The Present Tense of Prinny Murphy

by Jill MacLean

Ann Connor Brimer Award for Children's Literature Winner, 2010 On the 2011 USBBY Outstanding International Books honor list 2010 Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award Nominee On Resource Links Best Books of 2009 list 2010 OLA Best Bets -Children's Fiction Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children Award 2011 On VOYA's Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers 2010 list Josette Frank Award nominee, by the Children's Book Committee at Bank Street College of Education, 2011 The Present Tense of Prinny Murphy picks up the story where The Nine Lives of Travis Keating leaves off - but this time, from the perspective of Prinny, Travis's friend. An alcoholic mother, a distracted father, a best friend who spends all his time with his new "girlfriend", and three relentless schoolyard Prinny Murphy's past, present, and future certainly are "tense." Adding to her misery, she still can't read well enough to escape from remedial lessons with the dour Mrs.Dooks. But when a kindly substitute teacher introduces her to LaVaughn's inner-city world in the free verse novel, Make Lemonade, Prinny discovers that life can be full of possibilities - and poetry.

Genres: Realistic Fiction, Canada, Middle Grade, Teen, Read For School, Young Adult, Novels

232 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Jill MacLean started as a writer of so-called formula fiction, but many years ago turned to poetry, its polar opposite; her collection was shortlisted for two awards, while her five literary novels for young readers have won four awards and received numerous nominations, four of them international. She’s now working on a novel for adults, set in the early years of the One Hundred Years War, in the shadow of plague.

She lives in Nova Scotia, has been a palliative care volunteer and a dog walker for two humane societies, and is a keen reader who loves libraries (they’re full of books and they’re free). Time with family and friends is of the essence. Gardening, music and solo canoeing are also high on her list: picture her paddling into the sunrise on a mist-wreathed lake (edit out the blackflies). She has a strong sense of adventure: she’s hiked the high Arctic tundra, driven the Dempster Highway, tramped lava fields in central Iceland, traversed very scary, unlit, one-way tunnels in the Faroes Islands and been much too close to a grizzly in the Mackenzie Mountains. Medieval peasants, war and plague? An adventure of a different kind. Add to this curiosity and a propensity for eavesdropping, along with a passion for vibrant characters and a well-told story, and you begin to understand what keeps her at her desk, day after day.

Jill needs an update here - a busy few years. Her first medieval novel, "The Arrows of Mercy," was published in 2023, and was a finalist for the Whistler Independent Book Awards sponsored by The Writers' Union of Canada. It received a stellar review in The Miramichi Reader and was one of their Best Books for 2023. The Historical Society highly recommended it.
Since then, she's written a standalone sequel, called "The Arrows of Fealty," which will be launched September 21, 2025. The advance reviews are excellent, and it received a 5-star review (based on the ARC) yesterday.

Reviews

[Canadian Children's Book Centre]

Reviewed by Sandra O’Brien

Prinny Murphy has a tough life. Her mom is an alcoholic, she has a difficult time relating to her distant father and she’s stuck in remedial reading with Mrs. Dooks. To make matters worse the school bullies are extorting money from her – and her best friend, Travis, has started dating Laice, a snobby new girl from Halifax. But when a substitute teacher loans Prinny a copy of Make Lemonade, a free verse novel about a character named LaVaughn, things begin to turn around. Prinny finds herself drawn into a book for the first time in her life and discovers the magic of poetry. As new friendships are forged and her parents find a way back to each other, Prinny begins to realize that loving and trusting people is much like a roller coaster ride but all the ups and downs are worth it.

In The Present Tense of Prinny Murphy, Jill MacLean has written another sensational novel for readers in the junior/intermediate grades. Many children today deal with issues similar to Prinny’s – parental separation, alcoholism, bullying and loneliness. In Prinny, MacLean creates a conflicted character – one who wants to be kind and compassionate yet carries around a great deal of anger about her home life, her lack of female friends and her inability to read well. And now that we know Prinny’s secrets, Jill MacLean has raised our curiosity about the other residents of Ratchet. Providing teachers with an excellent platform to begin conversations about the stresses of home life, academic issues and friendship this novel is a must-read for fans of her previous book The Nine Lives of Travis Keating.

