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The Warden's Daughter
From Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli (Maniac Magee, Stargirl) comes the "moving and memorable" (Kirkus Reviews, starred) story of a girl searching for happiness inside the walls of a prison. Cammie O'Reilly lives at the Hancock County Prison--not as a prisoner, she's the warden's daughter. She spends the mornings hanging out with shoplifters and reformed arsonists in the women's excercise yard, which gives Cammie a certain cache with her school friends.But even though Cammie's free to leave the prison, she's still stuck. And sad, and really mad. Her mother died saving her from harm when she was just a baby. You wouldn't think you could miss something you never had, but on the eve of her thirteenth birthday, the thing Cammie most wants is a mom. A prison might not be the best place to search for a mother, but Cammie is determined and she's willing to work with what she's got."Jerry Spinelli again proves why he's the king of storytellers" (Shelf Awarenss, starred) in this tale of a girl who learns that heroes can come in surprising disguises, and that even if we don't always get what we want, sometimes we really do get what we need."This book is never boring and never predictable. Fame, good and bad fortune, friendship and mental illness all make their way into [Cammie's] narrative."--The New York Times Book ReviewPraise for the works of Jerry "Spinelli is a poet of the prepubescent. . . . No writer guides his young characters, and his readers, past these pitfalls and challenges and toward their futures with more compassion." --The New York Times"It's almost unreal how much the children's book still resonates." --Bustle.com on Maniac Magee
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First published January 3, 2017
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About the author
Jerry Spinelli
113 books3,986 followersWhen Jerry Spinelli was a kid, he wanted to grow up to be either a cowboy or a baseball player. Lucky for us he became a writer instead.
He grew up in rural Pennsylvania and went to college at Gettysburg College and Johns Hopkins University. He has published more than 25 books and has six children and 16 grandchildren.
Jerry Spinelli began writing when he was 16 — not much older than the hero of his book Maniac Magee. After his high school football team won a big game, his classmates ran cheering through the streets — all except Spinelli, who went home and wrote a poem about the victory. When his poem was published in the local paper, Spinelli decided to become a writer instead of a major-league shortstop.
In most of his books, Spinelli writes about events and feelings from his own childhood. He also gets a lot of material from his seven adventurous kids! Spinelli and his wife, Eileen, also a children's book author, live in Pennsylvania.
He grew up in rural Pennsylvania and went to college at Gettysburg College and Johns Hopkins University. He has published more than 25 books and has six children and 16 grandchildren.
Jerry Spinelli began writing when he was 16 — not much older than the hero of his book Maniac Magee. After his high school football team won a big game, his classmates ran cheering through the streets — all except Spinelli, who went home and wrote a poem about the victory. When his poem was published in the local paper, Spinelli decided to become a writer instead of a major-league shortstop.
In most of his books, Spinelli writes about events and feelings from his own childhood. He also gets a lot of material from his seven adventurous kids! Spinelli and his wife, Eileen, also a children's book author, live in Pennsylvania.
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November 23, 2016
Oh, this problematic book.
I knew we were not going to get along from the moment Boo Boo appeared in the story. What a shameful caricature she is. From the moment she "came bounding and laughing across the yard like a huge denim beach ball," I braced myself for the cringing relationship that played out just as I suspected: the "jolly" black woman who is entirely charmed by the spoiled, kind-of-terrible white girl protagonist, for... absolutely no reason? She promises Cammie every day that the first day she gets out of jail, she'll return with, of course, a sweet potato pie, because of course she will. One of the details that really dug under my skin was that Boo Boo, who only knows about Sputnik from hearing about it on the radio (not reading about it), *still* mispronounces the name to "Spootnik." This is then how, in quotes, Cammie refers to it, even though she has already proved to us (by correcting Boo Boo) that she knows it's really Sputnik. I suppose we're supposed to see it as an inside joke. It's not. It's condescension. And a twelve-year old white girl's condescension over a fully-grown black woman IS PROBLEMATIC. It would be problematic today. But it takes on even more sinister shades when you consider the book is set in 1959, which brings me to the fact that racial issues are completely ignored by Spinelli in this book. The adult version of Cammie who is supposedly looking back and writing the book -- she pops through a few times -- could have alluded to this. She has so many opportunities. But does she? Nope.
Now. Eloda Popka. A) What a terrible character name. I couldn't remember it even while I was reading -- even a page after she had last been mentioned. B) The twist made me snort out loud in disbelief. Because it is literally unbelievable. C) The relationship between Cammie and Eloda is forced and never rings true. I expected Eloda to disappear a few chapters into the book, and was shocked at how she kept popping (popka-ing?) back in. D) I almost threw my book across the room when we got to the diary, which is one of THE LAZIEST NARRATIVE DEVICES EVER. 'Oh, there was no explanation for any of the things I did in this entire book and also I haven't displayed any emotion or really had any personality at all? Mwahahahaha! Read this very convenient diary and you will understand all!' Bah.
