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Ten Miles Past Normal

3.59 of 5 stars 3.59 · rating details · 1,318 ratings · 379 reviews

Janie Gorman wants to be normal. The problem with that: she’s not. She’s smart and creative and a little bit funky. She’s also an unwilling player in her parents’ modern-hippy, let’s-live-on-a-goat-farm experiment (regretfully, instigated by a younger, much more enthusiastic Janie). This, to put it simply, is not helping Janie reach that “normal target.” She has to milk go...more

Hardcover, 211 pages

Published March 22nd 2011 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

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May 13, 2011 Lora rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people with nothing better to do and no other book available to them

Shelves: g-ya-realistic, lib-read

If I had to use one word to summarize Ten Miles Past Normal, it would be boring.
I'll admit it: I wanted to read this because of the cute cover and because the male protagonist is named "Monster". I happen to have a penchant for guys with unusual names, and so I thought this might be worth reading. Wrong.
I thought that maybe this would be a self-discovery story, or something of the like, but it's basically just Janie prattling on about how horrible her life has been since her parents decided to l...more

11 likes · like · see review

Mar 12, 2011 Phoebe added it

Shelves: contemporary, high-school, young-adult

I was initially quite charmed by 10 Miles Past Normal, a March release from established middle grade author Frances O'Roark Dowell. It promised to be something like Peachtree's upcoming This Girl Is Different--a story about a new-comer to high school trying to find her way despite the weirdness of her family—but I'd hoped it would be a little more grounded in a familiar reality.

And in some ways, it was. 10 Miles Past Normal tells the story of Janie Gorman, a fourteen year old who lives with her...more I was initially quite charmed by 10 Miles Past Normal, a March release from established middle grade author Frances O'Roark Dowell. It promised to be something like Peachtree's upcoming This Girl Is Different--a story about a new-comer to high school trying to find her way despite the weirdness of her family—but I'd hoped it would be a little more grounded in a familiar reality.

And in some ways, it was. 10 Miles Past Normal tells the story of Janie Gorman, a fourteen year old who lives with her family on a farm on the outskirts of her suburb. Janie's family isn't quite the hippie stereotype that I found in Johnson's book, and Dowell quickly establishes herself as a credible writer. She seeds Janie's life with strong details—about her mother's blog, and the political heroes of her best friend, and the musical tastes of the boys around her. These details were charming and incredibly true-to-life. I found myself bookmarking quite a few pages in my eBook because Gorman mentioned cultural experiences that rang true for me (one secondary character meets her boyfriend at a Renaissance Festival!).

But at the same time, I quickly grew frustrated with Janie's habit of veering into long, tangential side stories as the main narrative picked up speed. Within the first seventy pages, I'd roughly estimate that fifty were spent exploring extended anecdotes that were meant to establish character or bring in back story but really felt like SF-style infodumps. I frequently was unable to ground myself in the narrative; I lost track of what was actually happening. And, more, this habit created frustrating distance between me and Janie.

In fact, I'd say that distance was the biggest flaw here. Janie's primary conflict is an emotional one: she begins the story without many friends in her high school, and with ambitions to just be normal and blend into the crowd. As the narrative builds, she joins a band, forges a tentative friendship with some metalhead boys, and works toward appreciating her own inherent weirdness. Having gone through a nearly identical process thirteen years ago, this should have rung true for me emotionally.

But Janie keeps us at arms' length, and the author never really took advantage of the potential poignancy of the plot. Dowell continues to seed second-hand anecdotes throughout her story—Janie even recounts the climax of the book to us after it happens! Why even bother setting the book in present tense, if you're going to obliterate all sense of immediacy? Compounding this, Janie has a strangely adult-seeming control over her emotions even in the most emotionally trying times. Nowhere was this more evident than in the way the romance was "resolved." Since the book hasn't been released yet, I'll refrain from spoiling. But I will say that I just didn't buy it.

Nevertheless, this was a cute read, and might appeal to a younger reader. For middle schoolers, it offers a generally sweet, chaste, and fairly accurate account of one's first year of high school, even if the emotional registry was needlessly understated. When it comes down to it, I may be just too old and cynical to believe in such an uncomplicated story about one's freshman year.

A galley of this volume was generously donated by the publisher for review purposes.
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Mar 22, 2011 Kristi (The Story Siren) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Ten Miles Past Normal is a heartwarming and funny coming of age story!

