My Mountain Song

by Shutta Crum

In this tender, lyrical story set in the mountains of Kentucky, Brenda Gail is spending the summer with her great-grandparents. Gran Pap tells her that "everybody born in the mountains got a song inside 'em," made of memories. That means Brenda Gail has one, too, "just waitin' to come out." A squabble with her troublesome cousin Melvin, in which Big Ma's favorite hen is injured, and their reconciliation help Brenda Gail start to choose the moments that will be in her song.
Rich, poignant art from esteemed illustrator Ted Rand is paired with an atmospheric text written by a true storyteller. Kids everywhere will want to make up their own "mountain songs."

Genres: Picture Books, Family, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Shutta Crum is bi-peninsular, spending half the year in Michigan and half the year in Florida. She is the author of three middle-grade novels and fifteen picture books, as well as many poems, magazine articles, and two poetry chapbooks for adults. Her books have made Bank Street College lists as well as state award lists. THUNDER-BOOMER! was an ALA and a Smithsonian Magazine “Notable Book” of the year. WHEN YOU GET HERE (poems for adults) won a gold Royal Palm Literary Award, (FL). She is also the author of two nearly wordless books MINE! and UH-OH! both published by Knopf. MINE! made the Texas 2X2 list and was a Crystal Kite Award winner for the illustrator Patrice Barton. Of MINE! the N. Y. Times said, “a delightful example of the drama and emotion that a nearly wordless book can convey.” In 2005 she was invited to read at the Easter Egg Roll at the White House. She is a retired librarian and now blogs regularly for the Florida Writers Association, writes a bimonthly column for the Fl. State Poetry Association magazine Of Poets & Poetry, and leads the Friday Follies writing group. In addition, she writes and publishes THE WORDSMITH’S PLAYGROUND, a monthly newsletter for writers. For more info: www.shutta.com

Reviews

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book takes place in the rural South. My guess somewhere in the Appalachian mountains but it isn't specific. A young girl spends time with her Great Grandma and Grandpa (we don't usually hear a lot of stories which include great grandparents.)

Great Grandpa Talks about his mountain song, and how Brenda Gail can come up with her own. During the story she comes up with the elements of her song, but at the end I was hoping that they would share her song...about her dog, chickens, the rain....but It didn't and it left me a little disappointed.

This books is a little long but still interesting.

[Allison]

I enjoyed reading this book, mostly because of the pictures. The characters and setting took me back to my own summers in the mountains with a fiddle and a wood-burning stove.

[Kylie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brenda Gail is spending the summer with her great-grandparents, her cousin comes over every day to see her while she is staying. Brenda grand-pap makes up a song the last day she is there about things they have done that day. My mountain song is a book for 3rd graders and up. 3rd grade and down would really enjoy this story.


Shutta Crum writes books for children and poetry for adults. She is also a storyteller, an energetic and humorous public speaker, and a librarian. Several of her articles about teaching and writing have appeared in professional journals. The words in the book is good for little kids not too easy of words but not too hard for them not to be able to understand.


Shutta Crum had done a wonderful job in writing books. She has made kids smile and laugh while reading her books and some authors that make kids book sometimes can’t make the kids laugh and smile while reading the just do that during the end of the book. This book does achieve its goals and purpose.


My mountain song is a story about where Brenda Gail goes and stays with her grandparents over the summer and wrights a song about what they have done. My mountain song is a book for little kid’s grades 3rd and up it would be best if you read it to 2nd grades and down they would be able to understand it better.


My overall review of this book is amazing three. Keep on writing Shutta Crum!

[Gayle Swift · Rating 4 out of 5]

In some families without a dad, granddad serves as the primary loving father figure, so I’ve included My Mountain Song in this post. This story captures a distinct, rural flavor as a child visits here grandparents’ farm. Brenda Gail is looking forward to her stay–no pesky little brother to trail her, no big one to boss her around. But life delivers surprises–in the form of her cousin Melvin–and spoils the little girl’s plans. He teases her. They fight and Brenda Gail ends up injuring her granny’s favorite chicken.

Guided gently by wise but firm grandparents, there’s a lovely life lesson tucked into the story about unexpected consequences following impulsive choices. In the end the two children make peace. They come to understand the importance of becoming one’s best and true self, of learning to sing one’s “mountain song.”

Adoption-attunement Lens: In addition to the obvious affection that the grandparents have for their grandchildren, they also have standards and traditions which they cherish. This offers an easy digression to the diverse traditions of both of a child’s families–birth and adopted.

The plot point about impulsive behavior, unintended consequences and making amends can resonate with kids who have difficulty with impulsivity.--Gayle H. Swift, "ABC, Adoption & Me: A Multicultural Picture Book"

[Courtney Sharpton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be a good book to use when talking about different dialects as well as different traditions. The characters in this story are from the Kentucky mountains and Crum has written the dialogue accordingly. She also talking about the characters having their own songs about their lives and that could be a great lead into a writing assignment where the students write a song about their lives.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Mountain Song encourages expression through music. This would be a great book to read before doing a student about music and composers.

[Joe Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

good lead in to music and family passing things from generation to generation.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Music is often a way that many people express themselves. This is a great story about a boy that must find his "mountain song" of memories.

[Lauran Burnham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book reminded me of sitting in my Graduate level class about literature in Mississippi as we discussed location and memories influence on a story. A little girl who is staying with her grandparents for the summer learns about her grandpa’s and grandma’s mountain song. Each person has their own song that is pieced together like a patchwork quilt of sweet memories and important people in the singer’s life. A mountain song can bring two feuding people together when they stop to consider how that person plays a role in their song. It really was a sweet story, but I felt there was a dimension that was missing because there was no illustration or mention of if the song was a hummed tune or some rhyming verses that told a story. Whatever the song was, the sentiment was sweet.

[Deedee · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars...

[Adam Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book about a little girl and her grandpa. Very cute.