And now. Cammie. Cammie and her dark, dark sadness, although I never got the feeling that she *was* dark and sad until she herself told me so on page 205. Yes, she wishes she had a living mother, but she just seemed overwhelmingly normal to me -- you know, sad sometimes, happy sometimes? From page 205 ("I was not a happy person") on, though, it's brought up often, as if Spinelli thought there wasn't enough going on so he might as well make her super-depressed -- but he didn't really want to go rewrite all the rest of the book. 'Aha! I know!' he must have thought, 'I'll have Eloda Popka write about it in her convenient diary as well, and then people will *know* it was true all along!' Unnecessary. Yes, sadness is an aspect of her life. Of course. But it's too on-the-surface to just announce she is never happy. (On the other hand, LeGrand's Some Kind of Happiness is a great book with believable middle-grade depression.)
Ugh. Not one I'll be recommending.
I knew we were not going to get along from the moment Boo Boo appeared in the story. What a shameful caricature she is. From the moment she "came bounding and laughing across the yard like a huge denim beach ball," I braced myself for the cringing relationship that played out just as I suspected: the "jolly" black woman who is entirely charmed by the spoiled, kind-of-terrible white girl protagonist, for... absolutely no reason? She promises Cammie every day that the first day she gets out of jail, she'll return with, of course, a sweet potato pie, because of course she will. One of the details that really dug under my skin was that Boo Boo, who only knows about Sputnik from hearing about it on the radio (not reading about it), *still* mispronounces the name to "Spootnik." This is then how, in quotes, Cammie refers to it, even though she has already proved to us (by correcting Boo Boo) that she knows it's really Sputnik. I suppose we're supposed to see it as an inside joke. It's not. It's condescension. And a twelve-year old white girl's condescension over a fully-grown black woman IS PROBLEMATIC. It would be problematic today. But it takes on even more sinister shades when you consider the book is set in 1959, which brings me to the fact that racial issues are completely ignored by Spinelli in this book. The adult version of Cammie who is supposedly looking back and writing the book -- she pops through a few times -- could have alluded to this. She has so many opportunities. But does she? Nope.
Now. Eloda Popka. A) What a terrible character name. I couldn't remember it even while I was reading -- even a page after she had last been mentioned. B) The twist made me snort out loud in disbelief. Because it is literally unbelievable. C) The relationship between Cammie and Eloda is forced and never rings true. I expected Eloda to disappear a few chapters into the book, and was shocked at how she kept popping (popka-ing?) back in. D) I almost threw my book across the room when we got to the diary, which is one of THE LAZIEST NARRATIVE DEVICES EVER. 'Oh, there was no explanation for any of the things I did in this entire book and also I haven't displayed any emotion or really had any personality at all? Mwahahahaha! Read this very convenient diary and you will understand all!' Bah.
And now. Cammie. Cammie and her dark, dark sadness, although I never got the feeling that she *was* dark and sad until she herself told me so on page 205. Yes, she wishes she had a living mother, but she just seemed overwhelmingly normal to me -- you know, sad sometimes, happy sometimes? From page 205 ("I was not a happy person") on, though, it's brought up often, as if Spinelli thought there wasn't enough going on so he might as well make her super-depressed -- but he didn't really want to go rewrite all the rest of the book. 'Aha! I know!' he must have thought, 'I'll have Eloda Popka write about it in her convenient diary as well, and then people will *know* it was true all along!' Unnecessary. Yes, sadness is an aspect of her life. Of course. But it's too on-the-surface to just announce she is never happy. (On the other hand, LeGrand's Some Kind of Happiness is a great book with believable middle-grade depression.)
Ugh. Not one I'll be recommending.
February 26, 2017
“The Warden’s Daughter” is one of the best historical literary young-adult novels I have ever read. I couldn’t put it down.
There are some flaws in the novel, with a child protagonist who is extremely limited in her view of others in the world. However, these flaws are intentional and acknowledged by the adult narrator saying they come from memory and may not even be in the correct order. I love that the big stories of the day were related only as to how they affected Cammie. Isn’t that how most of our childhood memories are? Actual awareness about the meaning of that summer came with age.
The entire idea of a child living inside of a prison is fascinating. During the time period it wasn’t all that uncommon. What is uncommon is her progressive father. Once again, something only seen in hindsight.
The story is a slow-burn that is worth the time and commitment. I think upper middle-graders through adults will enjoy “The Warden’s Daughter” if they have any interest in history or unique childhood situations. Highly recommended!
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
There are some flaws in the novel, with a child protagonist who is extremely limited in her view of others in the world. However, these flaws are intentional and acknowledged by the adult narrator saying they come from memory and may not even be in the correct order. I love that the big stories of the day were related only as to how they affected Cammie. Isn’t that how most of our childhood memories are? Actual awareness about the meaning of that summer came with age.
The entire idea of a child living inside of a prison is fascinating. During the time period it wasn’t all that uncommon. What is uncommon is her progressive father. Once again, something only seen in hindsight.
The story is a slow-burn that is worth the time and commitment. I think upper middle-graders through adults will enjoy “The Warden’s Daughter” if they have any interest in history or unique childhood situations. Highly recommended!
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
February 15, 2017
This latest novel from Newbery-winning author Jerry Spinelli has some issues. First, a sixteen-year-old girl is found murdered in the fictional small town of Two Mills, yet it isn't ever mentioned until Chatper 15 (pg 69). Then there's the obsession with American Bandstand, which seems to evaporate shortly after Reggie appears on the show; if anything, her successful performance should have increased her passion for the show.