Initially I was not very impressed with the story. I didn't really care for Janie and her insistent complaining about every aspect of her life. BUT then the story started growing on me.... as did Janie. I loved watching her start to discover herself and the person that she wanted to be. And I loved the other characters in this novel. They were all quirky and unique in their own way. Sarah, Janie's best friend, and her older s...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jul 09, 2011 Jenn Estepp rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kidlit

This is definitely one of those books wherein I think it's totally not for everyone but I personally really, really like it. Maybe even kinda love, but I don't know if I'm feeling that expansive this afternoon. It reminded me a bit of "Into the Wild Nerd Yonder" - but shooting a little younger, i.e. there are no images that will make you momentarily question your affection for Krispy Kremes. It's an ideal candidate for a "clean" books list, although I cannot express my hate for the term "clean r...more

4 likes · like · see review

Mar 27, 2011 Aleeeeeza rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-netgalley-galleygrab, 2011-read

*3.5 stars*

Ever since I saw the summary about Ten Miles Past Normal on Goodreads—about a high school freshman whose parents actually relent to her request to relocate to a real live farm—I knew I’d totally dig it. And I totally did, peoplez.
You know those books that you begin and instantly connect with? I love it when that happens, knowing I’m about to be treated to a 200 (or however many pages there are in the book) pages of pure, rollicking fun. And I had that sort of instantaneous connection...more *3.5 stars*

Ever since I saw the summary about Ten Miles Past Normal on Goodreads—about a high school freshman whose parents actually relent to her request to relocate to a real live farm—I knew I’d totally dig it. And I totally did, peoplez.
You know those books that you begin and instantly connect with? I love it when that happens, knowing I’m about to be treated to a 200 (or however many pages there are in the book) pages of pure, rollicking fun. And I had that sort of instantaneous connection with Ten Miles Past Normal. And that connection never wavered as I read it.
It’s no secret I LOVE quirky characters and fun, humor-filled writing, and this book is packed with both. Seriously, these characters were KICK. ASS. Absolutely hilarious. That isn’t to say they weren’t realistic and flawed. They totally were. Take, for example, Janie’s, the main character, fear of lunching alone and thus spending the whole lunch period in the library. I SO totally felt her, being a library-dweller-during-lunch-period myself. She was angered by her best friend’s Sarah total disinterest in her newly-learned bass playing, and was often irked by her know-it-all attitude. Which brings me to just how much I loved Sarah. Seriously, she wants to grow up and be a politician, and the way she acts, petitioning and filing complaints to do-good groups that stand for the causes she cares about—it was an absolute treat! And Monster (yes, his name is actually MONSTER, and he happens to be a bit monster-sized as well) is one of the best male characters ever. Honestly, he was SO cool, and has the coolest style, and lifestyle, too…basically, he’s a rocker-dude-with-a-heart-of-gold personified. I LOVED HIM!
Character growth was another one of the great features about the book—Janie’s development into accepting that she wasn’t normal and didn’t need to be was done really, really well. Although the plot was definitely a roller-coaster ride of fun (I finished this book in less than twelve hours—record breaker for me, even if the book was around 200 pages long…), I think it could have been strengthened a bit. I loved the whole part about the Civil Workers teaching both Black and White people how to read and write so that they could vote, but I’m not sure it contributed THAT strongly to the novel. I mean sure, it showed Janie how normality was totally meh, but it was never really made that apparent. Not to me, anyway.
In the same way, I think some characters should’ve been given some more screen-time (page-space?) so I could’ve gotten to know them better. Especially Janie’s dad. He sounded so interesting. And Verbena, Janie’s fellow library-dweller-during-lunch-period, was adorable, but wasn’t really in the novel for a great period of time. Same with how the romance was dealt with—way too quickly, and not in that satisfactory a way. But the final version of the book seems quite a bit longer than the ARC, so hopefully, some of the issues might be resolved better.
Despite all its flaws, I really enjoyed this book. It makes for a super-fun, light, quick read with nice character development and a wonderfully quirky cast. And just to tempt you into reading it, there are passages in the book when Janie actually talks to her goats. I’m a complete goat-lover, for some weird reason, and the goat-ly communications were MARVELOUS. And rib-ticklingly hilarious too. The goats actually had personalities! (Are you sold yet? ‘Cause you should be!) (By the way, I’m not being paid to convince you to buy it, because it might look like that. I just want you to read the book and have a good laugh. =])
I also loooove the cover. It captures the feel of the book really well!

