Fanny's Sister

Fanny #1

by Penelope Lively, Anita Lobel (Illustrator)

Because she is afraid God will answer her prayer and take her new baby sister back to heaven, nine-year-old Fanny runs away from her home in Victorian England.

56 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

Penelope Lively is the author of many prize-winning novels and short-story collections for both adults and children. She has twice been shortlisted for the Booker Prize: once in 1977 for her first novel, The Road to Lichfield, and again in 1984 for According to Mark. She later won the 1987 Booker Prize for her highly acclaimed novel Moon Tiger.

Her other books include Going Back; Judgement Day; Next to Nature, Art; Perfect Happiness; Passing On; City of the Mind; Cleopatra’s Sister; Heat Wave; Beyond the Blue Mountains, a collection of short stories; Oleander, Jacaranda, a memoir of her childhood days in Egypt; Spiderweb; her autobiographical work, A House Unlocked; The Photograph; Making It Up; Consequences; Family Album, which was shortlisted for the 2009 Costa Novel Award, and How It All Began.

She is a popular writer for children and has won both the Carnegie Medal and the Whitbread Award. She was appointed CBE in the 2001 New Year’s Honours List, and DBE in 2012.

Penelope Lively lives in London. She was married to Jack Lively, who died in 1998.

Reviews

[Chelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting concept. Taking place in the late 19th century, a young girl (Fanny, eldest of eight) prays to God that He takes her new baby sister back to heaven because she doesn't really want her. After something else she prayed about came true, she runs away because she's scared that the other thing she prayed for doesn't come true so she doesn't have to deal with the consequences. The language in this book is a little bit difficult, so I wouldn't suggest this book to anyone under the 4th or 5th grade.