I also have some credibility issues with the set-up. There is no way any father is going to allow his twelve-year-old daughter alone in an exercise yard with prisoners. Even if he wanted to (But why would he?), there would be all sorts of rules against it. I worked in the Philadelphia Public Defenders' Office in the early 1990s and routinely had to interview prisoners. There are many protocols surrounding prison visits, even official ones by your attorney's office. And girls in 1959 had much less freedom.
The grown-up Cammie looking back intruded upon the younger Cammie's narration. The device of the diary doesn't work for me; we don't gain enough from the diary revelations to offset the lack of emotion from Eloda throughout the novel. For me, the story ends on pg 298. Any additional information the author felt was critical to impart could have been delivered in a 2-3 pg Afterword.
But the main issue with this novel is the lack of character depth, and it runs through all the characters. First, the narrator is an unlikable protagonist. While this didn't bother me in other middle grade novels (such as The Great Gilly Hopkins and Flip-Flop Girl), it doesn't work nearly as well here. We are supposed to pity Cammie for growing up motherless, but we never get close enough to her to really feel her pain.
The other characters are problematic too. The Warden barely notices or acknowledges what is going on in his own household. Eloda has a completely flat affect. And Boo Boo is a stereotype.
But the writing is exceptional and the symbolism is outstanding. I think this book exposes a greater issue within the publishing industry: books by award-winning authors are no longer edited developmentally. Which is really a shame, because this novel had great potential, but falls short on the delivery.
I also have some credibility issues with the set-up. There is no way any father is going to allow his twelve-year-old daughter alone in an exercise yard with prisoners. Even if he wanted to (But why would he?), there would be all sorts of rules against it. I worked in the Philadelphia Public Defenders' Office in the early 1990s and routinely had to interview prisoners. There are many protocols surrounding prison visits, even official ones by your attorney's office. And girls in 1959 had much less freedom.
The grown-up Cammie looking back intruded upon the younger Cammie's narration. The device of the diary doesn't work for me; we don't gain enough from the diary revelations to offset the lack of emotion from Eloda throughout the novel. For me, the story ends on pg 298. Any additional information the author felt was critical to impart could have been delivered in a 2-3 pg Afterword.
But the main issue with this novel is the lack of character depth, and it runs through all the characters. First, the narrator is an unlikable protagonist. While this didn't bother me in other middle grade novels (such as The Great Gilly Hopkins and Flip-Flop Girl), it doesn't work nearly as well here. We are supposed to pity Cammie for growing up motherless, but we never get close enough to her to really feel her pain.
The other characters are problematic too. The Warden barely notices or acknowledges what is going on in his own household. Eloda has a completely flat affect. And Boo Boo is a stereotype.
But the writing is exceptional and the symbolism is outstanding. I think this book exposes a greater issue within the publishing industry: books by award-winning authors are no longer edited developmentally. Which is really a shame, because this novel had great potential, but falls short on the delivery.
March 7, 2017
I gave this one a good effort but finally quit after 140 pages. It was just so BORING. And the main character, Cammie, was horribly unlikeable. I understand that not all characters have to be likable, but in the absence of it I usually look for them to be relatable or at least understandable. She was none of these things for me. I honestly have no idea what was driving her or the plot for the 140 pages that I read. The other characters all suffer from the same lack of good writing. I was expecting a story set in Two Mills to have the same poignancy as Maniac Magee (also set in Two Mills), but I think Spinelli used it as a gimmick to make this non-story palatable.
When I dread going back to a book and reading the book makes me hate reading and never want to look at the books on my to-be-read pile again, I know it's not worth it.
When I dread going back to a book and reading the book makes me hate reading and never want to look at the books on my to-be-read pile again, I know it's not worth it.
January 4, 2017
Check out this and other reviews (and a really cool video about the book!) on my young adult book blog, Here's to Happy Endings!
Stargirl was one of my favorite (if not favorite favorite) book that I've read, and I read that one when it first came out in 2000. I was eleven, and made me fall in love with reading. Because that book has always had a special place in my heart, I was super excited to read The Warden's Daughter, by the same amazing author, Jerry Spinelli. I hoped that it would have all of the magic and fun that Stargirl possessed. Even though I'm an adult now, I still love middle grade novels, and this book right here is no exception - it was purely a wonderful and powerful read.
Cammie O'Reilly doesn't have a mother. Her mother died when she was a baby - she was struck by a car, and right before she was hit she managed to push Cammie's baby carriage out of the way to safety. Now Cammie has had to spend her life without a mother, as the prison warden's daughter. While she loves her father, she has been missing out on the kind of love and affection that only a mother can provide.
While Cammie is well cared for - her father has "trustees" from the women's section of the prison come up to their apartment and help clean, cook, and look after Cammie, especially during summer vacation when there is no school, Cammie still longs for a mother. So, one day, she decides that she wants the current trustee, Eloda, to be her mother. She spends her entire summer doing her best to get Eloda to pay attention to her, scold her, comfort her - anything that mimics the behaviors of a mother, so she wouldn't feel so alone.
However, Eloda doesn't seem to be giving Cammie the kind of attention she is looking for, which is driving her mad. She just wants Eloda to be her mother - and she savors the time she has each day with her while she braids her hair.
