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The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place
I Prefer Not To....
That's Margaret Rose Kane's response to every activity she's asked to participate in at the summer camp to which she's been exiled while her parents are in Peru. So Margaret Rose is delighted when her beloved uncles rescue her from Camp Talequa, with its uptight camp director and cruel cabinmates, and bring her to stay with them at their wonderful house at 19 Schuyler Place.
But Margaret Rose soon discovers that something is terribly wrong at 19 Schuyler Place. People in their newly gentrified neighborhood want to get rid of the three magnificent towers the uncles have spent forty-five years lovingly constructing of scrap metal and shards of glass and porcelain. Margaret Rose is outraged, and determined to strike a blow for art, for history, and for individuality...and no one is more surprised than Margaret Rose at the allies she finds for her mission.
That's Margaret Rose Kane's response to every activity she's asked to participate in at the summer camp to which she's been exiled while her parents are in Peru. So Margaret Rose is delighted when her beloved uncles rescue her from Camp Talequa, with its uptight camp director and cruel cabinmates, and bring her to stay with them at their wonderful house at 19 Schuyler Place.
But Margaret Rose soon discovers that something is terribly wrong at 19 Schuyler Place. People in their newly gentrified neighborhood want to get rid of the three magnificent towers the uncles have spent forty-five years lovingly constructing of scrap metal and shards of glass and porcelain. Margaret Rose is outraged, and determined to strike a blow for art, for history, and for individuality...and no one is more surprised than Margaret Rose at the allies she finds for her mission.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
77 people are currently reading
3161 people want to read
About the author
E.L. Konigsburg
63 books1,488 followersElaine Lobl Konigsburg was an American writer and illustrator of children's books and young adult fiction. She is one of six writers to win two Newbery Medals, the venerable American Library Association award for the year's "most distinguished contribution to American children's literature."
Konigsburg submitted her first two manuscripts to editor Jean E. Karl at Atheneum Publishers in 1966, and both were published in 1967: Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth and From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler won the 1968 Newbery Medal, and Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth was listed as a runner-up in the same year, making Konigsburg the only author to win the Newbery Medal and have another book listed as runner-up in the same year. She won again for The View from Saturday in 1997, 29 years later, the longest span between two Newberys awarded to one author.
For her contribution as a children's writer Konigsburg was U.S. nominee in 2006 for the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest international recognition available to creators of children's books.
Konigsburg submitted her first two manuscripts to editor Jean E. Karl at Atheneum Publishers in 1966, and both were published in 1967: Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth and From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler won the 1968 Newbery Medal, and Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth was listed as a runner-up in the same year, making Konigsburg the only author to win the Newbery Medal and have another book listed as runner-up in the same year. She won again for The View from Saturday in 1997, 29 years later, the longest span between two Newberys awarded to one author.
For her contribution as a children's writer Konigsburg was U.S. nominee in 2006 for the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest international recognition available to creators of children's books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 525 reviews
February 7, 2009
E. L. Konigsburg, The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place (Atheneum, 2004)
What do you do when you're faced with the destruction of a local landmark? What do you do if that local landmark was built by your relatives? It's an interesting question, though on the surface one has to figure it's going to be pretty narrow-market subject matter. Pretty familiar territory to me, though, as my in-laws' parents and grandparents were intimately involved with the now-dismantled Euclid Beach Park (watch for the forthcoming Arcadia Press title!), and, well, it's E. L. Konigsburg, who after From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler can do no wrong in my eyes, so away I went.
The time is the end of the eighties, the place small-town middle America. Margaret Rose Kane is going through adolescence with the help of her parents and a couple of eccentric uncles who are well-known in the community for three large works of art in their backyard, forty-foot-plus towers decorated with all sorts of shiny gewgaws. The trouble first starts when Margaret's parents are travelling in Peru for the summer, and the uncles have prior commitments, so Margaret is shipped off to a summer camp she loathes. After she and the head of the camp reach a “mutual decision” (read: she quits just before they toss her out on her ear) and she's rescued by one of her uncles, she finds out about those prior commitments—they're fighting a legal battle with their neighborhood association, who are trying to get the towers taken down for being unsafe and a blight on the community. As with all these sorts of sillinesses, there are people trying to stop it, but no one's quite sure how to go about doing so. Margaret to the rescue, and in organizing the fight to stop the towers from being torn down, she learns far more than she would have stuck in some summer camp in the woods.
Konigsburg is a gifted writer, and once this book gets going, it's fabulous. The book's problem, unfortunately, is that it does take quite a while to get going. Still, I'd advise that if you're thirty or forty pages into the book and wondering if it's ever going to go anywhere, press on; you've got some more crust to chew through, but the meat inside is well worth savoring. And the resolution of the book is truly wonderful, bringing everything full circle in the best of ways. This is fun stuff, and I definitely recommend it both for the teens who are its target audience and us old fogies who were raised in Frankweiler. ****
What do you do when you're faced with the destruction of a local landmark? What do you do if that local landmark was built by your relatives? It's an interesting question, though on the surface one has to figure it's going to be pretty narrow-market subject matter. Pretty familiar territory to me, though, as my in-laws' parents and grandparents were intimately involved with the now-dismantled Euclid Beach Park (watch for the forthcoming Arcadia Press title!), and, well, it's E. L. Konigsburg, who after From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler can do no wrong in my eyes, so away I went.
The time is the end of the eighties, the place small-town middle America. Margaret Rose Kane is going through adolescence with the help of her parents and a couple of eccentric uncles who are well-known in the community for three large works of art in their backyard, forty-foot-plus towers decorated with all sorts of shiny gewgaws. The trouble first starts when Margaret's parents are travelling in Peru for the summer, and the uncles have prior commitments, so Margaret is shipped off to a summer camp she loathes. After she and the head of the camp reach a “mutual decision” (read: she quits just before they toss her out on her ear) and she's rescued by one of her uncles, she finds out about those prior commitments—they're fighting a legal battle with their neighborhood association, who are trying to get the towers taken down for being unsafe and a blight on the community. As with all these sorts of sillinesses, there are people trying to stop it, but no one's quite sure how to go about doing so. Margaret to the rescue, and in organizing the fight to stop the towers from being torn down, she learns far more than she would have stuck in some summer camp in the woods.
