mom, stepfather, and half-sister live in England, Bernardo lives in the Philippines in hopes of making it back to England one day. When his wish comes true, however, he has a hard time dealing with the hustle and bustle and unfamiliar feel of his family and home.
Will he be able to adjust?
Amandolina has always live More...
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Nov 10, 2010
jzhunagev
rated it:
Also Posted at my book blog Dark Chest of Wonders
"Rush hour. So many armpits, so little deodorants." So begins Tall Story, Candy Gourlay’s fantastic debut novel about basketball, sibling love, cultural differences, legend and magic. A poignant tale that warns us of the dangers of the things we wish for and that ultimately, size doesn’t really matter.
Andi is a basketball More...
A Giant Tale with a Giant Heart
(A Book Review of Candy Gourlay’s Tall Story)
"Rush hour. So many armpits, so little deodorants." So begins Tall Story, Candy Gourlay’s fantastic debut novel about basketball, sibling love, cultural differences, legend and magic. A poignant tale that warns us of the dangers of the things we wish for and that ultimately, size doesn’t really matter.
Andi is a basketball More...
12 comments
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(7 people liked it)
Jul 11, 2010
Jenny
rated it:
When I started reading Tall Story, I wasn't sure what to expect, as the summary doesn't give much away. What I wasn't ready for was a lovely story of friendship and family, with an emotional twist and characters that I was rooting for from the beginning.
Bernardo is a big friendly giant, who doesn't have a bad bone in his awe-inspiring large body. He's so thoughtful and innocent, and definitely stole the show for me. Between his feelings for his family and his desire to help everyone More...
Bernardo is a big friendly giant, who doesn't have a bad bone in his awe-inspiring large body. He's so thoughtful and innocent, and definitely stole the show for me. Between his feelings for his family and his desire to help everyone More...
Sep 22, 2011
Lisa
rated it:
Amandolina (Andi) knows her life is in for a change when she learns that her half-brother Bernardo is moving from the Philippines to live with her and her parents in England. People have always said Bernardo is "tall" but at eight feet he towers over everyone - taller even than Andi's hero Michael Jordan. At his home in the Philippines, Bernardo's height is considered a mark of good fortune. Though he longs to reunite with his family, he fears leaving his superstitious neighbors behind
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Sep 14, 2011
Balika
rated it:
I read this thinking it would be a good book to teach with for my 8th grade students, 5 of which are from the Philippines. The book ended up being a very insightful exploration of what happens when families are separated and how difficult moving from one country to another is (about a Philipino boy who moves to London to be with his mom who had to move for work). Would I give it 4 stars if I read it just for pleasure? hm. probably 3. But I'm excited about teaching it!
Nov 07, 2011
Kirsten
rated it: 
3.5 out of 5 stars.
Meet Andi (Amandolina) who lives in London. She's a basketball loving tomboy who's exhibits the usual "you're totally lame" attitude to everything in her life. Along comes her half brother, Bernardo, who is currently residing in Philippines and living with "Auntie" and "Uncle" due to not having the papers to travel over to London to be with his family. One day that all changes. Andi and her family move into a larger place and Bernardo More...
Meet Andi (Amandolina) who lives in London. She's a basketball loving tomboy who's exhibits the usual "you're totally lame" attitude to everything in her life. Along comes her half brother, Bernardo, who is currently residing in Philippines and living with "Auntie" and "Uncle" due to not having the papers to travel over to London to be with his family. One day that all changes. Andi and her family move into a larger place and Bernardo More...
Jun 07, 2011
Kendall
rated it:
Great book that brings old-world superstitions into modern times. The story is about a boy who is about to be reunited with his mother and her family years after the mother had to leave the Philippines. The boy ls torn--he wants to live in Australia with them but is afraid to leave since his existence is fabled in his own country. His presence is said to have eliminated earthquakes; he suffers from a hormonal condition and is 8 ft tall--a mystical giant in his homeland.
Great, sweet story.. More...
Great, sweet story.. More...
Feb 21, 2011
Kristy
rated it:
Such a lovely story, I couldn't put it down. The only reason I haven't given it 5 stars is because it would be the ideal book for a 13 year old, which is great because that's who it's aimed at, unfortunately I'm not 13 anymore so it was slightly off my wavelength! I'll be recommending this one.