Cammie also spends time with her friends, as well as down in the prison yard with the female inmates, where she has the chance to interact with them. She becomes especially close to one inmate, named Boo Boo. While she doesn't believe that Boo Boo would give her the type of mother figure that she needs in her life, the two quickly become fast friends,and Cammie finds herself spending a lot of time with her, while still trying to get Eloda's attention.
Cammie spends a lot of time riding around on her bike, playing baseball, and hanging out with her group of friends, especially her best friend Reggie, who is obsessed with getting on Bandstand.
While Cammie acts tough, she is really falling apart inside. After all, she has never really had the chance to mourn her mother, because she never got to know her. All she knows is that there is a void in her life that a mother should fill, but a mother is one thing that she doesn't have. It's really painful to sit back and watch her ride out her emotions, especially when you can tell she's hurting, and she just tries to brush it off and use anger as a way to get over it.
Cammie's character was quite mean in several spots in the book, and the anger she felt about so many things in her life not going right is easy for many to relate to. After all, she has been robbed of having her mother in her life, her father is often quite busy with work, and she's usually left on her own. You can tell that Cammie's emotions were coming from a very deep place within her. There were times when her character was simply unlikable. This made the book even better, in my opinion, because we got to see her real emotions and watch her go through difficult times, struggling in a way that isn't portrayed in a lot of books. Many books have main characters who deal with their pain, but don't often express too many feelings about it. That wasn't the case in The Warden's Daughter - instead, it seems that the author made the character true to herself and her own feelings.
The ending of the book, especially the last third, made me an emotional wreck, and because of all the different things that I felt while reading this book, I was able to develop a deep connection to it.
Note: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Stargirl was one of my favorite (if not favorite favorite) book that I've read, and I read that one when it first came out in 2000. I was eleven, and made me fall in love with reading. Because that book has always had a special place in my heart, I was super excited to read The Warden's Daughter, by the same amazing author, Jerry Spinelli. I hoped that it would have all of the magic and fun that Stargirl possessed. Even though I'm an adult now, I still love middle grade novels, and this book right here is no exception - it was purely a wonderful and powerful read.
"Other kids had mothers. Cammie O'Reilly didn't. End of story."
Cammie O'Reilly doesn't have a mother. Her mother died when she was a baby - she was struck by a car, and right before she was hit she managed to push Cammie's baby carriage out of the way to safety. Now Cammie has had to spend her life without a mother, as the prison warden's daughter. While she loves her father, she has been missing out on the kind of love and affection that only a mother can provide.
While Cammie is well cared for - her father has "trustees" from the women's section of the prison come up to their apartment and help clean, cook, and look after Cammie, especially during summer vacation when there is no school, Cammie still longs for a mother. So, one day, she decides that she wants the current trustee, Eloda, to be her mother. She spends her entire summer doing her best to get Eloda to pay attention to her, scold her, comfort her - anything that mimics the behaviors of a mother, so she wouldn't feel so alone.
However, Eloda doesn't seem to be giving Cammie the kind of attention she is looking for, which is driving her mad. She just wants Eloda to be her mother - and she savors the time she has each day with her while she braids her hair.
Cammie also spends time with her friends, as well as down in the prison yard with the female inmates, where she has the chance to interact with them. She becomes especially close to one inmate, named Boo Boo. While she doesn't believe that Boo Boo would give her the type of mother figure that she needs in her life, the two quickly become fast friends,and Cammie finds herself spending a lot of time with her, while still trying to get Eloda's attention.
Cammie spends a lot of time riding around on her bike, playing baseball, and hanging out with her group of friends, especially her best friend Reggie, who is obsessed with getting on Bandstand.
While Cammie acts tough, she is really falling apart inside. After all, she has never really had the chance to mourn her mother, because she never got to know her. All she knows is that there is a void in her life that a mother should fill, but a mother is one thing that she doesn't have. It's really painful to sit back and watch her ride out her emotions, especially when you can tell she's hurting, and she just tries to brush it off and use anger as a way to get over it.
Cammie's character was quite mean in several spots in the book, and the anger she felt about so many things in her life not going right is easy for many to relate to. After all, she has been robbed of having her mother in her life, her father is often quite busy with work, and she's usually left on her own. You can tell that Cammie's emotions were coming from a very deep place within her. There were times when her character was simply unlikable. This made the book even better, in my opinion, because we got to see her real emotions and watch her go through difficult times, struggling in a way that isn't portrayed in a lot of books. Many books have main characters who deal with their pain, but don't often express too many feelings about it. That wasn't the case in The Warden's Daughter - instead, it seems that the author made the character true to herself and her own feelings.
The ending of the book, especially the last third, made me an emotional wreck, and because of all the different things that I felt while reading this book, I was able to develop a deep connection to it.
Note: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 4, 2017
Insanely unrealistic and problematic for many, many reasons, not least the unlikeliness of Cammie's complete self awareness at every step. Also, her supposedly loving father is completely absent for most of the story. And Eloda's bit at the end? And the granddaughter? UGH, all of it. This book is librarian bait, for adults nostalgic for childhood and the 50s, not for actual children. Eyerolls all around.
