The White Guinea Pig

by Ursula Dubosarsky

When Alberta the guinea pig disappears, Geraldine discovers life is more complicated that she had thought - especially when she gets to know Ezra, the boy next door, and the crisis in his life (his little sister has been hit by a car and killed). Without consciously knowing it, the same events surrounding the guinea pig bring them both one step closer to dealing with their lives.

Genres: Young Adult

Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Ursula Dubosarsky is an award-winning author of numerous books for children and young adults. About The Golden Day, her first book with Candlewick Press, she says, "The little girls watch, wonder, respond, change, and grow — and then their childhood is gone, forever. This element of the story, I suppose, is at least partly autobiographical. But, as I say — all of our teachers come home safe and sound in the end." Ursula Dubosarsky lives in Australia.

Reviews

[SBC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eccentric characters and a really quirky sense of humour that was appealing (for instance, the older sister's boyfriend with his fascination with Africa was really funny). It was quite a serious book; the young girl in it was very stressed, and nobody's parents seemed to notice their emotional distresses or have any real communication with their children; the girls' father is initially going bankrupt but ends up having committed fraud and being arrested; the next door neighbour is Ezra, whose sister died as a toddler which he never got over and which kind of resulted in him joining the Animal Liberation group (though he's only 11), though this all gets sorted out in his head at the end when the evil-feeling white guinea pig the girl Geraldine is taking care of gets run over and he can face that death (his sister was run over) and kiss her and go to the funeral. Winner of the 1994 NSW State Literary Award and the Victorian Premier's Literary Award (Children's Books).

[Darcy (Daydreamingofbookdragons) · Rating 2 out of 5]

(2.25)

I fail to see what the point of this books was.

[Tara · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was so bad I actually threw the book away when I finished. I don't know why on earth I started reading this nor why I stuck with it until the end. OCD I guess. Don't waste your time. It's not even good as a piece of YA lit.

[Rhys · Rating 1 out of 5]

i have to read this in my English glass... good god! its awful, cant wait to read stephen king again