Konigsburg is a gifted writer, and once this book gets going, it's fabulous. The book's problem, unfortunately, is that it does take quite a while to get going. Still, I'd advise that if you're thirty or forty pages into the book and wondering if it's ever going to go anywhere, press on; you've got some more crust to chew through, but the meat inside is well worth savoring. And the resolution of the book is truly wonderful, bringing everything full circle in the best of ways. This is fun stuff, and I definitely recommend it both for the teens who are its target audience and us old fogies who were raised in Frankweiler. ****
October 15, 2008
this book would probably be good for someone else... i got it a few years ago and never got to finish it. i am giving it 2 stars because it makes a good pillow.
November 25, 2007
The author of the beloved "Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" has written another treasure. This one is the coziest little protest to gentrification you ever did read. Set in an older neighborhood in anytown, USA, two crumudgeonly Hungarian brothers, their incorrigible grandaughter, an Italian truffle-hunting dog and a hot summer camp janitor all work to save three glorious towers constructed by the Rose brothers in their own backyard from the evil, bland, homeowners association.
My favorite line:
"We found the time by not being in a hurry."
My favorite line:
"We found the time by not being in a hurry."
February 14, 2019
Margaret Rose is a character you will enjoy getting to know. From her cringe-worthy summer camp experience to her efforts to save the towers built by her great uncles there are surprises around every corner. Some of my favorite passages were the conversations the uncles had. Hilarious! Molly Ringwald narrates the audiobook. Worth checking out!
August 29, 2012
I'm reading this story now, on page 105.
My favorite part so far is her strong sense of "self"; her identity, family and heritage, determines how she thinks of herself and how she sees the world instead of how others perceive her. Very meaningful and it gives her the potential to be a very powerful character, although I doubt the author will go in that direction.
My least favorite part is how the author is basically conveying principles and quirks of sociology and psychology in lieu of of forwarding the plot.
I really liked the camp-leader lady. Mostly because I wrote a character in my first NANO story who behaved a lot like her and ended up being an android created by evil lizard people. :D
Two hundred more pages to go!
********
Done now!
Good drama story. Not unpredictable, but very thoughtful and methodical. I enjoyed the psychosocial "inuendoes" but I'm not sure I would have understood them at 12-13. I don't read Margaret Rose as a child at all. She's more like an extremely well developed lizard person.
Which is kind of awesome! I just wish her character were a bigger part of the story instead of the social issues she is dealing with.
In short, this book made me think and I liked it. :)
My favorite part so far is her strong sense of "self"; her identity, family and heritage, determines how she thinks of herself and how she sees the world instead of how others perceive her. Very meaningful and it gives her the potential to be a very powerful character, although I doubt the author will go in that direction.
My least favorite part is how the author is basically conveying principles and quirks of sociology and psychology in lieu of of forwarding the plot.
I really liked the camp-leader lady. Mostly because I wrote a character in my first NANO story who behaved a lot like her and ended up being an android created by evil lizard people. :D
Two hundred more pages to go!
********
Done now!
Good drama story. Not unpredictable, but very thoughtful and methodical. I enjoyed the psychosocial "inuendoes" but I'm not sure I would have understood them at 12-13. I don't read Margaret Rose as a child at all. She's more like an extremely well developed lizard person.
Which is kind of awesome! I just wish her character were a bigger part of the story instead of the social issues she is dealing with.
In short, this book made me think and I liked it. :)
June 10, 2016
This book was just all right to me. I really liked the beginning and ending, but the middle dragged a LOT. I sort of had a love-hate relationship with Margaret Rose. In some parts she came off as very charming and authentic, but at other times she sort of just seemed pretentious and insufferable. And was I the only one who thought some of the adults in the book had a strange relationship with her, particularly Jake? It was left ambiguous as to how old he was, but he was clearly an adult (I guessed between 20-25). I felt like it bordered on inappropriate in some instances. I think this book would have been a lot better had it been portrayed as a young adult or adult fiction book. I know E.L. Konigsburg only writes children books, but I feel as though the subject matter of the towers came across as sort of boring for kids. It could have been spiced up a lot with some YA/adult elements. The camp portion of the book was one of my favorite elements, so it would have been cool to keep that but see Margaret as seventeen/eighteen instead of twelve. One of the things I really liked about this book was the fact that it was written in first person but included a lot of scenes where she wasn't present. It added a lot of dimension to the story to hear her relay other's stories. I will probably read another E.L. Konigsburg book in the future, but I won't be in any rush to find them. Overall, just a "good" book.
May 7, 2008
E.L. Konigsberg's books are always excellent, but this was even better than most. Clearly based in part on the real-life story of the Watts Towers, Konigsberg used them as a starting point and an inspiration, but the towers in Outcasts are in most ways distinct from their real-life counterparts (and the resolution of their fate is as well).
Jumping back and forth between the narrator's present (spending the summer with her eccentric uncles) and recent past (the few tortuous weeks she spent in summer camp), we see the parallels between the difficulty a teenager who is a little bit different has fitting in with her peers, and the difficulties her uncles are having fitting into a neighborhood that has changed around them.
And the solution to what seems an insoluble problem is nothing less than brilliant. :D
Jumping back and forth between the narrator's present (spending the summer with her eccentric uncles) and recent past (the few tortuous weeks she spent in summer camp), we see the parallels between the difficulty a teenager who is a little bit different has fitting in with her peers, and the difficulties her uncles are having fitting into a neighborhood that has changed around them.
And the solution to what seems an insoluble problem is nothing less than brilliant. :D
July 26, 2017
I enjoyed this book. It was a little quirky, with a great female protagonist. I was unsure of Molly Ringwald as the narrator at first, but her sort of monotone narration actually fit the story really well.
I couldn't help but think of Moonrise Kingdom as I listened to this audiobook. For me, there was a very similar tone and feel between this book and that movie. They're not related in any way, but the sort of borderline fantastical, over the top characters and storyline, combined with protagonist that acts much wiser than her years just made me think of the movie.