December 28, 2016
The Warden's Daughter
By: Jerry Spinelli
I received an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I really wanted to love this book. Jerry Spinelli is an author always worth reading. This book too is worth the time it just isn't Mr. Spinelli at his best. The characters and plot were perhaps a bit sloppy.
Plot:
The story centers around and is narrated by Cammie, a 12-year-old girl who lives with her warden farther. We learn fairly early on that Cammie's mom was hit and killed by a milk truck but not before she pushed her baby buggy (containing Baby Cammie) to safety at the side of the road. Cammie is now cared for by a series of trustees (prison inmates who are trusted). The story focuses on Eloda who is in prison for arson and now is trustee in charge of taking care of Cammie and their apartment. Over the course of the summer, the reader can feel the tension growing as Cammie tries to fill the void left by her mother's death by escalating mayhem. She does eventually comes to terms with this loss. The growing stress is well done and is palpable.
The ending of the book annoyed me more than a little bit. Cammie has been through a cathartic experience. She has faced her past and her mother's death and now can finally move forward. At this stage in the book, a miracle happens (yes, this is sarcasm). All the tension from Cammie and her world has been released. She is now happy, friendly, and popular. All her relationships can now bloom and grow. I'm sorry but this just felt too much like saying, "... and they all lived happily ever after". We even have a chapter four years later where Cammie and her Dad laugh about her difficult phase. It just was too simplistic and felt like sloppy (easy out) writing to me. Please Mr. Spinelli, I expected better from you!
Location:
I loved that this story takes place at a prison. The title of the book comes from the fact that Cammie lives in the prison where her father is warden. The prison itself is a major component of the story. It is a large, heavily present castle-like structure. She lives in the prison (in a castle no less) and is also in a prison within herself (see the picture on the cover). We learn all sorts of details - like historical notes about the "hole". At the end of the book, when Grandma Cammie and her 12-year-old granddaughter visit the old prison together, they find it has been transformed. It is still a castle made of heavy stone but now it is filled with gardens, butterflies, and laughIng children. In this sense, the building mirrors Cammie's emotional state.
Characters:
Mr. Spinelli creates a realistic 12-year-old. She has lived in a very isolated world where she is the darling pet of everyone. She is boringly sarcastic, entitled, and selfish. Yes, she is not very likable but yes, she is very much real. As a middle-school teacher my heart went out to her. Girls this age are so fragile as they try to solidify who they are and what they want to be. In other words, she is annoying but vulnerable. I appreciated a character like Cammie.
Now, on to the other characters. These were much more problematic for me.
Dad: Her Dad is kind but very one-dimensional. We don't see much of him. In the final chapters, the reader does see more of him as a human.
Boo Boo: Well Boo Boo - what can I say about Boo Boo? She is an obese, jolly Black woman who forges a bond with the warden's (master's?) daughter. You make the cognitive leap.
Andrew: Andrew is another black character in this book. Again, there are no discussions about black/ white issues, etc., even from the perspective of adulthood. This book isn't about race but it does take place in 1959 so it feels slightly narrow-sighted to not weave this into the narrative. It's like the giant white elephant in the room that no one is talking about.
Eloda: this character is my number one annoyance. All through the book we only see her through Cammie's eyes. We see her actions but very few emotions. Finally, at the end, we have a chapter (in diary form) showing all of her thoughts and emotions - granted in a very truncated form. I loved finally getting to see her motivation and thoughts but at the same time it was too little too late. The device was awkward and required me to review passages in the book to match up the storyline. Also, in the book, Cammie decides to invite her friends to a birthday party after their snowball fight. Eloda brings it up well beforehand in her diary.
In Conclusion:
This book has problems but is worth reading. The characterization of Cammie and the tremendous force exerted on her life by the unhappiness of losing her mother is worth exploring and thinking about.
By: Jerry Spinelli
I received an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I really wanted to love this book. Jerry Spinelli is an author always worth reading. This book too is worth the time it just isn't Mr. Spinelli at his best. The characters and plot were perhaps a bit sloppy.
Plot:
The story centers around and is narrated by Cammie, a 12-year-old girl who lives with her warden farther. We learn fairly early on that Cammie's mom was hit and killed by a milk truck but not before she pushed her baby buggy (containing Baby Cammie) to safety at the side of the road. Cammie is now cared for by a series of trustees (prison inmates who are trusted). The story focuses on Eloda who is in prison for arson and now is trustee in charge of taking care of Cammie and their apartment. Over the course of the summer, the reader can feel the tension growing as Cammie tries to fill the void left by her mother's death by escalating mayhem. She does eventually comes to terms with this loss. The growing stress is well done and is palpable.
The ending of the book annoyed me more than a little bit. Cammie has been through a cathartic experience. She has faced her past and her mother's death and now can finally move forward. At this stage in the book, a miracle happens (yes, this is sarcasm). All the tension from Cammie and her world has been released. She is now happy, friendly, and popular. All her relationships can now bloom and grow. I'm sorry but this just felt too much like saying, "... and they all lived happily ever after". We even have a chapter four years later where Cammie and her Dad laugh about her difficult phase. It just was too simplistic and felt like sloppy (easy out) writing to me. Please Mr. Spinelli, I expected better from you!