e-ARC received from Simon & Schuster. The book officially releases on March 22, 2011.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 06, 2011 Kerri rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ten Miles Past Normal is a charming coming-of-age story. You will be drawn to the main character Janie who is quirky, and loveable. She is a city girl turned farm girl who wants desperately to fit in. Throw in some more wonderfully written characters such as Janie's best friend Sarah who wants to change the world and the musically talented Monster Monroe (yes that is his real name) who is a few years older than Janie and the size of a bear. Throw in a school project that has the girls exploring...more

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Apr 11, 2011 Kristina added it · review of another edition

I kept going back and forth debating with myself if I should read this book. The story didn’t seem that interesting to me, but I kept hearing some really good things about it. I finally decided to just read it!. It’s only 210 pages, so if I hated it, I wouldn’t waste that much time on it. Well, I loved it! I had it finished in a few hours. I thought it was such a great, cute, coming if age story, and I’m really glad I decided to read it!

Ten Miles Past Normal is about Janie, who, when she was you...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Heather Mozzani rated it 3 of 5 stars

Heather Mozzani
1-7-13
Mrs. McDonnell-Jones
Period 3
The book that i read was Ten Miles Past Normal. The Author is Frances O'Roark Dowell. The book was first published in 2011 and it is a fictional book. The main character is Janie, she is in middle school and who the book is about. Another important character is her mother. Janies mom makes a big deicision in this book. A third important character is her dad and he is helpful to her through the whole book.This book starts off about a girl who lives...more

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Oct 04, 2012 Sherlyn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the 100th book I've read in 2012 so I thought I'd do a review just for the fun of it. Don't judge. LOL.

This book was a light read and a short one; you can tell just by picking it up. The story starts with Janie being insecure and disliking her popularity status in high school. The writer sometimes injects bits of humour into the story, but generally the plot is about Janie striving to break her image, the image everyone had of her since the first day of school. It doesn't have much dire...more

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Aug 04, 2012 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic-fiction, ya

Janie has managed to wreck her own life. Back when she was young and exuberant, she convinced her parents that living on a farm would be the best thing ever. Now that she is in high school, the smells, distance, and humiliation her farm life brings are making her life miserable. With a social life that is non-existent, Janie lives for the one class with her best friend Sarah. Little does she know how their project on a great woman in history is going to impact both their lives.

Janie and Sarah's...more

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Jun 21, 2012 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-books

Janie Gorman is a freshman who just wants to be normal…but accidentally coming to school with goat poop on your shoe does not help at all. Janie is woken at sunrise every morning by her family’s rooster Ty Cobb and life on her modern-hippy parents’ goat farm begins. Janie and her family used to live in the suburbs; they were the typical suburban family. In fact, moving out to the country and starting a small goat farm was 9-year old Janie’s idea, however 14-year-old Janie is much less enthusiast...more

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Jun 20, 2012 Candace rated it 4 of 5 stars

It started off a bit slow and I was annoyed with Janey's constant complaining. I was sure that this book probably would be just so-so. But at some point it took a turn for the better. Suddenly I was feeling her and what she was going through. Her struggle with school and friendships, her annoyance and embarrassment of her home and family and her bit of frustration with her best friend who wasn't quite always there to support her as she'd thought. She really starts to grow as she meets new people...more

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May 05, 2012 Sara rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction

Fourteen year old Janie Gorman used to love living on the “farm.” In fact, after a field trip to a farm in which fresh goat cheese was the highlight, a precocious nine-year-old Janie decided that having chickens and goats and living on a farm would be a great life, and her enthusiasm for the idea spread to her parents, tapping into their long-forgotten dreams of living sustainably and escaping the city lifestyle. That’s how Janie finds herself living in an 1800′s era farmhouse and waking up way...more

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Mar 03, 2012 L.A. Rikand rated it 3 of 5 stars

My 12-year-old picked this up at a book fair because she liked the cover and it promised bits about a girl who lives on a small farm. In the end though, she struggled to get into it, as I did also--until two-thirds of the way in--only to find it ended in a rush without ever quite making it to a "story." Janie (the main character) is neither likeable nor memorable, and I found some of the others (Monster and Janie's dad, for instance) much more intriguing although the author refuses to dive deep...more

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Nov 30, 2011 Mary Louise Sanchez added it