Margaret Rose is definitely a fun character, and I absolutely adored both of her uncles, but Uncle Alex in particular. I also appreciated the way the story came back around to tie into Margaret's experience at camp in the beginning of the book in a way that felt really satisfying. I also appreciated the way that some of the holes left in the camp story at the start of the book get filled in by the end.
It was a nice audiobook to enjoy this week after struggling a little with my last audiobook attempt.
I couldn't help but think of Moonrise Kingdom as I listened to this audiobook. For me, there was a very similar tone and feel between this book and that movie. They're not related in any way, but the sort of borderline fantastical, over the top characters and storyline, combined with protagonist that acts much wiser than her years just made me think of the movie.
Margaret Rose is definitely a fun character, and I absolutely adored both of her uncles, but Uncle Alex in particular. I also appreciated the way the story came back around to tie into Margaret's experience at camp in the beginning of the book in a way that felt really satisfying. I also appreciated the way that some of the holes left in the camp story at the start of the book get filled in by the end.
It was a nice audiobook to enjoy this week after struggling a little with my last audiobook attempt.
August 13, 2023
Found this in a Little Free Library. A typical EL Konigsburg book about improbably smart people living in an improbable world. Good characters and story.
December 31, 2014
My family checked out a bag of library audiobooks to take on a long road trip recently. Many were titles I thought I'd like but didn't love enough to tune in the entire time (and so I won't even be reviewing them). But this was the exception - The Outcasts was the standout hit of the trip for all of us.
We listened to the unabridged version read by Molly Ringwald, who is a delightful reader. She brought just the right amount of acting to the job. Some audiobook readers go gangbusters on accents and whatnot... Molly provided just the right amount of differentiation to help distinguish among characters without overdoing it.
This is Konigsburg's second-to-last work, published in 2004 long after I aged out of the target audience. It is set in 1983. Come to think of it, in 1983 I was about the same age that Margaret Rose, the main character, is in the book. Maybe that's part of why I liked her so much. She is a smart, sassy, plucky young woman who sees through adult bull*% and quietly gets things done.
The thing that needs to get done in this book has to do with the art towers her great-uncles have built in their backyard. The neighborhood is undergoing gentrification and neighbors sued to have the structures destroyed. Margaret reaches out to artists and business people to strategize and save the towers.
I felt a bit let down by the ending, since the towers aren't saved because of their intrinsic value as art - instead they are purchased by a telecommunications company and relocated to a hill to be used as cell phone towers. But that ending goes with the Uncles' philosophy about enjoying things while they are yours and then letting them go. It also fit well with the sense of quiet despair and lack of control Margaret has when her parents divorce.
The journey that Margaret goes through during the summer of 1983 is a universal coming-of-age story about a girl beginning to understand adult things. But it's also touching and really, really funny.
At one point during listening, I turned to my beloved and said "Why haven't we read every single thing E. L. Konigsburg has ever written?" I don't know the answer to that, but I know how to fix it. We're about to go on a Konigsburg jag. Hang on.
We listened to the unabridged version read by Molly Ringwald, who is a delightful reader. She brought just the right amount of acting to the job. Some audiobook readers go gangbusters on accents and whatnot... Molly provided just the right amount of differentiation to help distinguish among characters without overdoing it.
This is Konigsburg's second-to-last work, published in 2004 long after I aged out of the target audience. It is set in 1983. Come to think of it, in 1983 I was about the same age that Margaret Rose, the main character, is in the book. Maybe that's part of why I liked her so much. She is a smart, sassy, plucky young woman who sees through adult bull*% and quietly gets things done.
The thing that needs to get done in this book has to do with the art towers her great-uncles have built in their backyard. The neighborhood is undergoing gentrification and neighbors sued to have the structures destroyed. Margaret reaches out to artists and business people to strategize and save the towers.
I felt a bit let down by the ending, since the towers aren't saved because of their intrinsic value as art - instead they are purchased by a telecommunications company and relocated to a hill to be used as cell phone towers. But that ending goes with the Uncles' philosophy about enjoying things while they are yours and then letting them go. It also fit well with the sense of quiet despair and lack of control Margaret has when her parents divorce.
The journey that Margaret goes through during the summer of 1983 is a universal coming-of-age story about a girl beginning to understand adult things. But it's also touching and really, really funny.
At one point during listening, I turned to my beloved and said "Why haven't we read every single thing E. L. Konigsburg has ever written?" I don't know the answer to that, but I know how to fix it. We're about to go on a Konigsburg jag. Hang on.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 9, 2010
"I picked this up because I'd read several of Konigsburg's books when I was very young, and really liked them, esp. "Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth" and "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler."
What struck me though, is that although this book is marketed as a kids' book, probably because that's what the author is known for, it really isn't. Although the protagonist is 12, the story is told from the point of view of an adult looking back at being 12, not from the point of view of a 12-year-old, and I think that really shows in the themes of the book.
The protagonist, Margaret's parents is sent to summer camp while her parents are away on a trip. She was looking forward to it, but when she turns out to be the 'new girl' in a cabin of girls who already know each other, things don't start out that well and they rapidly get worse. Luckily, one of her two eccentric bachelor uncles shows up to face down the unsympathetic camp director and rescue her from the bullying. Margaret's delighted, because she really wanted to spend the summer with her uncles anyway, helping them work on the amazing sculpture towers in their back yard. Unfortunately, neighborhood gentrification has set in, and the towers are scheduled for demolition. The uncles think the situation is hopeless, but Margaret can't just let it happen...
This is not a perfect book. The summer camp segment at the beginning is kinda typical; and too long. And I felt that the 'redemption' of the bullying girls later in the book is too easy, and doesn't 'ring true.'
However, I read the whole thing in one sitting - I couldn't put it down. And it really stands out as a novel for the author's refusal to make things black & white, or to go with the easy 'happy ending.' People here are nuanced, with shaded layers of motivations; we feel that they are real people, even when we only glimpse them in passing. It deals deftly and accurately with picturing a young woman's first feelings of love, shows that one can and must do something about issues that one cares about - but also acknowledges the reality that even when you 'win,' not everything is likely to be perfect.
