In the Country of Queens

by Cari Best

Eleven-year-old Shirley Alice Burns lives with her domineering mother, Hurricane Anna, and loving Grandmother. One day she unexpectedly discovers that her beloved father isn't in Absentia as her family would have her believe, but dead. And she understands all too well why they haven't told her; she's always been shy and quiet, and Anna has always been protective of her. But if Shirley doesn't start speaking up, she isn't going to be able to do the things she wants to do: go on vacation to Lake Winnipesaukee with her cousins, stop taking ballet lessons, and talk about her father. Through the help of a mouse, her hero Pippi Lockstocking, and her cousin Phillie, Shirley finds the strength to give her dreams a voice and convince everyone, even Hurricane Anna, that she doesn't need to be sheltered, especially from the truth.

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Family

224 pages, Hardcover

First published November 28, 2017

About the author

Cari Best has written many award-winning picture books, including Sally Jean, the Bicycle Queen, a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, and My Three Best Friends and Me, described by the New York Times as “refreshing” and “exciting.” Her most recent picture book is If I Could Drive, Mama, was described by Publishers Weekly as “a wonderful tribute to an imagination in perpetual motion.” In the Country of Queens is her first novel. Ms. Best lives in Connecticut.

Reviews

[Zach Koenig · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I read a book (YA or otherwise), I tend to be really observant of character development and structure. Those are just the things I primarily enjoy while reading. Despite the fact that I could see the intent of "In The Country Of Queens", I thought that the plots and characters were a bit too scattered or stream-of-consciousness for my tastes. Basically, I never got that sense of figuring out just what exactly this book is supposed to be about.

For a basic plot summary, "In The Country Of Queens" tells the story 11-year old Shirley, who lives with her mother and grandmother in Queens, NYC. Shirley has a problem speaking up in her life, whether about the whereabouts of her erstwhile father, the school essay she is accused of plagiarizing (she didn't), or her desire to go to Lake Winnipesaukee over the summer with her relatives (instead of the kiddie Breezy Bay Day Camp). Over the course of the novel, Shirley tries to gain the inner strength to speak up, helped along by a dead mouse she keeps in the freezer that becomes her own internal dialogue conduit.

Like I said, I think the main reason I didn't enjoy this book as much as other YA fare I've recently read is because I really struggled (throughout the entire length of the book) to determine what the overall message of the book was, or how the main characters relate to that message. I see what all the parts are supposed to be, just not exactly how everything fits together.

In a way, I almost felt like "In The Country of Queens" works better as a collection of young girl anecdotes than it does a coherent narrative. I guess you could say I was just never really sucked into Shirley's character, a combination of missing that "connective tissue" as well as being a bit confused at why certain plot points (like the dead mouse) were used that just felt odd.

Overall, I think that this is a well-written (in terms of prose) YA novel, but one that ends up a bit lacking in the plot department. I think this will play better with younger (late ES, early MS) audiences, who will gravitate to the odd antics and more anecdote-to-anecdote story structure (instead of everything building to the end).

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice, nostalgic look at the early 1960s in Queens, New York through the eyes of eleven year old Shirley Alice Burns. A less complicated era when neighbors sat out on their porches, kids rode their bikes to the corner store for candy and played baseball in the park. Not a negative review, it just didn't engage me personally.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC from Netgalley