Location:
I loved that this story takes place at a prison. The title of the book comes from the fact that Cammie lives in the prison where her father is warden. The prison itself is a major component of the story. It is a large, heavily present castle-like structure. She lives in the prison (in a castle no less) and is also in a prison within herself (see the picture on the cover). We learn all sorts of details - like historical notes about the "hole". At the end of the book, when Grandma Cammie and her 12-year-old granddaughter visit the old prison together, they find it has been transformed. It is still a castle made of heavy stone but now it is filled with gardens, butterflies, and laughIng children. In this sense, the building mirrors Cammie's emotional state.
Characters:
Mr. Spinelli creates a realistic 12-year-old. She has lived in a very isolated world where she is the darling pet of everyone. She is boringly sarcastic, entitled, and selfish. Yes, she is not very likable but yes, she is very much real. As a middle-school teacher my heart went out to her. Girls this age are so fragile as they try to solidify who they are and what they want to be. In other words, she is annoying but vulnerable. I appreciated a character like Cammie.
Now, on to the other characters. These were much more problematic for me.
Dad: Her Dad is kind but very one-dimensional. We don't see much of him. In the final chapters, the reader does see more of him as a human.
Boo Boo: Well Boo Boo - what can I say about Boo Boo? She is an obese, jolly Black woman who forges a bond with the warden's (master's?) daughter. You make the cognitive leap.
Andrew: Andrew is another black character in this book. Again, there are no discussions about black/ white issues, etc., even from the perspective of adulthood. This book isn't about race but it does take place in 1959 so it feels slightly narrow-sighted to not weave this into the narrative. It's like the giant white elephant in the room that no one is talking about.
Eloda: this character is my number one annoyance. All through the book we only see her through Cammie's eyes. We see her actions but very few emotions. Finally, at the end, we have a chapter (in diary form) showing all of her thoughts and emotions - granted in a very truncated form. I loved finally getting to see her motivation and thoughts but at the same time it was too little too late. The device was awkward and required me to review passages in the book to match up the storyline. Also, in the book, Cammie decides to invite her friends to a birthday party after their snowball fight. Eloda brings it up well beforehand in her diary.
In Conclusion:
This book has problems but is worth reading. The characterization of Cammie and the tremendous force exerted on her life by the unhappiness of losing her mother is worth exploring and thinking about.
February 7, 2017
A fond memory of mine in middle school was when my English teacher read us chapters of STARGIRL by Jerry Spinelli every day. STARGIRL was an interesting, unique read that made me think, and THE WARDEN’S DAUGHTER affected me similarly.
Cammie, the main character, is not exactly easy to get along with but she definitely grows on you. Once you find out more about her story I think everyone could manage to sympathize with her a bit. The other characters were a little harder to connect with, but it’s interesting to see how each one of them affects Cammie, especially when she looks back on the past.
I thought the pacing of this novel was great, although it is a shorter book I think it tells the story it was meant to tell and the length fits the narrative. The writing style is also very “Cammie,” and fits her personality. The ending was a little abrupt but the overall message is good.
THE WARDEN’S DAUGHTER tells an emotional story, but I feel like some things go unaddressed – especially for the time period. This could have been due to Cammie’s age at the time because many things tend to go over a child’s head, but some aspects felt underdeveloped or unnecessary.
While I did have a few issues with this book, I would recommend checking it out – especially if you are a fan of Jerry Spinelli’s other works.
Cammie, the main character, is not exactly easy to get along with but she definitely grows on you. Once you find out more about her story I think everyone could manage to sympathize with her a bit. The other characters were a little harder to connect with, but it’s interesting to see how each one of them affects Cammie, especially when she looks back on the past.
I thought the pacing of this novel was great, although it is a shorter book I think it tells the story it was meant to tell and the length fits the narrative. The writing style is also very “Cammie,” and fits her personality. The ending was a little abrupt but the overall message is good.
THE WARDEN’S DAUGHTER tells an emotional story, but I feel like some things go unaddressed – especially for the time period. This could have been due to Cammie’s age at the time because many things tend to go over a child’s head, but some aspects felt underdeveloped or unnecessary.
While I did have a few issues with this book, I would recommend checking it out – especially if you are a fan of Jerry Spinelli’s other works.
February 14, 2017
Oh, what a beautiful book. I had tears so many times today as I read. The writing is divine, and the whole thing has so much feeling. My heart broke for poor Cammie all through the book. She was so full of hurt and had no way to fix it, at least no way that she could see. But this book says it best... "All will be revealed." Loved it.
Want a taste of the writing? Here is the description of the fireworks: "Without warning came a deep, concussive thump and a whistling into the night, a plasticky crinkle above the trees - 'There!' ... 'There!' - and red, white, and blue pearls, pulpy as pomegranate seeds, canopied over the wonder-struck faces and spilled down over the park." Beautiful.
Want a taste of the writing? Here is the description of the fireworks: "Without warning came a deep, concussive thump and a whistling into the night, a plasticky crinkle above the trees - 'There!' ... 'There!' - and red, white, and blue pearls, pulpy as pomegranate seeds, canopied over the wonder-struck faces and spilled down over the park." Beautiful.