What struck me though, is that although this book is marketed as a kids' book, probably because that's what the author is known for, it really isn't. Although the protagonist is 12, the story is told from the point of view of an adult looking back at being 12, not from the point of view of a 12-year-old, and I think that really shows in the themes of the book.
The protagonist, Margaret's parents is sent to summer camp while her parents are away on a trip. She was looking forward to it, but when she turns out to be the 'new girl' in a cabin of girls who already know each other, things don't start out that well and they rapidly get worse. Luckily, one of her two eccentric bachelor uncles shows up to face down the unsympathetic camp director and rescue her from the bullying. Margaret's delighted, because she really wanted to spend the summer with her uncles anyway, helping them work on the amazing sculpture towers in their back yard. Unfortunately, neighborhood gentrification has set in, and the towers are scheduled for demolition. The uncles think the situation is hopeless, but Margaret can't just let it happen...
This is not a perfect book. The summer camp segment at the beginning is kinda typical; and too long. And I felt that the 'redemption' of the bullying girls later in the book is too easy, and doesn't 'ring true.'
However, I read the whole thing in one sitting - I couldn't put it down. And it really stands out as a novel for the author's refusal to make things black & white, or to go with the easy 'happy ending.' People here are nuanced, with shaded layers of motivations; we feel that they are real people, even when we only glimpse them in passing. It deals deftly and accurately with picturing a young woman's first feelings of love, shows that one can and must do something about issues that one cares about - but also acknowledges the reality that even when you 'win,' not everything is likely to be perfect.
May 17, 2018
Written lies about Asperger's Syndrome
I am a huge fan of E L Konigsburg's books, however, writing that someone with Asperger's SYNDROME - not DISORDER is similar to a person with Down's syndrome or that a person with Asperger's wouldn't be relaxing against a car hood, they would be banging their head on it, is COMPLETELY false and irresponsible, not to mention highly insulting. I have Asperger's syndrome. I also have a Doctorate and a Mensa membership. I have never banged my head on a car hood, nor have I ever seen anyone else with Asperger's do so. Categorizing autistic tendencies is nearly impossible for even experts to do - the saying is that if you've met one person with autism...you've met ONE person with autism. I expected better and more consideration from this extremely intelligent and talented author. I and many people affected by autism, Downs syndrome, and other types of developmental disorders would appreciate the author removing mention of same in future editions. - Dr. Kristin von Walz
I am a huge fan of E L Konigsburg's books, however, writing that someone with Asperger's SYNDROME - not DISORDER is similar to a person with Down's syndrome or that a person with Asperger's wouldn't be relaxing against a car hood, they would be banging their head on it, is COMPLETELY false and irresponsible, not to mention highly insulting. I have Asperger's syndrome. I also have a Doctorate and a Mensa membership. I have never banged my head on a car hood, nor have I ever seen anyone else with Asperger's do so. Categorizing autistic tendencies is nearly impossible for even experts to do - the saying is that if you've met one person with autism...you've met ONE person with autism. I expected better and more consideration from this extremely intelligent and talented author. I and many people affected by autism, Downs syndrome, and other types of developmental disorders would appreciate the author removing mention of same in future editions. - Dr. Kristin von Walz
February 10, 2017
I think that the book The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place, by E. L. Konigsburg, was a pretty good book. It was about a girl who goes to summer camp for the first time and all the other girls play pranks on her, like making it look like she wet the bed. She really wants to go to her uncles house but she can't because they are hiding something from her. Her uncles have built 3 tall metal towers that they painted and hung bits of glass from. When they town threatens to tear down the towers, the girl must find a way to save them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 25, 2019
I thought I would like this book. It started off promising, but it got rather dull. The main character's mother is a psychology professor, and so has Psychology 101 syndrome, thinking she knows what's wrong with everyone. There're themes of petty revenge and preteen-girl-has-a-crush-on-a-twenty-something-boy. But I think what killed it for me was the back-and-forth conversations that were clearly intended to be character building. It seemed like those scenes would have been good on screen, but they just came across as annoying in the author's voice.
August 3, 2013
I loved this book. Such a beautiful story about being yourself, the value of family, and standing up for what you believe. I spent a pleasant afternoon at the pool with this book and enjoyed myself immensely. It flowed nicely between past and present and gently probed growing up issues such as bullying, first crushes, and independence. But for me the largest theme was that of family. A fiercely loyal, loving, and quirky group of family that loves you can help you through anything.
May 14, 2021
Enjoyed reading The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place today. It was a good read. Different from what I've been reading in a good way.
July 17, 2014
This is the first book I've read by e.l. konigsburg. What a great story of family love and loyalty. The characters are people I would love to meet and stage a revolution with!!
February 5, 2015
The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place was an interesting book at the time I read it. At a glance Margaret Rose Kane is like any other protagonist in a story, only to grow as the story continues. From a very basic summary Margaret is sent to a summer camp while her parents supposedly neglect her in favor of a trip to Peru. Her attitude towards the camp is one that emits negativity, refusing to do anything the counselors say just to spite everyone around her. To her credit this attitude eventually succeeds, although not in the most exciting fashion, and she finds herself at her uncles' house 19 Schyyler Place.
19 Schuyler Place holds three gigantic towers that her uncles have passionately created over their lifetime. It is these three towers that become a focal point of the story as the neighborhood plan to demolish the three towers. Their reasoning differs from my recollection - from endangering neighboring houses, to disrupting the flow and regulations of the area.
As the story progresses the uncles slowly begin to wane in their prevention of the demolition. They begin to spend more time away from the house, presumably to not show their pained expressions to Margaret. For the stubborn Margaret Rose however, she is not willing to let the towers go down without a fight and she begins her elaborate plan.