When Janie Gorman was younger she wanted to live on a farm but lived in a normal suburb across the street from her best friend, Sarah. Then her dream came true and her family moved to an organic goat farm ten miles out of town, where her parents made a 180 degree turn into "hippie" type farmers with a modern edge because Jamie's mom blogs about their farming experience. But now that Jamie is a freshman in a large high school she longs for a more normal teen life complete with a boyfriend and fri...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 27, 2011 Mj rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, blog

Janie, a quirky vintage-clad ninth grader struggles to fit in at high school. She hides out in the library at lunch, talks only to her best friend, Sarah, and escapes home to the farm after school each day. After two months of trying to find a place to fit in at the high school, Janie meets Verbena, a new lunch friend in the library, and she meets up with Monster Monroe, a tall, red-headed sixteen- year-old guy who definitely marches to the beat of his own drum. Monster talks Janie and her best...more

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Sep 12, 2011 Sario Lawrence rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ten Miles Past Normal is where Janie ends up living on a sustainable goat farm with a blogging mom, a precocious younger sister and underdeveloped (literally as his character was never developed) father. It was her idea for the family to move to the farm, but now she's struggling with adjusting to her less than normal life as she wants to blend into high school.

Along the course of her three month story arch, Janie discovers some civil rights history in town and finds herself inspired to embrace...more

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Aug 09, 2011 Clare Cannon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 13-15yrs

A 'farm girl who just wants to be normal' coming of age story, which unfortunately doesn't get engaging until more than half way through.

It's a pity, because quite a few interesting themes are introduced, especially the Freedom School - one of the first schools to teach literacy to African American's who'd never had the chance - which Janie and Sarah write about for their school project, and Mr Pritchard and Mrs Brown who risked everything to set it up all those years ago.

There's also good music...more

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Aug 01, 2011 StorySeekers rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

Sarah - There are some rare books that show true teenage romance with such reality. This is one of them. I loved this book. Even though it didn’t have a lot of romance, it brings me so many memories of my high school life. Janie lives on a goat farm, and has a lot of embarrassing moments because of her living situation. She doesn’t think she has potential to have a group of friends or place to sit at during lunch. She has one best friend though named Sarah, but Sarah is different than her. Sarah...more

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Jul 24, 2011 Amanda Kelley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-debut-authors, 2011-books, 2011-read-list, ya, standalone-novels, wishlist

Also reviewed on my blog, the Vintage Bookworm. (http://www.vintagebookworm.blogspot.com)

When I first started reading this book, I kept asking myself, "Okay... where is this going?" I mean, it drew me in with its writing. Frances is a great writer. Everything flows smoothly and you read threw it pretty fast. I was able to finish it with off and on reading throughout the day. It's very short, which you will definitely notice when you pick it up. It was a kind of a weird book, which is hard to exp...more Also reviewed on my blog, the Vintage Bookworm. (http://www.vintagebookworm.blogspot.com)

When I first started reading this book, I kept asking myself, "Okay... where is this going?" I mean, it drew me in with its writing. Frances is a great writer. Everything flows smoothly and you read threw it pretty fast. I was able to finish it with off and on reading throughout the day. It's very short, which you will definitely notice when you pick it up. It was a kind of a weird book, which is hard to explain, but it was enjoyable later on.

I didn't like Janie at first, she was always complaining about everything and it was really annoying. She really shouldn't complain about something after she had had the idea in the first place! (You'll understand if you read it.) The other characters were pretty awesome, all of them had their own quirky personalities.

Like Sarah! She was cool in the beginning and I liked what she was for, but some parts of her personality really annoyed me. Like how she had this idea and was about to go for it, but then decided she didn't really like it in the end and just got really bored while her best friend, Janie, became interested in it. That drove me insane!

I think my favorite character was Monster. He was awesome! And who wouldn't want their parents to name them Monster? No. Seriously. It's on his birth certificate, he can get a copy and show you if you like! =)

Despite not really being too impressed or interesting in the beginning of the novel (I would of probably put it down if the writing didn't flow as well as it did!) it really grew on me and I started liking it. I really struggled with my rating for it. I liked it, but didn't love it or really, really like it. Which I'm pretty sad about because it has great potential.

Overall, it was a fun and quick read. I really like the history Frances added to the story, it was fun to read and I'm glad Janie found herself and finally started being who she was towards the end of the book. She wasn't so bad in the end. I would recommend it if you would like a short read that isn't too bad. (less)

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Jul 13, 2011 MaryBookSwarm rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, atheneum

I'm really liking the contemporaries that are coming out of the young adult sector these days. They're smart and funny with great characters and interesting plot lines. TEN MILES PAST NORMAL is just such a book.