Canadian Children's Book News (Winter 2010, Vol. 33, No. 1)

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I kept wanting to yell at so many people in this book! The clueless adults, the Shrikes, and everyone who perpetuates bullying or simply allows it to happen. I was so mad. But I think it is true that the adults don't always know what is going on and can't step in. I really liked all of the ways that Prinny's classmates stepped in and stood up for each other. And I couldn't help but root for Prinny - what a girl! Although this book got me plenty upset, it was because of the ways people were treating each other, not because of any flaws in the plot or writing. I would highly recommend it, and think it could be a real eye-opener for quite a few kids.

I also love how Ms. MacLean works in Virginia Euwer Wolff's Make Lemonade and how much of an impact the book's main character LaVaughn has on Prinny. Prinny really gets LaVaughn and where she is coming from, and that is an important thing that books can do for you. Prinny learns that things aren't perfect - not in books, and not in the world - and this fabulous book is part of her discovery that she is not alone.

[Taya Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Present Tense of Prinny Murphy is about Prinny, a young girl dealing with an alcoholic mother, bullies at school, and her reluctance and struggles in reading. Prinny is faced with many challenges throughout the book and she learns that she must be in the present tense in order to face these challenges. She is introduced to a novel by LaVaughn that she relates to and uses it to face her own struggles.

This book is pretty good and introduces a lot of really important ideas for young readers. It introduces bullying and mistreatment of others and how it should be stopped. It introduces Prinny as a reluctant reader but who finds answers and relations in reading. It also teaches the fact that imperfections exist all around her and that not even a book has a perfect environment in it. I like all these things and I think they are really important for young readers to be introduced to. I would recommend this book to many middle schoolers because I think they would easiliy relate to the characters and situations.

[Karol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up The Present Tense of Prinny Murphy because of the title and decided to read the book because the description indicates Prinny reads a book written in verse, Make Lemonade, on my TBR.
Prinny has quite the struggles that I related to as a kid and even today.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. The main character, Prinny, struggles to learn to read, to deal with loneliness, to deal with her alcoholic mother and nice but distant father. In addition, she had bully girls blackmailing her. She perseveres with her friendships, and takes care of her kittens with the maternal instinct of a young teenager. I especially like the title. In order to stay on track Prinny realizes she has to stay in present tense.

[Shawna Spinks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was happy to get a better view of Prinny's life after having met her in The Nine Lives of Travis Keating. I enjoyed this book as much as I did MacLean's first novel. It was predictable at times but so true to life and so perfect for middle school kids to read. Bullying, insecurity, trust and many other pertinent issues are addressed. Again, I'll be placing this book in my classroom library and promoting it to the kids as a must read.

[Barbra · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this sequel to the 2008 novel, “The Nine Lives of Travis Keating,” we follow the life of Prinny as she battles issues of bullying, family secrets, alcoholism, loneliness, and child abuse. In grade six she struggles with her reading until she finds a book and a teacher that inspire her and give her the courage to fight back. Sensitively written, Prinny’s story is hard to put down. Ages 12 and up.

[Steve Vernon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really solid charming novel detailing the life of a reluctant reader. One of those solid yarns that will please readers of all ages - from early teen and right on up.

I'd recommend this yarn. The book is a sequel to her first book The Nine Lives of Travis Keating. Either book can be read separately but why deny yourself a good thing? Read both!

yours in storytelling,

Steve Vernon

[Christina]

YA

[Kim Maddin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in 1 night. A moving book that you grow attached to the main character very easily and feel for her!

[Nicole]

cbcreads 2010 book

[Loren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this was a very beautifully spelled out book with a marvellous structure. Lots of girls can relate to Prinny Murphy's experiences on many different levels.

[Janet Hutchinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pleasent read - local dialect well-represented and the story is eminently readable. I want to now read the predecessor to this book "The nine lives of Travis Keating".

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jill's books are winners for the young set. I enjoy them, too.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

i loved the book soooooo much my friend tait read it and told me i had to read it so one night i sat down with it and i was hooked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ninglu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was...an amazing book.
As simple as my review can be, it all wraps down to that it is such an awesome book.

[Beyond Words · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was great and nothing like I've read before. I found that I got so carried into the story I didn't want to put it down. It's just like an explosion in your head that's so fantastic.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it!!!!!!!

[serena · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is my favourite of the series, tied with Sigrid. It takes on Prinny's point of view and all she has gone through. Truly, an amazing story. A must-read!

[Allison Furlong · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel shows the power of literature and gives an accurate depiction of life as an adolescent in rural NL.