November 16, 2021
I think I need to stop reading Jerry Spinelli books, or at least these latest ones he's writing. I keep hoping with each new book that he's going to find the magic again and give the readers the same wonderful characters and writing we found in some of my favorites like Maniac McGee, Stargirl, Loser, and Jake and Lily. So yeah, I'm disappointed. I honestly don't ever know where to begin with this book, so I won't. I'll just say that I couldn't tolerate the main character, seriously didn't care for her at all, the story made little sense, and the whole thing just left me feeling yuck. I pretty much disliked Hokey Pokey, the author's previous book also. That one made even less sense than this one.
July 22, 2017
I think my heart might explode into bits, this book was so incredibly moving.
Spinelli outdoes himself with this exquisite blend of historical fiction, family drama, and mystery.
Cammie is a delight from the first page, with her quippy wit and bravery, she steals the show and it is easy for the ready to jump right into her heart and want what she wants.
The plot is a lovely meandering of twists and turns and the reader begins to long for answers in much the same way that Cammie is searching....for what will fill her heart.
The ending is phenomenal and a total surprise and the bits and pieces of historical elements make the reader especially nostalgic because growing up without a mother in 1959 would be especially lonesome for a young girl.
But Cammie survives and thrives....and you'll be delighted to discover just how and why.
Loved it.
Spinelli outdoes himself with this exquisite blend of historical fiction, family drama, and mystery.
Cammie is a delight from the first page, with her quippy wit and bravery, she steals the show and it is easy for the ready to jump right into her heart and want what she wants.
The plot is a lovely meandering of twists and turns and the reader begins to long for answers in much the same way that Cammie is searching....for what will fill her heart.
The ending is phenomenal and a total surprise and the bits and pieces of historical elements make the reader especially nostalgic because growing up without a mother in 1959 would be especially lonesome for a young girl.
But Cammie survives and thrives....and you'll be delighted to discover just how and why.
Loved it.
October 30, 2020
I was really not fond of this. I didn't connect with Cammie at all and disliked 80% of the characters. They all just seemed really nasty. A character doesn't have to be all nicey-nice, but their faults and dark places should make sense, and I just didn't see that. The story was engaging at times, but I think the standoffishness of Spinelli's characters in Stargirl was attempted here, and it just didn't work for me.
January 18, 2017
Loved Connie
She made me laugh she made me cry. Rich characters that brought me to tears on more than one occasion
She made me laugh she made me cry. Rich characters that brought me to tears on more than one occasion
Read
January 1, 2021I can't decide what to rate this book. I really liked the beginning, and most of the middle, but the ending wasn't satisfying for me. The main character got very unlikable by the end.
February 2, 2025
A wonderful story of life lived in the moment with attachments to a past you can’t remember. Cammie lives in the apartment of a prison, her father the warden. Her mother died when she was little but there is a female trustee who cares for the apartment and for Cammie. Cammie finds herself wanting to see this trustee as a mother figure. As the story goes on we see a depth to the characters of Cammie and Eloda (the trustee) and how they actually saved one another that summer.
February 6, 2017
I'm not going to summarize the story here. I'm going to point out the one big problem.
SO to save a girl whose mother died, you have to show her no emotion and NOT give her the love she's so desperately looking for? I agree, sometimes it's the best and hardest to let someone (a child) figure things out for themselves, but by showing no empathy? And no discipline? You don't want to teach her that her pain doesn't give her the right to cause other people pain? Isn't that the actual underlying problem here? She lashes out because she is hurting and not getting what she needs. Or was this a writing tool to allow the child character to be center stage? This is actually tough to do as a writer and my pet peeve is when the parents are stupid - and thank goodness that's not the case here - but I am not sure this was the way, either.
OK - 2 problems. So when her caretaker leaves without notice, she just straightens up and flies right? She's just suddenly over lashing out? Because she goes back to school? It takes the hurt of abandonment to clear your head?!? Or would a girl snap at that point, at that age, and just be hell on wheels?
One great thing the author did capture was the inner dialog of someone doing wrong who KNOWS it's wrong - the guilt and the acknowledgement and yet powerless feeling of doing something anyway.
After reading it, I just felt like there was a much deeper, longer novel there that someone cut some major corners on.
SO to save a girl whose mother died, you have to show her no emotion and NOT give her the love she's so desperately looking for? I agree, sometimes it's the best and hardest to let someone (a child) figure things out for themselves, but by showing no empathy? And no discipline? You don't want to teach her that her pain doesn't give her the right to cause other people pain? Isn't that the actual underlying problem here? She lashes out because she is hurting and not getting what she needs. Or was this a writing tool to allow the child character to be center stage? This is actually tough to do as a writer and my pet peeve is when the parents are stupid - and thank goodness that's not the case here - but I am not sure this was the way, either.
OK - 2 problems. So when her caretaker leaves without notice, she just straightens up and flies right? She's just suddenly over lashing out? Because she goes back to school? It takes the hurt of abandonment to clear your head?!? Or would a girl snap at that point, at that age, and just be hell on wheels?
One great thing the author did capture was the inner dialog of someone doing wrong who KNOWS it's wrong - the guilt and the acknowledgement and yet powerless feeling of doing something anyway.
After reading it, I just felt like there was a much deeper, longer novel there that someone cut some major corners on.
May 26, 2017
I just didn't really care for this book. Not sure if it was the narrator, but I didn't like the characters very much.
