Building Blocks

by Cynthia Voigt

What would it be like to be older than your father? Brann Connell is sick of hearing his parents argue all the time. Seems to Brann his dad could stand up for himself more, instead of building a wall of excuses to hide behind. But some things never change -- after all, his dad has always been this way. Or has he? Brann never imagined that he would actually get the chance to find out. But suddenly he is hurled back in time to spend the day with his father as a young boy. In this single mystifying day of adventure, Brann discovers that there is more to his dad -- and fate -- than he thought.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Time Travel, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Childrens, Juvenile

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Cynthia Voigt is an American author of books for young adults dealing with various topics such as adventure, mystery, racism and child abuse.


Awards:
Angus and Sadie: the Sequoyah Book Award (given by readers in Oklahoma), 2008
The Katahdin Award, for lifetime achievement, 2003
The Anne V. Zarrow Award, for lifetime achievement, 2003
The Margaret Edwards Award, for a body of work, 1995
Jackaroo: Rattenfanger-Literatur Preis (ratcatcher prize, awarded by the town of Hamlin in Germany), 1990
Izzy, Willy-Nilly: the Young Reader Award (California), 1990
The Runner: Deutscher Jungenliteraturpreis (German young people's literature prize), 1988
Zilverengriffel (Silver Pen, a Dutch prize), 1988
Come a Stranger: the Judy Lopez Medal (given by readers in California), 1987
A Solitary Blue: a Newbery Honor Book, 1984
The Callender Papers: The Edgar (given by the Mystery Writers of America), 1984
Dicey's Song: the Newbery Medal, 1983

Reviews

[Fatma Al Zahraa Yehia · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

What is the unknown story of our parents? How their childhood was looking like, and how far that impacted their present life that we shared it with them as their kids?

An idea that grabbed me while I was leafing through this novel. Even now as a woman in her forties I always wish if I could go back in time and see what my parents went through during all the time that we know the least about.

Brann had that golden chance and went back in time when his father was just ten years old. An experience that was supposed to shed the light on the circumstances that made his father that weak and passive kind of person.

We get to know the horrible childhood that his father had, and how the incident of breaking the promise of his uncle to let him have the summer in his farm made him lose the will to dream or have any hope in changing his life to the best.

A great idea that wasn't well crafted. I couldn't enjoy reading about his father's past. The author hated the father's family so much that she unconsciously made me as a reader lose the interest to keep on reading about them. Expect for the part where Brann and Kevin "the father" got lost on the cave, I was skipping pages and paragraphs till the end of that part. It was tasteless.

By the end, the story was supposed-according to the journey to the past that Brann had-to present more about how Brann will gradually accept the way his father was. But I felt the author herself not sure how she should portray the father. Although she-the author-made a good effort to make the ending realistic and believable, but I couldn't get the connection between how Brann's family ended to, and Brann's journey to his father's past.

[Spider the Doof Warrior · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book again and kind of skimmed through it a bit too fast. In this book Brann thinks his father is weak. He goes back in time somehow and meets his father as a kid and becomes friends with him.

It's a good book but people are such ASSHOLES to children. And it's socially acceptable. Even nowadays people will go on and on about how some child needs an ass whooping even if the kid is 2 years old and can barely walk.

It's not as if Kevin, Brann's father hit him. Really, the poor lad was beaten when he was a kid and forced to care for his siblings while his mother had more babies for her and his father to torment and disrespect and disregard their feelings.

I hate that!

[Rod Innis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good story about a boy who went back in time and became a friend of his father.
The idea is that people are the way they are, often, because of their past. We can't go back in time
and see what made a person the way they are, but we can realize that there are reasons for the way a person behaves and accept them as they are. This was a lesson I learned long ago but often need to learn again.

[R · Rating 2 out of 5]

When a book is essentially plot-less, it's got to have some amazing characters for me to like it and, if it doesn't, then I can't help but feel like I've wasted my time.

Building Blocks is a slice-of-life story about a young boy from the 1970's who travels through time back to the depression era where he meets the ten-year-old version of his father. It's a journey of understanding whereby our hero learns all about who his father truly is and why he is the way he is. That's an interesting premise, but I just couldn't enjoy the book due to the sheer unpleasantness of the cast. There wasn't a single character that I connected with.