All that summary could have been taken away by the blurb of the book, which I admittedly used to refresh my memory (because it has been so long since I've read the story), but from a review standpoint it was difficult to give it a solid rating. I find it difficult to give books a proper numerical rating as I was in ALL of my prior "reviews". Before it was simple enough to just give it a 5 if it met entertaining status, a 4 if it had noticeable flaws, and anything lower would be based on my judgement. However now that 5-6 years have passed I realize that this book shouldn't be measured or compared against the other books I "reviewed". If I were to give it a four - does that mean it was worse than a five? Better than a three? No. It's not to compare this book to another based on how many stars it holds on a site. It just means that at the time of the review, I thought it deserved this much out of a total five.
Margaret Rose develops as much as any other protagonist would, like you expect from a novel that is directed towards young readers. Despite that there were simple allusions that would sometimes throw the reader for a loop. At certain points in the story it seems like the government had won, there was no winning solution in a losing fight, when they were outnumbered from the start. Margaret gains allies slowly and by doing so she gains confidence and new insight towards characters that she once saw as differently.
As the blurb read it said, "Margaret Rose is outraged and determined to strike a blow for art, for history, and for individuality". 4-5 years ago when I first read this I thought nothing more about it. Now however it seems that the symbolism in the tower is not just these three traits, but the stake of being different. Having the towers in the backyard of 19 Schuyler Place IS different. It's something that not many people can say they have. In the eyes of the neighborhood, such a drastic change is something that can't be overlooked and that it must be conformed to otherwise looks like a everybody else. It's an odd take on the book, believe me I couldn't quite understand my own thinking myself, but it's one that looks more and more believable if you look at all the little telltale signs the book gives. Being different, being the same or fitting in - it's a topic that many young readers can connect to. Especially in the classroom and outside of it, there's an ever-going battle of accepting difference. This becomes more and more obvious at the ending or you could look no further than the title - Outcasts.
The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place manages to be very poetic at times where I don't expect it to. The writing came across as very simple, but required some thought process to be used to see an underlining meaning that the story was inferring.
An example of that is the internal conflict between Margaret and her parents. This conflict could've been more played out but I'm guessing that wouldn't have made for the best read for students. This conflict reveals itself to be something more serious towards the end, but the story is still very safe with domestic conflict. This isn't the only thing that needs to be inferred upon but it's one that's revealed early on and not expanded upon until later.
That being said I'm not sure who I would recommend this for. It's not for adult readers, but I can't wholeheartedly recommend it to the very young as well. In actuality I think it's fine to read this in junior high and high school as well, although the diction might seem a little too easy at that education level. The story ends with what I thought was a satisfying ending. It ties up the loose ends of certain characters that you may not have given a second thought to, although it's more like a brief summary than an epilogue. There are some thoughts that I would like to have answered, but it's not realistic to be able to put a lifetime of stories into a simple book.
It did leave me wanting to know more about Margaret - but hopefully Silent to the Bone answers some of my questions. I find it odd how I read the "prequel" before Silent to the Bone - especially since Silent to the Bone was written four years prior to 19 Schuyler Place. However I love the book as a standalone, so I'm not sure how I'm going to approach Silent to the Bone (if I even bother to). There is even an allusion to the book in the epilogue, Margaret even mentions the main character of Silent to the Bone.
In the end I found myself liking Margaret, even more so after all these years later rereading the book. As many changes as there will be in an ever-changing world 19 Schuyler Place will always rest between it's neighbors 17 and 21.
19 Schuyler Place holds three gigantic towers that her uncles have passionately created over their lifetime. It is these three towers that become a focal point of the story as the neighborhood plan to demolish the three towers. Their reasoning differs from my recollection - from endangering neighboring houses, to disrupting the flow and regulations of the area.
As the story progresses the uncles slowly begin to wane in their prevention of the demolition. They begin to spend more time away from the house, presumably to not show their pained expressions to Margaret. For the stubborn Margaret Rose however, she is not willing to let the towers go down without a fight and she begins her elaborate plan.
All that summary could have been taken away by the blurb of the book, which I admittedly used to refresh my memory (because it has been so long since I've read the story), but from a review standpoint it was difficult to give it a solid rating. I find it difficult to give books a proper numerical rating as I was in ALL of my prior "reviews". Before it was simple enough to just give it a 5 if it met entertaining status, a 4 if it had noticeable flaws, and anything lower would be based on my judgement. However now that 5-6 years have passed I realize that this book shouldn't be measured or compared against the other books I "reviewed". If I were to give it a four - does that mean it was worse than a five? Better than a three? No. It's not to compare this book to another based on how many stars it holds on a site. It just means that at the time of the review, I thought it deserved this much out of a total five.
Margaret Rose develops as much as any other protagonist would, like you expect from a novel that is directed towards young readers. Despite that there were simple allusions that would sometimes throw the reader for a loop. At certain points in the story it seems like the government had won, there was no winning solution in a losing fight, when they were outnumbered from the start. Margaret gains allies slowly and by doing so she gains confidence and new insight towards characters that she once saw as differently.
As the blurb read it said, "Margaret Rose is outraged and determined to strike a blow for art, for history, and for individuality". 4-5 years ago when I first read this I thought nothing more about it. Now however it seems that the symbolism in the tower is not just these three traits, but the stake of being different. Having the towers in the backyard of 19 Schuyler Place IS different. It's something that not many people can say they have. In the eyes of the neighborhood, such a drastic change is something that can't be overlooked and that it must be conformed to otherwise looks like a everybody else. It's an odd take on the book, believe me I couldn't quite understand my own thinking myself, but it's one that looks more and more believable if you look at all the little telltale signs the book gives. Being different, being the same or fitting in - it's a topic that many young readers can connect to. Especially in the classroom and outside of it, there's an ever-going battle of accepting difference. This becomes more and more obvious at the ending or you could look no further than the title - Outcasts.
The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place manages to be very poetic at times where I don't expect it to. The writing came across as very simple, but required some thought process to be used to see an underlining meaning that the story was inferring.
An example of that is the internal conflict between Margaret and her parents. This conflict could've been more played out but I'm guessing that wouldn't have made for the best read for students. This conflict reveals itself to be something more serious towards the end, but the story is still very safe with domestic conflict. This isn't the only thing that needs to be inferred upon but it's one that's revealed early on and not expanded upon until later.