Janie's parents have fallen in love with the country life, gone all-in on running a farm (albeit a little one), and, though Janie was the one who suggested it in the first place, she's now just trying to get through high school without having to wear handmade clothes or goat poop on her s...more

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Jun 08, 2011 Mark rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: coming-of-age, young-adult-literature

"When I think about everything that's happened since school started, well, I don't think the word 'normal' applies to any of it. Verbena is right - I'm way past normal. Only I've realized that when you move beyond normal, the road you're on doesn't necessarily take you to the land of the abnormal or the weird or the freakish. Instead you might find yourself in a place where people build Freedom Schools and have the courage to live large.

It's a place where people don't worry too much when they ge...more

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Jun 08, 2011 Valerie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ten Miles Past Normal is a great coming-of-age story for young teens. Janie is a 14 year old girl who happens to live on a farm, something not so normal for her area. She lives there because she asked her parents if they could move to a farm when she was young, and they actually agreed. Now, she has moved on to the very large high school in her area. All of her friends have different classes and a different lunch time, so she scarfs her food down at her locker then spends the rest of lunch in th...more

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Jun 03, 2011 Barbara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ncbla

Janie Gorman's move to a farm, originally sparked by her own suggestions, has resulted in a life decidedly different from the suburban lifestyle her high school classmates lead. The middle graders with whom she attended school have other classes or lunch periods, and she feels increasingly alone with her new classmates, a feeling exacerbated when she inadvertently climbs on the school bus with goat manure still on her shoe. As she tries to find a way to be normal, she encounters a cast of charac...more

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May 31, 2011 Chioma rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have not really read many coming of age books before, but I am glad that Ten Miles Past Normal was one of my first. It definitely showed me a different side of YA books that seemed to deal with the typical issues that surround being a teenager in a different way...and on a farm.

Maybe because I am new to the whole Coming of Age genre but the beginning for me was pretty slow to get into. I know it is probably coming for coming of age stories to have a long buildup, but for me the character was s...more I have not really read many coming of age books before, but I am glad that Ten Miles Past Normal was one of my first. It definitely showed me a different side of YA books that seemed to deal with the typical issues that surround being a teenager in a different way...and on a farm.

Maybe because I am new to the whole Coming of Age genre but the beginning for me was pretty slow to get into. I know it is probably coming for coming of age stories to have a long buildup, but for me the character was sort of getting lost in some of the back drop of the story. But towards the middle the characters and plot seemed to pick up a lot more. Janie was the epitome of the confused and idealistic teenager. She was really struggling with the fact that she was an outcast, and throughout the book she is kind of going through this "I want to find myself and disassociate myself from being a farm girl" kind of phase. And she chose every typical teenager route in the book to do it. From joining a band, to breaking the law, Janie is on a mission to become "normal".

This book really focuses on how, for some, the teenage years is really a hard time and the struggle that some teenagers have in "finding themselves". There is focus on friendships, dating, family life, and school life that are all the makings of a coming of age YA novel. I did really enjoy some of the characters in this book. They really complimented one another well without there being just a bunch of supporting characters. That being said, there were parts of the book, mainly in the beginning, where I find the plot moving way to slow, and it seemed like it was just going to be a lot of descriptions before any characters or even a real plot line was introduced. But that was over once we were introduced to the characters Monster and Verbena who add some depth and fun to the story.

Despite some factors, I did enjoy this book. There is a real fun semi- love interest in Janie's life that I definitely found to be apart of most of the highlights in the book. All in all, I felt like this book had a lot to teach, and pretty much put into words a little bit of every teenagers story, told from the point of view of, as Janie would say, a girl on the farm. I felt like somehow, every teenager would be able to relate to what Janie was going through. And how she gets to be, or realize, who she is by the end of the book. It definitely is a book that is quirky, deep at times, and has a linking aspect that every teenager and most likely some non-teens will be able to relate to.

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May 30, 2011 Christian rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle

I am not generally a slice-of-life novel kind of guy. I want to be. I try to be. It's just that slice-of-life novels are completely dependent on the character and voice and writing style, and so often I can't really stand the protagonist because they irritate me. And besides, ultimately, I like a good plot.