That's not to say that the book was poorly written or that the characters weren't realistic, this just isn't a book for me. I'm not even sure who I'd recommend this to because I can't think of a group who this would appeal to. However, seeing as this book has several outstanding reviews at the moment, it's clear that there are people who enjoy this, so give some of those a look if you're still interested after reading my review.

[Jen Mays · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short, coming of age book about a teenage boy who resents his father for what he sees as being weak-willed. He admires his go-getter mother and thinks his father as being too meek. This leads to an impression that his father just keeps getting steam-rolled, and Brann feels caught in the middle of his parents' arguments. In an attempt to escape the most recent fight, Brann hides in the basement and falls asleep among his father's old blocks. When he awakens, he finds himself in different circumstances with a growing respect for his father's calm ways.

Really short, even for a young adult novel, and a few details feel really dated now (the book was originally published in 1984) but the basic foundation involving conflicts between a father and his teenage son never really go out of fashion. It was a quick read with few surprises and as comforting as a familiar blanket. Not a bad way to spend a couple quiet hours during a lazy summer afternoon.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have this deep and abiding love for Cynthia Voigt. She's written a lot of books & 12 of her books are ones that I'm in LOVE with and honestly consider to be favorites. That's a LOT coming from one author. But it seems like every time I try to read one of her other books, I'm not as in love with the story or the characters or the writing. I'm not sure if that's because I'm older now or if the ones I've read and loved really are just better.

This wasn't a bad book, but it wasn't much of a thing either. I feel like very little actually happened and very little was learned, even though Brann learned a lot. I just wasn't really sure how he made his mental leaps and while I appreciated him learning and realizing that he dad IS someone worth respecting, it was overall a little lackluster for me.

[Andrea Hickman Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick, short read that I wish that I'd read as a child. I think it would be wonderful if every child could have an experience like the one Brann does (though, obviously, it would have to exclude the magical time travel) that enables them to have a better understanding of who their parents are and why they behave the way that they do. I think the ability to view your parents as people, just doing the best that they can with what they have, is something that comes with age and experience, but it something that I wish I had been able to do earlier in my life. Possibly if I'd read this book as a child I would have come to that realisation sooner. There's no way to know.

In short, this is a lovely book and you should read it.

[Abra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another of my favorite sub-genres: young adult fiction that features accidentally slipping back in time. Other exemplars: Francine Pascal's Hangin' Out with Cici which is almost a companion piece, featuring as it does a girl going back in time to her MOTHER during the Great Depression, as this is about a boy going back in time to his father during the Great Depression. And also Saturday, the 12th of October which is depressing and fascinating in a way I won't spoiler. Voigt's entry in the subgenre is good because it really looks at how different personalities interact, and examines marital tension.

[SHS/EC Learning Commons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Building Blocks
Reviewed by Mr. Tobias Walker, Media Clerk, Early College/Savannah High


Brann was out for the summer with nothing to do. This reminds me when I use to hear my parents argue about things. I would try to ignore them, but it was hard sometimes or I would just walk out of the house for a little while. I wonder would Brann tell himself that he wish he would have stayed in his room. I also noticed that his dad was quieter and didn’t defend himself. On the other hand, his mom did not give his dad time to talk and she was very loud when they was arguing. Brann did not start off his summer like a normal child, but to his parents arguing. I was surprised when Sarah said “If they got a divorce it would be wise”. The argument was not good at all. In fact, it lead Brann to go downstairs to the basement to escape the argument between his parents. I noticed Brann did not have any plans like his sister for the summer. Brann was like any other child. He would ramble through his parent’s belongings to find something. I could relate to that because I use to go in my parents room when I was home alone to find things that were not accessible to me in the hallway closet. Brann decided to play with his father old blocks to build a fortess and soon he was asleep. I remember when I was younger falling asleep after eating breakfast.