That being said I'm not sure who I would recommend this for. It's not for adult readers, but I can't wholeheartedly recommend it to the very young as well. In actuality I think it's fine to read this in junior high and high school as well, although the diction might seem a little too easy at that education level. The story ends with what I thought was a satisfying ending. It ties up the loose ends of certain characters that you may not have given a second thought to, although it's more like a brief summary than an epilogue. There are some thoughts that I would like to have answered, but it's not realistic to be able to put a lifetime of stories into a simple book.
It did leave me wanting to know more about Margaret - but hopefully Silent to the Bone answers some of my questions. I find it odd how I read the "prequel" before Silent to the Bone - especially since Silent to the Bone was written four years prior to 19 Schuyler Place. However I love the book as a standalone, so I'm not sure how I'm going to approach Silent to the Bone (if I even bother to). There is even an allusion to the book in the epilogue, Margaret even mentions the main character of Silent to the Bone.
In the end I found myself liking Margaret, even more so after all these years later rereading the book. As many changes as there will be in an ever-changing world 19 Schuyler Place will always rest between it's neighbors 17 and 21.
March 9, 2018
I have been wanting to read another book by CL Koingsburg so when I saw this at the library I grabbed it. As in The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, the main character is a young teen girl. We see her interact with a variety of problems that crop up during this summer and the friends, family, and even enemies that help her through. Some mature themes and camp pranks make this suitable for a more mature teen...you wouldn't want these pranks reproduced in your home by a youngster needing to develop discretion. :)
November 16, 2017
Weak ending - very rushed and far too neat and tidy, though unsatisfying. The best parts are probably Margaret Rose back at 19 Schuyler Place up through the beginning of the preservation operation. That part is believable, unlike the ridiculous way things turn out.
Molly Ringwald cannot correctly pronounce the word "superfluous," omitting the first u and making it something like "superfelous"- multiple times.
Molly Ringwald cannot correctly pronounce the word "superfluous," omitting the first u and making it something like "superfelous"- multiple times.
December 27, 2020
What an engaging book (middle school, but fun for adults). I listened to the audio, narrated by Molly Ringwald, and it was very entertaining. I loved Margaret Rose’s individuality and her ability to stand up to bullies of all ages. The uncles are marvelous characters, and their repartee and combative relationship are priceless. The story wrapped up nicely, if a bit unbelievably.
December 8, 2020
Solid 4 stars. What a fun book. Perfect for 10-12 or even 14 year olds. Clever no nonsense Margaret Rose knows her own mind, whether it’s hating camp activities or trying to save the artistic towers in her backyard. Fun, full of messages, Margaret walks to her own drummer.
July 22, 2024
I enjoy Margaret Kane's voice in this first-person narrated novel for teens. I enjoyed the eccentricities of the Hungarian uncles and their way of life. I enjoyed the message that young people can influence the world around them. I will probably read this again.
September 10, 2023
I have been reading books on my classroom shelf because I like to know what my students are reading. While this is a good book, and very appropriate, I feel that fourth graders are a bit too young for it. I loved how Margaret quietly stood up for hierself at camp and then helped to save her uncles large sculpture in their yeard. She stayed true to herself and was able to do good tings.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 6, 2024
Another clever and charming story from the master of children’s literature. Combining unique and endearing characters with a classic tale of “fighting city hall”, Konigsburg delights readers with her always spot-on ability to relay the thoughts and feelings of pre-teen children. Highly recommended.
April 16, 2021
Jake ends up w Loretta Bevilaqua, the lawyer lady!?
Boo!
The Towers were moved in the end?!
Boo!
Boo!
The Towers were moved in the end?!
Boo!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 24, 2020
I fell in love with the characters in this book, the uncles especially. Konigsburg created a witty story that puts art, individuality, and community in the golden light they deserve. My only wish is that I could go back in time I read this book when I was twelve years young.
February 26, 2019
09 October 2003 THE OUTCASTS OF 19 SCHUYLER PLACE by E.L. Konigsburg, Simon & Schuster/Atheneum, February 2004, ISBN 0-689-86636-4
"When you get older, édes Margitkám, you'll realize that all you have is time. You have time and your side of history. And that's all you have."
I'm flying across the country to Long Island this weekend for my thirtieth high school reunion. I'm taking my digital camera and a few extra days there to document how the places from my early history appear nowadays. Undoubtedly, my impending pilgrimage back in time heightens the degree to which I have been touched by Elaine Konigsburg's new masterpiece, THE OUTCASTS OF 19 SCHUYLER PLACE.
"When I returned to the cabin during the break between makeup and juggling, I found that my bedclothes were all rumpled even though I had made my bed before leaving. I climbed up to my bunk. My covers had been pulled back, and a big wet spot filled the center of the matress. I smelled urine.
"Furious, I climbed down and waited for the other Meadowlarks to appear. I was determined to find out who had done this and confront her. I waited, and no one came. I didn't know where they were or what they were doing, but I knew that wherever and whatever, they were together, and it had all been worked out beforehand."
A prequel of sorts to Konigsburg's SILENT TO THE BONE, this is the story--set years before BONE--of twelve-year-old Margaret Rose Kane. With her parents off on an archeological dig in South America, Margaret is rescued by one of her beloved Uncles from the viciousness of her seven cabin mates and the dictatorial summer camp owner at Camp Talequa. She will now get to spend the month with her granduncles, in their house where there has always been a special place for her.
"I loved their Old World habits. Like wearing a Borsalino hat from Italy instead of a baseball cap. Neither one of them owned a baseball cap. Or blue jeans. Or sneakers. Or a sports shirt. They never watched sports on TV and had never been to a football game, even when the home team, Clarion State University, was playing. They could speak three languages besides English. They had wine with dinner every night and ate so late that sometimes it was midnight when they finished. They served coffee with real cream and lump sugar that they dropped into the cup with a tiny pair of tongs. They had never eaten at a McDonalds or standing up. Even in the summer when they ate in their garden, they still covered their table with a white linen cloth, served their wine in crystal goblets, and their food on china dishes. And they never hurried through dinner. If it got to be too late when they finished eating, they would leave unwashed dishes in the sink and go to bed."