Fortunately for me, I got to spend the holiday today with Janie, and she's delightful. It's nice to read a novel where you can enjoy the protagonist as she narrates a portion of her life. And...more

1 like · like · see review

May 28, 2011 Rachael rated it 4 of 5 stars

When Janie was little, she really wanted to live on a farm. And when her parents thought that was a good idea, she believed she was the luckiest girl in the world. Now older and in high school, Janie just wishes her life were normal. She wishes she didn’t have to be so careful where she steps when she milks the goats every morning and that her mom wasn’t such a local celebrity due to the blogosphere. Unfortunately, it looks like she doesn’t have much of a choice on those fronts, but that won’t s...more When Janie was little, she really wanted to live on a farm. And when her parents thought that was a good idea, she believed she was the luckiest girl in the world. Now older and in high school, Janie just wishes her life were normal. She wishes she didn’t have to be so careful where she steps when she milks the goats every morning and that her mom wasn’t such a local celebrity due to the blogosphere. Unfortunately, it looks like she doesn’t have much of a choice on those fronts, but that won’t stop her from doing all she can to blend in at school. Eventually, Janie will just have to realize that she just wasn’t meant to completely fit in, and that normal actually might be totally overrated.

Ten Miles Past Normal is a sweet and pertinent YA debut for author O’Roark Dowell. As can be easily gleaned from the title, this novel is all about “normality” and fitting in, which are huge issues for many teens. O’Roark Dowell approaches this topic from the perspective of Janie, who is in so many ways an outsider. Although most readers are unlikely to share Janie’s exact circumstances that so clearly mark her that way, it is quite easy to understand and relate to her desire to be “normal.” Janie’s journey to acceptance of herself and her situation is an endearing one even if the general progress of the story is a rather predictable one. However, although I quite enjoyed reading this story, nothing in particular really stood out to me. All the characters are quirky and fun to read about, but they are not very vividly described either. There were sections of the book that I found simultaneously refreshing and frustrating because certain outcomes felt strangely both cliché and original. Overall, though, Ten Miles Past Normal is a solid YA debut with interesting characters, great humor, and relevant subject matter.

Ten Miles Past Normal is sure to be enjoyed by readers who also liked Shrinking Violet by Danielle Joseph and Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern.

reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com (less)

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Apr 21, 2011 Jessica at Book Sake rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

For a storyline with so much potential, Ten Miles Past Normal did not even live up to my modest expectations. In fact, I would only recommend this book to people with attachment issues because there’s absolutely no chance that you’ll connect with any of the characters. Dowell attempts to write a relatable account of Janie Gorman’s freshman year in high school – filled with all the fun things I typically enjoy reading about: humiliation, bass guitar, a boy named Monster. Unfortunately, Dowell has...more

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Apr 11, 2011 TheEagerReaders Violet rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, contemporary, fiction, humorous, middle-grade, read-in-2011, young-adult

Frances O'Roark Dowell's Ten Miles Past Normal is a funny and insightful novel overflowing with charmingly quirky characters. When Janie was nine years old her class took a field trip to an organic farm. She loved it so much that she suggested to her parents that their whole family would be happier living on a farm, raising goats, and baking fresh bread. Janie had no idea that the concept would appeal to her parents so much, and she could never have predicted that five years later that perfect-s...more

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Apr 06, 2011 Doret rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've only read two of Dowell's middle grade novels and loved both. Shooting the Moon and The Secret Language of Girls. This is the authors first YA novel. 14 yr old Janie lives on a farm, which was cool when she was younger not so much in high school. The kids on the bus call her farm girl. When Janie accidentally get on the bus with goat poop on her shoe, she has a very bad day. Janie's high school is large, Sarah the best friend, is the only friend from middle school she sees everyday. Janie s...more

1 like · like · see review

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About Frances O'Roark Dowell

Frances O'Roark Dowell is an author of middle-grade fiction. Her books have received numerous awards, including an Edgar (Dovey Coe), the William Allan White Award (Dovey Coe), the Christopher Award (Shooting the Moon), the Voya Book Award (Where I'd Like to Be), and the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Excellence in Children's Fiction, Honor Book (Shooting the Moon). Dowell has an MFA in Creative...more

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Quotes from Ten Miles Past Normal

“Dream girl? Ain't such a thing. You walk, you talk, you got mammary glands, well, that's gonna do it right there for most guys.” — 5 people liked it

“Live large.” — 2 people liked it

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Ten Miles Past Normal

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