Brann woke up from his nap, concerned about his surroundings not being the way it was left before he fell asleep. Brann meet someone by the name of Kevin. I remember in my dreams meeting someone I have never meet before. Brann was at a standstill and later discovered he was having a dream. The dream was him going back in time. Kevin was telling Brann that he had to leave the how right away. I noticed that after Brann stayed around for a while, Kevin offered for him to stay in the garage for the night. Brann was uncertain to still be there in the morning or go somewhere else. I noticed that Brann had nowhere to go because it was just a dream. Brann thought of the perfect story to tell Kevin’s mom when they came in for breakfast. What I noticed that was confusing was that Kevin had to take a nap after breakfast with his brother and sister. I realized that Brann help assist his grandparents a lot in the house. The house was huge according to Brann. The house had many rooms and it was three stories. This reminds me of my uncle’s new home that he purchased last year in November, just before thanksgiving. I noticed that Kevin’s father was not very welcoming to Brann when he first seen him at breakfast that morning. I was surprised that Kevin dad let Brann stay at their house, even though he has not met him before.


I did not realize that Mrs. Connell was pregnant, that would be five kids in the family. Kevin was the oldest child and he had to take care of his younger siblings. This reminds me of one of my best friends in my hometown because she has four younger siblings and she is the oldest. Kevin took his siblings and bran to the river to play for a while. Suzanne was not on her best behavior. She did not respect Kevin or do nothing that he had asked of her to do. I realized his two younger siblings were fighting over a frog. This reminded me when kids fight over toys that they are playing with and do not want to share. Time had escaped away from them returning to the home before lunch because Brann and Kevin was communicating so well. I can remember when I meet someone for the first time, we tend to socialize about different things and time go by fast. Suzanne was the reason why they returned back home or lunch late. Kevin’s mom was angry. I noticed that Kevin did not tell his mother why they had returned late because of Suzanne. I feel that Suzanne should have listened to her brother because he is the oldest.

I realized that Kevin did not speak up for himself, he was scared. I wonder if he just did not care or his parents did not take the time out to listen to his side of the story. I noticed that after a while Kevin just followed Brann everywhere because Brann did not worry about getting into trouble. For example, when Brann wanted to go to the cave. Kevin tried to stop him, but he went along as well. I noticed that Kevin did not stand his ground. He just let things happen even if he liked it or not. I noticed that Brann was very excited to go to the cave, but when he got in the cave he could not find his way out. I realized after he was stuck, Kevin came found him stranded in the cave. I was surprised when Kevin was able to find their way out of the cave.

I realized that Suzanne was not afraid to take chances like Kevin. This showed me that Kevin did not want to get into trouble about anything. I can remember when I was young I did not want to do things that would get me a whipping or punishment. The kids where so excited to go to the pool, especially Brann so that he could soak his wounds into the cold water. I remember attending pools during the summer. When I read this I remember sticking my head in the water for a couple of seconds to get my face wet. Later, the kids where caught, except for Kevin, he beat every one home. The big man threatened to tell their parents. I realized Suzanne begged the man not to tell her father, but it was too late. I was shocked that Kevin stayed in the kitchen with them to get a whipping as well. I think that was very caring of Kevin.

I feel that Brann should have not got a whipping because Thomas was not his father, but he felt because Brann was in his house he should get a whipping. I feel that it was not fair for bran to receive more hits than the other two kids. Brann had blood in his mouth because of him biting his tongue. When I read this, I thought that he was bleeding on his skin, at first. I feel that Brann realized that Kevin was a great friend, but he did not want to admit it because it was just a dream. I realized in certain situations Brann had “fate”. I realized that Brann figured out that when he wakes up the dream will be over.

[Badiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a boy named Brann Connell who’s going through a tough time. His parents are always fighting. Seems to Brann his dad could stand up for himself more, instead of building a wall of excuses to hide from. Since Brann was born, his dad has been the same. Brann had never imagined that he would actually get the chance to find out. For some reason Brann is taken back into time with his father as a younger person. In that adventure Brann finds out that there is more to his father then anyone knew.

I would recommend this book to other people. For the first 30 pages, the book got off to a somewhat slow start, but after that it became extremely good.

If i were to rate this book out of ten, i would give it a sever. The only reason why it isnt higher is because of the slow beginning start.

