The Graves Family

The Graves Family #1

by Patricia Polacco

The Graves family has just moved to Union City, and they definitely don't fit in. With giant spiders in the living room, a voracious Venus flytrap named Phoebe in the kitchen, and a secret laboratory in the basement, the neighbors are afraid to visit! Except for Seth and Sara Miller, the kids next door, who decide to help them make friends. Maybe if Mr. Graves gives all the bald men in town his amazing hair-growing tonic, which he developed from the follicles of house cats? It seems like a great idea-until the tonic-dosed town council starts chasing birds and running up trees! And then Phoebe nearly devours the Ladies' Auxiliary Garden Club-will the Graves family ever find a way to fit in?

Genres: Picture Books, Halloween, Childrens, Fantasy, Fiction, Humor, Friendship

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Patricia Polacco is a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator with around seventy beloved and award-winning books to her credit, including The Keeping Quilt, Pink and Say, The Blessing Cup, Chicken Sunday, and Thank You, Mr. Falker. She resides in Michigan.

Reviews

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I suppose this could be enjoyed for Halloween, even though it’s not really a Halloween book. There is a “haunted” house though.

I’m reading my way through batches of this Patricia Polacco’s books. There are a few I’ve adored. This is one I liked a lot. I enjoyed its quirkiness, its humor, and its appreciation for people’s differences. I loved how the Graves family is so exotic and comfortable with themselves, yet they long to fit in, an experience that’s unfamiliar to them. Ever since the movie Little Shop of Horrors I’ve been fond of voracious plants, and this book has a plant who’s a wonderful character.

Polacco writes and illustrates children’s picture books but this one, along with most of her books, is designed for elementary school children, not preschoolers.

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new family has moved to Union City, and they're having a hard time fitting in . . . what with their love of spiders, and their giant plant that eats almost anything and everything. Can a home decorating contest be their ticket to acceptance?

Cute story about letting your freak flag fly, even if it's really, REALLY freaky.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Graves Family is an interesting little read about a new, creepy family moving into the neighborhood, and the 2 neighbor kids that befriend them.
"Those who march to a different drummer are in a magnificent band indeed!"
Patricia Polacco has wonderful books with incredible graphics!

[The Reading Countess · Rating 2 out of 5]

Is it okay that I rated a Polacco book "okay?" Somehow I feel that I am letting my old friend down. Then again, she let me down on this fluffy, too-juvenile-even-though-it's-a-picture-book book.
There, I said it. Let the rotten tomatoes fly.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

When the unconventional Graves family - complete with mad-scientist father and Venus flytrap-loving mother - move into the creaky old house on Park Street, painting it blood-red, their new neighbors in Union City want nothing to do with them. All except for Seth and Sara Miller, that is, who live across the street, and befriend the eldest Graves child, Hieronymus (whom they nickname Ronnie). The children's well-meaning ideas to help the Graves fit in - finagling an invitation to the Ladies Garden Club Tea for Mrs. Graves, convincing Dr. Graves to share his remarkable hair-growing formula with the many bald men in town - all backfire, much to the young Millers' dismay. Then a home-decorating guru, with a popular television show, visits Union City, and something most unexpected occurs...

I've been meaning to read more of the prolific Patricia Polacco, and standing in front of "her" shelf at the public library this past weekend, struggling to decide which one to choose next, I happened to recall The Graves Family, which, whilst not explicitly Halloween themed, does contain some elements - the spooky house, the bats and spiders - that make it a good selection for this time of year. An engaging story, paired with Polacco's appealingly expressive illustrations - I particularly liked the scenes in which Seth and Sara stare around them, aghast! - made this an enjoyable read, although I can't say it touched my heart-strings as so many of the other author's books have done. Still, I liked it enough that I will be seeking out the sequel, The Graves Family Goes Camping !