In the early 1960s, Shirley lives in Queens with her Russian grandmother and her mother, Anna, who works in a retail store and is dating a man named Hal. Shirley vaguely remembers her father, but he hasn't visited in years. Her mother's sisters live nearby, and she spends a lot of time with her cousin Phillie. Shirley is used to adults not listening to her opinion, so when her teacher accuses her of plagiarizing an essay, she doesn't argue with him. She also doesn't argue when her mother makes her go to ballet, or won't let her go with her cousins to their summer cottage because she has to go to day camp. When Shirley opens a piece of mail and finds out that her father is actually dead and her mother has failed to tell her this, she decides that she will finally stand up for herself and get her way in some things. This takes a while, but eventually, Shirley is able to stand up to her mother and her teacher and let her opinions be known.
Strengths: There were some excellent period details that I really enjoyed. The details of hanging out laundry, having family dinners with cousins, living with a grandmother from the Old Country, and the general depiction of Shirley's neighborhood and school were wonderful. I strongly suspect the author drew on her own memory. There is enough plot to move the book forward, and I wanted to see if Shirley would end up going to the lake with her cousins!
Weaknesses: There were some rather odd things that made the book uncomfortable. The mother insisting that Shirley spend a half hour in the bathroom before ballet lessons was odd, and I half expected Hal to be a child molester. Shirley referring to the Palace of Light and setting toilet paper on fire in the sink caused great concern, and her insistence on keeping a dead mouse in the freezer did not lessen this. It was also very hard to believe that her mother would not have told her about her father's death.
What I really think: I am conflicted about this title. I need more books set in the 1960s, and the details were fantastic, but I'm not sure if my students will be as put off by some of the details as I was. Debating.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eleven-year-old Shirley Burns lives in the borough of Queens, New York, in 1961 with her domineering mother and patient grandmother. Although she has plenty of dreams and original thoughts and opinions, she keeps them to herself out of fear of upsetting her mother and those around her. She even fails to defend herself when her teacher accuses her of plagiarism on a paper. When she learns that her missing father has actually been dead for six years, Shirley is furious that everyone has been lying to her. After finding a dead mouse on Father's Day, she takes that as a sign that her father is watching out for her and starts using her voice to get what she needs, stand up for herself, express her opinions. While I liked Shirley and her classmates and her own fondness for Astrid Lindren's classic Pippi Longstocking and was not surprised by her ambition to become a writer, there were some sections of the book that seemed rather abrupt and interrupted the narrative flow. There was much attention surrounding her mother's boyfriend Hal, but only brief mention of his departure and his secret family or what made her mother, Anna, turn so fearful after having led an adventurous childhood. As the book clearly shows, there is something to be said for taking a few risks, and poor Shirley is so overprotected that she might as well have been wrapped in cellophane. But then again, her mother doesn't protect her from Hal's unwanted attentions or his desire to take her father's place.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Best, Cari In the Country of Queens, 211 pages. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2017. $17. Language: G; Mature Content: G; Violence: G.

It’s 1961 and Shirley lives with her mom and grandma. Her dad has been gone for 6 years and she would sure love to ask some questions, but her mom, who she calls Hurricane Anna, won’t talk about him. In fact, she acts like he never existed. Shirley would also like to stop taking ballet, ask her teacher why he accused her of plagiarism, and go with her cousins camping this summer. Unfortunately it’s hard standing up to others, especially Hurricane Anna, but maybe it’s time to find her courage and do just that.

This was a really nice story with a great message about finding your voice that would fit in most elementary collection. The author sets her story in 1961, but there isn’t any historical event that connects the reader to 1961, just a mention of a few people and items. Although the historical aspect doesn’t add anything to the story, most readers will probably forget when the story takes place, as it also doesn’t hinder the story.

EL - OPTIONAL. Reviewer: RB
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wonderful middle grade novel. It is accessible to everyone. It is an amazing coming of age story. The main character is very realatable to those who are her age. Anyone who is older it gives you a very nostalgic feel. I loved that it was set in the 60s so that there is non of the things we are used to such as computers and the internet. Shirley's journey of discovery nd finding her voice was great. I read most of the book in one afternoon.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taking place in the early '60s, follows the life of Shirley, who lives with her mother and grandmother. Shirley is shy and reserved, but when her teacher falsely accuses her of plagiarism she decides to stick up for herself and speak her mind. She also finds out that he father, who mysteriously just stopped showing up for their visits, has died and her mother has kept it a secret from her. This doesn't always end up easy, but her efforts prove to be worth it.

[Gaby · Rating 1 out of 5]

I started reading this book but it did not live to my expectations so I abandoned it.
Because the book started slow and continued to be slow. There was just no detail what so ever. It also was confusing.
At on point I decided to stop reading it.

[T.J. Burns]

I received a copy of this book from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Karla]

This quiet coming-of-age story set in 1961 is a good fit for lovers of Betty Smith's semi-autographical novel A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN and Kevin Henkes' THE YEAR OF BILLY MILLER.