[Liselotte Howard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ni vet hur jag raljerat över ämnet för ungdomsböcker, förr och nu? Det finns faktiskt viss variation ändå - i alla fall om man går tillbaka till innan min egen barnbokstid. Building Blocks handlar visserligen om en tidsresa (lite lagom barndomsmagiskt, sådär), men också om det mer sofistikerade ämnet: son som ser sin pappa som svag. Inte svag som i omanlig, uppfriskande nog, utan som en svag personlighet, som inte står upp för sig själv. Faktiskt ganska intressant premiss, som Voigt vågar genomföra utan att göra varken krånglig eller töntig.
I övrigt händer inte så mycket - vilket också känns ganska... modigt. Men barn hade kanske mer tålamod förr? För mig själv funkar det eftersom boken läses ut på ett par timmar. Inget jag kommer minnas något särskilt, men ändå ett trevligt avbrott i "det här har jag läst förut"-strömmen.

[Emily D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short story but as usual with Cynthia Voigt, very personal and intimate. Her stories always have such a close, family feel to them.

[Tarnia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting book! The premise was atypical and i enjoyed that.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was kind of boring but I finished it in one night so not too bad.

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some language can be disturbing for young readers.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting story on time travel - characters believable and a satisfying ending

[Tara Dryml]

This book is about Brann, he goes into a fort in the woods after getting frustrated and he wakes up only to realize he is in a different time and older than his dad! He learns many lessons from his dad which change him for the better (Author/Traditional Literature book)

[Cristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Building Blocks is a novel by Newbery Medal-Winning author Cynthia Voigt that I read on a traditional paper copy from my mother. This book is a work of fiction. I chose this book because when I read the blurb on the back, I saw that it said something about time traveling which is fascinating to me. The main characters are father and son, Kevin and Brann Connell. The story starts in 1974 but the main character travels back in time to the 1950s in the summertime in Ohio.
At the beginning of Building Blocks, Brann´s parents are fighting once again about selling the farm house that his father inherited which is very dear to him. His mother wants to sell it to pay for her education so she can make a better life for their family, but for his father, it is the only spot where he has good memories. To get away from the arguing, twelve year old Brann heads to the basement and starts playing with the building blocks his father played with as a child. After building with them for a while, he accidentally knocks them over and falls asleep. When he wakes up, he finds himself in a kid's room with a frightened kid who asks him what he's doing there. It turns out he is in his father Kevin´s room in his father´s house in the past. While he is there with his younger father, he learns why Kevin is the way he is in the present. In the present, Kevin is weak and always gives in to his wife, he never stands up for himself, and he thinks everything is his fault. When Kevin was a child, he was never taught to be confident or stick up for himself and he would always give in to everything that other people said. For example, Brann convinces Kevin to go into a cave which Kevin knows he shouldn't do, and they end up getting lost. But when Kevin helps them get out of the cave, he gains confidence. Brann also observes all of the pressure that Kevin is under in the past, since Kevin is the oldest of many siblings, his grandparents both need help, and his mother relies on him for everything. In this past time, Kevin is only ten years old and the amount of work that his mother expects him to do is unreasonable, but Kevin doesn't know how to stand up for himself. When Brann eventually wakes up back in the present, he understands his father better and now knows how to help him, especially with standing up to his wife.
At the end of the book, because Brann went back in time and learned more about his father and what life was like when his father was a child, he is able to understand how his father feels. He tells his father that they should sell the house that they're living in right now and move to the farm house that his father cherishes. By doing this, they would have enough money for his mother to become a lawyer, his dad to get a new job, and his sister to go to college. When his parents agree to this idea, all of their lives change for the better. They move to the old farm house, his mother begins classes to become a lawyer, his father gets a good job doing something he enjoys, his sister can continue her education without worrying about money, and Brann himself is much happier because his parents don't fight anymore.
I would recommend this book to someone who likes happy endings because the difficult family issues get resolved so it leaves you feeling hopeful. Any gender would enjoy this book, and it is most appropriate for middle schoolers. Although I found the book entertaining, in comparison to other books I've read, Building Blocks was not gripping because I realize I enjoy fantasy fiction more than realistic fiction. Since the book had to do with time travel, I thought it would be more magical, but it was more mundane. Therefore, I personally think that my teacher could find better books to spend her time on than this one.
For this book report, I decided to choose a book that I could finish in a short amount of time. Since I accomplished that goal, I feel that I did a good job reading this book. However, the book was not particularly challenging enough because it was not filled with a lot of detail, there were not many characters, and the book was short. Therefore, the next book that I choose could be more elaborate, have more characters, and be a longer book. Time management is my biggest issue, which is obvious because I don't update Goodreads nearly enough. That is something I know I could work on.