[Farrah · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I asked the librarian to help me find the perfect book to read to 4th graders, she could not have found a more perfect book in length, detail, and creativeness. Polacco created a hilariously imaginative story with great illustrations to go along with it. The Graves Family was just the right book for 8-10 year olds to either read or listen to. Last week I got the awesome opportunity to read this book as a Mystery Reader for my daughter's 4th grade class and the kids had a great time laughing and "eewing" as I read the book which at times made it difficult to keep reading without bursting my gut. They were actually engaged the entire timeI read which was about 20 minutes. Definitely a suggested fun read and one to help open the topic of being different.

[Carly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is hysterical. I loved the pictures and crazy story. It is about a family that moves into town that is very different from the rest of the town and their house resembles a haunted house. I love how Polacco presents morals in her story so subtly without just flat out stating them. The theme of this story is to accept others regardless of whether or not they fit the social norm. Kids will love the funny story and crazy pictures. It would be a great story to read during a unit on accepting people's differences. It would also be fun to read around Halloween.

[Meghan Collins]

Patricia Polacco is a great children's author who has unique, and original ways of teaching important values to children. In this book, she describes a family that is strange and different; they do not fit into the new neighborhood in which they just moved in. Brave enough, their neighbors Sara and Seth went over and asked the new neighbor's son to play, and on that day the town was introduced to the new Graves' family. The book is a creative tale about how the Graves' family changed the way the town saw them and eventually fit in. The theme of this book is one strong for children; different is never a bad thing.

What drew me most to this story was the descriptions Polacco provides and the illustrations along with it. Polacco chose such a unique way to get this theme across to children, and she did it in a way that they could relate. Every child views other children or people as different from themselves, and this is a great way to show them that being different does not mean that someone does not it in, because they always do.

Books with great themes stick out to every reader, and this book tells the story with a traditional theme in a unique way. It reminded me of the story of the Aadam's Family, trying to do several activities to fit in with the people of their town. This is why I would recommend this book to others. I can almost guarantee that every person has come across at least one person that they believed to be very different; different in a way that they perceived them to be a bad person.

I can see this book being used in the classroom, for students young and old. For the younger students, teachers can use this book to teach the theme of accepting individuality. Children can list differences in others within the classroom and teachers can use the book to show how learning to accept differences in people can benefit an entire community. The other students would benefit from this book differently. Because of the amount of description, I would use this book for first or second graders learning how enhance their writing with descriptors. Young writers can enhance their writing by thinking about the descriptors that Polacco uses describing this family and what they see inside their house. For the advanced readers and writers, teachers can use this book to enhance students' creative thinking. This book can be used to make predictions while reading, or students can write a passage about different points of view from other characters in the story.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

What happens when your house is colored blood red? Will you fit in with the others? Will you be ashamed? Do you think that your neighbors will be afraid of you? According to Patricia Polacco, the Graves family has to face all these things and much more.

The story begins when the Graves family moves into a creaky old blood red house on the hill at night. Everyone in Union City is afraid of them because they are different and weird. They keep endangered species in their house and they have a laboratory for Mr. Graves to invent things like hair-growing tonic made from cat fur. Creepy! But are Seth and Sara Miller, the kids next door, brave enough to help the Graves family make friends? Will the Graves family be able to make friends when there are things that are preventing that?

I enjoyed the part when Christopher Joel (a Hollywood star judging the Best Decorated House Award) visits the Graves family’s house:

“I’ll tell you what kind of mad house this is,” Christopher Joel roared as he pushed his way through the crowd outside. “It’s the most perfect haunted house that I have ever seen. I love this. I love this!” he cried as he went from room to room. Everyone was speechless.

I thought that was funny because everyone thought the Graves family would not win the “Best Decorated House Award,” and would not be featured in the “Ladies Lovely Home Companion.” After Christopher Joel said he loved the house, everyone was shocked, surprised and disbelieved. Even the Graves family! It made me laugh because it was funny!

In some ways, a book is about not being afraid of neighbors and helping everyone fit into a community. This interesting book shows you that you should not be afraid of neighbors. In fact, you should welcome them, and also help them live in the community.