I frequently include Konigsburg's FROM THE MIXED UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER in booktalks to younger grades. Written when my own generation were adolescents, it is rare for me to promote a book written that long ago; it illustrates how much I enjoy the work of Elaine Konigsburg. So when I say that this two-time Newbery Medal winner has just now written the best book of her career, it tells you how exciting and satisfying a read THE OUTCASTS OF 19 SCHUYLER PLACE is.
" 'Time is money, Mr. Rose.'
" 'Time is not money, Mrs. Kaplan. Time wasted is often time well spent. Money wasted is merely redistributed.' "
The long narrow backyard of the Uncles' vintage home is devoted to gardens of peppers and rose-colored roses, along with a set of three tall, spidery towers--whimsically adorned with hanging shards of ceramic and crystal--that Uncle Alexander and Uncle Morris have been constructing and maintaining for over forty-five years.
"My father thought that building the towers with clock faces that didn't tell time was a waste of it...He complained that they couldn't keep track of keys, bills, appointments, or time. Especially time. Being on time was a religion to Father.
"My father spoke of time as a conception, and the only definition of conception I knew meant that time was something he had fathered. He was my father, and he was also Father Time. He worried about wasting time and running out of time. Mostly, he worried about losing time. When I was little, I used to think that someday I would find a picture of his lost child Time on a milk carton. To Father, time was meant to be saved. He saved time all the time. He never said what he did with all the time he saved, but no one ever asked because people always admire people who save time.
"To the Uncles, time was meant to be spent.
"When people asked my father--and I hated when they did--what he thought of the towers, he would say that they were not only 'useless, superfluous, a supreme waste of time,' but also 'an extravagant waste of money.'
"My mother's attitude was: 'Extravagant? Yes, the towers are extravagant, but that hardly makes them a waste of money. Every now and then, a person must do something simply because he wants to, because it seems to him worth doing. And that does not make it worthless or a waste of time. It's true, the towers have no function. They do not give shelter. Neither does the statue of David. They don't hold up telephone wires. Neither does the Eiffel Tower. And the rose windows of Notre Dame don't let in enough light to read fine print. But by my definition, that doesn't make them useless or superfluous either. The towers are there simply because they are worth doing. Without them, my world would be less beautiful and a lot less fun.' "
During the month that Margaret spends on Schuyler Place, the Uncles share their history--of the businesses that they ran together, the transformation of the community, the neighborhood, and of the home at 19 Schuyler Place that the old bachelor, Alex, and the widower, Morris, have shared for so long.
" 'How did you find time to do the towers?' Jake asked.
" 'By not being in a hurry,' Alex said. That's how you find the time.' "
I am thinking about the old times of which the Uncles speak. For me, those were the days of being a little kid, walking down to the corner of Old Country and South Oyster Bay Roads when there was a barber with a thick Italian accent, a butcher with sawdust on the floor, a Fifties soda fountain with the red-topped spinning stools, and the old drugstore where we'd look for Yankee sluggers in packages of the one brand of baseball cards that anyone made at the time.
"You see, when we were a neighborhood, there was not a zoning code, there was an unwritten code. That unwritten code was: Love thy neighbor."
Those days from the distant past--years before some businessman honored Long Island's most famous dead poet by naming the first shopping mall after him; years before that big kid ran down the sidewalk and told us the President had been shot--those are the kind of days that are captured so vividly through the Uncles' rhapsodizing.
"Since we are now a zone and not a neighborhood, we also don't have neighbors. We have home owners."
And of course, this is all a setup for portioning us out pieces of the elaborate puzzle that Konigsburg so wonderfully crafts. Piece by piece she reveals to us what makes Margaret Kane tick...and how during this month she will stride toward being the young adult we meet in SILENT TO THE BONE.
Packed with enough humor, heart, and mischievousness for a dozen books, THE OUTCASTS OF 19 SCHUYLER PLACE becomes the yardstick by which I'll measure 2004.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com
"When you get older, édes Margitkám, you'll realize that all you have is time. You have time and your side of history. And that's all you have."
I'm flying across the country to Long Island this weekend for my thirtieth high school reunion. I'm taking my digital camera and a few extra days there to document how the places from my early history appear nowadays. Undoubtedly, my impending pilgrimage back in time heightens the degree to which I have been touched by Elaine Konigsburg's new masterpiece, THE OUTCASTS OF 19 SCHUYLER PLACE.
"When I returned to the cabin during the break between makeup and juggling, I found that my bedclothes were all rumpled even though I had made my bed before leaving. I climbed up to my bunk. My covers had been pulled back, and a big wet spot filled the center of the matress. I smelled urine.
"Furious, I climbed down and waited for the other Meadowlarks to appear. I was determined to find out who had done this and confront her. I waited, and no one came. I didn't know where they were or what they were doing, but I knew that wherever and whatever, they were together, and it had all been worked out beforehand."
A prequel of sorts to Konigsburg's SILENT TO THE BONE, this is the story--set years before BONE--of twelve-year-old Margaret Rose Kane. With her parents off on an archeological dig in South America, Margaret is rescued by one of her beloved Uncles from the viciousness of her seven cabin mates and the dictatorial summer camp owner at Camp Talequa. She will now get to spend the month with her granduncles, in their house where there has always been a special place for her.
"I loved their Old World habits. Like wearing a Borsalino hat from Italy instead of a baseball cap. Neither one of them owned a baseball cap. Or blue jeans. Or sneakers. Or a sports shirt. They never watched sports on TV and had never been to a football game, even when the home team, Clarion State University, was playing. They could speak three languages besides English. They had wine with dinner every night and ate so late that sometimes it was midnight when they finished. They served coffee with real cream and lump sugar that they dropped into the cup with a tiny pair of tongs. They had never eaten at a McDonalds or standing up. Even in the summer when they ate in their garden, they still covered their table with a white linen cloth, served their wine in crystal goblets, and their food on china dishes. And they never hurried through dinner. If it got to be too late when they finished eating, they would leave unwashed dishes in the sink and go to bed."