[Summer Sheng · Rating 1 out of 5]

Vague concept, have no idea how the story was connected throughly

[Nelson Zaragoza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have you ever wanted to go back in time but you didn't know how or if it was possible. In the story Building Blocks by Cynthia Voigt is about a small family that struggles to get by. Brann is the son that always see's his mom and dad fighting for no reason. Sometimes Brann can't stand there fights and goes outside and tries to escape it. Brann could not understand his dad and why he was so unhappy and stubborn. But one day when his parents were fighting Brann snuck down to the cellar where his dad keeps all his old building blocks but they were build like a fortress. He goes to sleep were the Blocks were at and when he woke up he had gone back in time.
If I were to go back in time I would be scared. I wouldn't know what to do especially if there was a guy staring at me. But when Brann woke up he thought how long he had gone to sleep and thought he was still dreaming because when he woke up he saw a guy across from him. He pinch himself to make sure but it was no dream he was awoke. At that point Brann was confused because the guy started asking questions like how are and what are you doing in my room. Brann knew something was wrong because that's were he lived not that stranger. But they got to know each others name the boys name was Kevin they got to now each other and Kevin taught Brann the importance of friendship.
The books theme was about fate and understanding. Because Brann thought his dad was a loser and will always complain about everything. But when Brann when back in time to that crazy adventure for a day he got to realize that his dad had to go to in his childhood and got to understand him. So when Brann return back in his time. He understood his dad more clearly.
If you like mystery books I recommend this book to you. It is well written and it has some good detail. What I got out of the story is that fate is tricky but everything happens for a reason.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brann's parents, Diane and Kevin, are always fighting. Brann just doesn't understand the resignation with which his father goes through life. If only he would stand up for what he believed in instead of saying "It's fate" and not explaining anything. Brann goes to the basement to avoid another fight. He falls asleep among the building blocks and when he wakes up, he's in another boy's room. He soon finds out that it is his father, at age ten, that he is with. As he watches young Kevin interact with his own parents, grandparents and bratty sister Suzanne, Brann comes to understand his father in a way he never has before. Brann decides "You didn't really know somebody unless you knew him when he was a kid. Kids didn't have so many walls built up around them, to hide behind and keep them safe."

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was one of those books that you pick up, look at it and read the cover while thinking there definitely isn't going to be much of a story to this. And then you start to read it and you are caught up by the story itself.

The characters were a bit flat and even though it seemed like Brann was starting to get better he almost always fell back into his ways. Kevin never seemed to get much life even when Brann found out why he "seemed so good" and the whole rest of the family just made you want to cringe. The reading itself was easy and simple to follow while I love the fact that there is so much wisdom that can be found in the book itself about life.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

With so much media portraying dads that kids can not respect, the beginning of this book made me uncomfortable as 12-year-old Brann laments that his dad is such a loser. However, the author has another idea. Brann winds up back in time, and meets his father as a young boy during the Depression. Getting to know his dad as a child gives Brann insight into the kind of courage his dad really has--a courage Brann did not recognize before.

[Beth Hammond · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm rating this as the child I was when I read it. This book opened my eyes to fantasy fiction. It took me to another time and place and allowed me to see that reading was not just about the here and now. This book and "The Indian in the Cupboard" solidified my love for the fantasy genre. It gets 5 stars for the simple fact that it impacted my young life and opened my eyes to a love of reading.

[Nick Solia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Building Blocks, by Cynthia Voigt, sort of shows the struggle to get through the day or make any sacrifices, some in which someone will have to suffer in order to be successful. The two main characters,

[Lindsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this when I was very young, but I remember liking it well enough to stamp the title firmly in my mind.

[Joana · Rating 5 out of 5]

So basically, Brann fell asleep. He was in a dream or was he? He saw a boy and it was his father. He was older than his father!!! He got to see what his father's life as a young boy was.

[Ailene · Rating 4 out of 5]

a very deep story, i really enjoyed reading it! i loved that Brann befriended his father when his father was young by going back in time, and finding his true father [:

[Rondel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was awsome and great it was a fun and exiting book 5/5 read it!

[Edward Sargisson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brann (with two 'n's) goes back in time to when his father was 10. The experience helps him to understand his father better.