While this is definitely a children’s book, I think it should be read for everyone, young or old. Believe me, as soon as you read it, you’ll start to welcome your friends, family and much more. Let’s just hope that you’re one of them who welcomes and helps people. Try other books by Patricia Polacco for a companion text to “The Graves Family.”

[Brittany Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Doug and Shalleaux Graves are no ordinary parents. In fact, no one in the Graves' family is ordinary. When the Graves' family moves to town, they are very nervous about fitting in. However, when their neighbors children makes friends with the oldest child, Ronnie, the Graves' family begins to feel more optimistic. Mrs. Graves is then invited to a gardening club where she brings her Venus Flytrap for show and tell. However, her flytrap causes a catastrophe and it seems that no one likes her anymore. To try to make this better, Dr. Graves introduces his new hair growth formula to the bald men in town. People once again like the Graves' family, that is, until the bald men start acting like cats. When famous home decorator Christopher Joel comes to town, he looks for a house to showcase on his T.V. program. However, when he visits the Graves' family, he is in for a big surprise....

I thought that this was a great book. It had an underlying theme about differences that was quite brilliant. It touches on the fact that people may seem strange or do things differently, but that doesn't mean that they aren't happy or that they can't get along with people who are different than themselves.

It is rather lengthy and some of the words would be very difficult for someone who does not have a strong foundation in phonics. Therefore, if this book were to be used in a classroom, it would need to be read aloud to students. I think that it would be a great read aloud for Halloween or discussing how differences aren't always a bad thing.

[Ms. Cofield · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Graves Family is a Patricia Polacco book unlike many of her other texts. This mystery text was a great read for my 5th graders around Halloween town. I would definitely recommend this text for 3-5 teachers to read. Though it is not a Halloween book, the haunted house element made it definitely spooky and fun to get in the Halloween mood! It is a funny and quirky text about a family that is new to the neighborhood and very different than their neighbors, yet still desires to fit in.

I used this text instructionally with my 5th graders to dig into the text and go beyond just what the pages said. We thought about what we could learn from this text. Students came up with responses such as, they shouldn't judge people by what we see and rather we should really get to know people before we make decision as to whether they are someone we want to spend time with. This was a fun way to use a mystery text to really go beyond the mystery genre and relate it to something the kids could understand and take away personally.

This book was a wow for me because it was haunting, spooky and quirky all at the same time! I loved how Polacco wrote a book so different than her other texts but remained true to her style and incorporated a "hidden message"/theme in the overall text of accepting other's that are different. I have not really seen this much in the mystery genre, so that is why it is such a WOW to me!

[Olivia Lagore]

Patricia Polacco writes this book as a way to provide a (fictional) background to the haunted house she created and stars in every year as her own character "Mrs. Graves".
When the graves family comes to Union City, none of the townspeople are willing to try to befriend them due to their strange ways until Seth and Sara visit Ronnie, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Graves. As they get to know him and his family, they realize that although the family is very odd and at times a bit spooky, all they really are is a bit different.
The story uses plenty of humor and the mood keeps a good balance between fun and just a bit creepy.
A fun book to read to students around Halloween as it has odd and traditionally spooky things going on (spiders, a venous flytrap, strange chemicals in the basement) but stays away from the disturbing or the occult. The book also has a good moral - namely that different can be a good thing.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun story that introduces us to the Graves Family - an odd bunch of characters reminiscent of Chas Addams (Charles Addams) and his famous odd family, The Addams Family.

Although it is the same length as the sequel, The Graves Family Goes Camping, it seems longer, and I know we liked the sequel a bit more.

Overall, though, it is an interesting and fun story with some very strange and creepy characters. Though not specifically about Halloween, it would be a great time to read this book.