I frequently include Konigsburg's FROM THE MIXED UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER in booktalks to younger grades. Written when my own generation were adolescents, it is rare for me to promote a book written that long ago; it illustrates how much I enjoy the work of Elaine Konigsburg. So when I say that this two-time Newbery Medal winner has just now written the best book of her career, it tells you how exciting and satisfying a read THE OUTCASTS OF 19 SCHUYLER PLACE is.
" 'Time is money, Mr. Rose.'
" 'Time is not money, Mrs. Kaplan. Time wasted is often time well spent. Money wasted is merely redistributed.' "
The long narrow backyard of the Uncles' vintage home is devoted to gardens of peppers and rose-colored roses, along with a set of three tall, spidery towers--whimsically adorned with hanging shards of ceramic and crystal--that Uncle Alexander and Uncle Morris have been constructing and maintaining for over forty-five years.
"My father thought that building the towers with clock faces that didn't tell time was a waste of it...He complained that they couldn't keep track of keys, bills, appointments, or time. Especially time. Being on time was a religion to Father.
"My father spoke of time as a conception, and the only definition of conception I knew meant that time was something he had fathered. He was my father, and he was also Father Time. He worried about wasting time and running out of time. Mostly, he worried about losing time. When I was little, I used to think that someday I would find a picture of his lost child Time on a milk carton. To Father, time was meant to be saved. He saved time all the time. He never said what he did with all the time he saved, but no one ever asked because people always admire people who save time.
"To the Uncles, time was meant to be spent.
"When people asked my father--and I hated when they did--what he thought of the towers, he would say that they were not only 'useless, superfluous, a supreme waste of time,' but also 'an extravagant waste of money.'
"My mother's attitude was: 'Extravagant? Yes, the towers are extravagant, but that hardly makes them a waste of money. Every now and then, a person must do something simply because he wants to, because it seems to him worth doing. And that does not make it worthless or a waste of time. It's true, the towers have no function. They do not give shelter. Neither does the statue of David. They don't hold up telephone wires. Neither does the Eiffel Tower. And the rose windows of Notre Dame don't let in enough light to read fine print. But by my definition, that doesn't make them useless or superfluous either. The towers are there simply because they are worth doing. Without them, my world would be less beautiful and a lot less fun.' "
During the month that Margaret spends on Schuyler Place, the Uncles share their history--of the businesses that they ran together, the transformation of the community, the neighborhood, and of the home at 19 Schuyler Place that the old bachelor, Alex, and the widower, Morris, have shared for so long.
" 'How did you find time to do the towers?' Jake asked.
" 'By not being in a hurry,' Alex said. That's how you find the time.' "
I am thinking about the old times of which the Uncles speak. For me, those were the days of being a little kid, walking down to the corner of Old Country and South Oyster Bay Roads when there was a barber with a thick Italian accent, a butcher with sawdust on the floor, a Fifties soda fountain with the red-topped spinning stools, and the old drugstore where we'd look for Yankee sluggers in packages of the one brand of baseball cards that anyone made at the time.
"You see, when we were a neighborhood, there was not a zoning code, there was an unwritten code. That unwritten code was: Love thy neighbor."
Those days from the distant past--years before some businessman honored Long Island's most famous dead poet by naming the first shopping mall after him; years before that big kid ran down the sidewalk and told us the President had been shot--those are the kind of days that are captured so vividly through the Uncles' rhapsodizing.
"Since we are now a zone and not a neighborhood, we also don't have neighbors. We have home owners."
And of course, this is all a setup for portioning us out pieces of the elaborate puzzle that Konigsburg so wonderfully crafts. Piece by piece she reveals to us what makes Margaret Kane tick...and how during this month she will stride toward being the young adult we meet in SILENT TO THE BONE.
Packed with enough humor, heart, and mischievousness for a dozen books, THE OUTCASTS OF 19 SCHUYLER PLACE becomes the yardstick by which I'll measure 2004.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com
December 7, 2016
In some ways, the actual plot of this novel is forgettable; I read two books sort of back to back (this one and Joan Bauer's Rules of the Road) and would say that Bauer's has the more compelling plot, in a way.
And Bauer's is written in an entertaining way that's sophisticated and insightful enough that adults should enjoy if (if YA lit is their cup of tea to begin with).
But nobody quite writes like e.l. konigsburg. (Does she always keep her name lower-case? That's how it's listed on the cover of this particular book.) She weaves little themes in and out in a very entertaining way (for instance, the anthem "God Save the Queen," and "a" as a prefix, such as "asymptomatic"). She never talks down to readers, and I suspect that some of the stuff she writes will pass by younger readers without impacting their enjoyment at all, because they are subtle.
Relationship dynamics are particularly enjoyable, especially those between a camp director and her adult son (and also between the heroine Margaret Rose's two uncles, which, although more predictable, is very entertaining).
The most interesting thing about the plot here is the focus on "outsider art," complete with detailed descriptions so compelling that you just want to go out and make something in your front yard!
I now have a jones for more e.l. konigsburg, for sure. There are several I never read, and while recuperating from surgery, this kind of stuff is just perfect.
And Bauer's is written in an entertaining way that's sophisticated and insightful enough that adults should enjoy if (if YA lit is their cup of tea to begin with).
But nobody quite writes like e.l. konigsburg. (Does she always keep her name lower-case? That's how it's listed on the cover of this particular book.) She weaves little themes in and out in a very entertaining way (for instance, the anthem "God Save the Queen," and "a" as a prefix, such as "asymptomatic"). She never talks down to readers, and I suspect that some of the stuff she writes will pass by younger readers without impacting their enjoyment at all, because they are subtle.
Relationship dynamics are particularly enjoyable, especially those between a camp director and her adult son (and also between the heroine Margaret Rose's two uncles, which, although more predictable, is very entertaining).
The most interesting thing about the plot here is the focus on "outsider art," complete with detailed descriptions so compelling that you just want to go out and make something in your front yard!
I now have a jones for more e.l. konigsburg, for sure. There are several I never read, and while recuperating from surgery, this kind of stuff is just perfect.
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