[Linda Lipko · Rating 3 out of 5]

What fun it was to read this creative and delightfully silly book. The Graves family pack the spiders, venus fly trap and friends and head for Lake Bleakmere. Having great fun collecting rare specimens, the Grave's family take a break to eat some of Mamma Grave's famous Jum Jills.
When a huge dragon approaches and eats all the treats, demanding more, fearful of their lives, the Graves family find that the dragon blocked all exits.

Finding a steam boat, they head down the river to home. Followed close behind, Dr. Graves has a plan. The nasty dragon eats more Jum Jills, breathes and kaboom, the town has the largest display of light and fireworks ever known.

When the dragon, now known as Barbara learns to eat only one treat, he becomes part of the family.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute fiction picture book that shows that even the scariest or toughest people still want to fit in or have people to care about them. This family moved into town, and were very strange. Their house was filled with spiders, bats, and Venus fly-traps. The father was a scientist, and the mother made all plants die and wither, and cooked with extremely strange ingredients. However, in the end, they just wanted to have friends like everyone else.

[Mary Anjali · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really great book to launch a Science or Writing lesson, the story introduces many different types of plants, animals, insects and the process of experimentation. Also, for writing the students could try to make their own recipe and draw a picture of one of the mother's kooky dishes at dinner. This is a great story about acceptance and learning that everyone has a their own unique qualities.

[Shelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Graves Family have many traits in common with the Addam's Family, they're creep, kooky and all the rest. The only difference is the Graves family has yet again relocated to find a new town they can fit. This quirky story was too long in picture book format, small chapter book would have worked much better. Keep up weird Graves family! People can love you or leave you but the message of staying true to who you are is forever.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read many of Patricia Polacco's books and have never been disappointed. In this book the Graves family moves to Union village. They are different t from the other people in the village and they are outcasts of a sort until the children from across the street come to play. Interesting story about appreciating the differences in people. Definitely for Halloween.

[Sandie · Rating 2 out of 5]

We didn't really care for this book....it was long and kind of boring. My daughter didn't even want to finish it. Maybe it would have been better as a read on your own book rather then a read out loud book.

There were good ideas in it....but it just didn't really interest me or my daughter.

[Judy · Rating 2 out of 5]

We really enjoy Patricia Polacco's work, but did not love this one. Other reviewers have said that 4th graders enjoy this book and perhaps that had something to do with it. My first grader got somewhat bored with it and didn't' find it very funny. I felt it lacked the depth that Polacco's other works show. So take my rating with a grain of salt, it might be much better for a different audience.

[Kallie Krammes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is funny and interesting and holds a lot of surprises that children would find funny. The book can be a bit lengthy but it is worth it. As a read aloud this would be a good book to inspire kids to write their own "creepy" story or tell about a time this made them think of. The illustrations bring the text to life. This is a very enjoyable book.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just discovered this author. I checked out a bunch of her books from the library. They have great illustrations, and the words are not "dumbed down" for a picture book. A great way to expand vocab as you read to your kids.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was hilarious. A fun read for me and the children, with captivating pictures that fit the style of writing very nicely. I like it especially because the underlying theme is one of acceptance even if someone seems strange to begin with, and I can sympathize with that message all day long!

[Virginia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Patricia Polacco does a nice job of showing how all families and homes can have something to offer-- even if those things are different from what others may expect or value. A funny picture book that would be especially appropriate around Halloween.

[Lauren Richards]

A funny story about a real haunted house and its inhabitants trying to fit into a normal town. Loved the venus fly trap!
(three by the same author)

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Patricia Polacco has wonderful books. What imagination of a small town eccentric family! I love it! A creative family that thinks outside of the norm - this is a cool book.

[Naomi · Rating 1 out of 5]

PBOWN

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story about the quirky family next door, who, it seems, cannot relate to anyone until someone with an eye for "unique" comes to town and they win the Fall Home Show award!

[Kellee Moye · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just too much. (If you read the book, you'll understand what I'm saying.)

[Megan Richards · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute story about being different is ok. i wasn't a big fan of the writing