April 22, 2017
I promised a review of The Warden's Daughter quite some time ago. When you are an avid reader you come to adore certain writer's. I heart Jerry Spinelli big time. Every time he has a new release I am darn near giddy. Giving an author you love a less than perfect review is always an incredibly hard thing to do. Especially if you have met him or her. Considering how author's are so accessible these days or if you are in the industry in some capacity there is a pretty good chance you have. But it all makes writing a less than stellar review daunting. I loved every moment in The Warden's Daughter until Boo Boo died. It was classic Spinelli until then. It felt like Spinelli was being haunted by a deadline and just wanted the book done and over with. How Boo Boo was presented gave no indication of an impending suicide. She was boisterous, painted her nails, planned for the future etc. Spinelli seems to try and explain that possibly Boo Boo was in the prison for more than shoplifting. Considering how protective everyone was of Cammie I doubt she would be allowed to have so much access and alone time with her if that was the case. There was almost a mother daughter bond going on between the two. I don't believe Boo Boo would want to cause Cammie the pain of her loss. Even if she suffered from a mental illness, I don't think she would be that cruel. So many other things seemed inauthentic. Eloda staying in prison to care for Cammie even though she was released. I don't see even the kindest convict wanting to stay confined for darn near anyone. She could have thought of another way. The warden could have hired her as a normal maid or nanny or maybe they all could have been real friends. Eloda's diary writings about how much she loved Cammie etc. didn't ring true in the slightest. Eloda didn't do Cammie any favors by withholding affection from Cammie. Or even much in the way of friendship. Aside from the morning hair braiding she pretty much ignored the child. The girl clearly was in the worst need of some motherly love. Dwelling on Cammies mother's death was preposterous. She was too young to even remember her mother. Yet she throws herself down in the street where her mother was run over and is hysterical as if it took place yesterday. Although you can wish things were different, you just can't miss something so badly that you never had. It is strange that Cammie's dad did not provide some sort of mother figure Cammie's entire life. Who took care of her as a baby, toddler etc. when Cammie's dad was at work? There must have been someone. Cammie shoplifting rang untrue. So did throwing the girls out of her apartment on her birthday. Cammie wanted friends so desperately. The pause in her misery would have been a happy respite. Her cruelty to the girls, punching the boy, the various ways she acted out seemed inconsistent with her character. The adults in her life didn't do much to help her. That is for sure. The ending was kind of non-existent. She basically just gets over herself. It doesn't say anything about what happened to her best friend who was sprinkled between the pages so thoroughly. If Eloda loved her so much why not even a letter at some point? Didn't she want to know what happened to her charge in the slightest? An ultimately unfulfilling ending. But an incredible 3/4's of a book.
September 8, 2017
Another great story with endearing characters from Jerry Spinelli. Though set in 1950s, this is a story that will resonate with a lot of kids--it's essentially about dealing with tragedy and grief and what can happen to a person if those things aren't dealt with. The prison setting is original and interesting, and several side characters (Eloda, Boo Boo, Reggie) are just as developed and likable as our narrator, Cammie. The short chapters will appeal to my middle graders, as well, and for a historical novel its plot is pretty fast-paced.
August 19, 2022
This book was achingly sad, as I have come to expect from Spinelli. It truly emphasized the importance of processing and confronting grief and loss, as well as the importance of having people in your life to root for you. Beautifully done.
July 9, 2023
Good solid story, great characters and very interesting setting. Cammie's personal growth and insight into herself were well written, I even got a little teary on pg 288.
February 6, 2017
Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli tells the story of a girl who lost her mother as an infant and grew up as the daughter of a prison warden. Cammie isn’t a girl who is silly and lots of fun. In fact, she is fast moving and fast talking, exactly why she has the nickname Cannonball Cammie. Cammie is actually angry most of the time. Her best friend has developed faster and seems to be 17 instead of 13 sometimes. She wants to get on Bandstand and be famous. Cammie though is more interested in riding her bike around town and playing baseball. Cammie thinks that her life would be better with a motherly figure, so she begins to try to get the prisoner assigned as their housekeeper to be more like a mother to her. Then there’s Boo Boo, the prisoner who acts motherly towards Cammie but hides a dark secret. Her father too is a mystery, both present and not there, sometimes at the same time. It’s all a confusing mix of emotions for Cammie, who will need to deal with her own grief both past and present before she can do anything but be angry at the world.
Spinelli has written a completely captivating story in this middle grade novel. The setting is richly created with the prison, a full city and community, and one moment after another where Cammie sets it all ablaze with her anger and acting out. Throughout though, Cammie is far more than just as angry person, she is humanity personified, a girl in search of herself even as she spends her time looking for solutions in others. It’s a compelling story, one that is filled with moments of joy and despair.
Spinelli writes like a wizard, unveiling truths slowly and beautifully. As Cammie storms through her life, she also reveals the truths of others around her. And without revealing the entirely riveting and humbling ending, she creates opportunities where others become more than they have ever been before. It is a staggeringly rich novel that is written with such skill that it manages to read in an accessible way.
A masterful book about loss, childhood and recovery by a master of books for children, this is a must-read and a must-buy for libraries. Appropriate for ages 9-12.
Spinelli has written a completely captivating story in this middle grade novel. The setting is richly created with the prison, a full city and community, and one moment after another where Cammie sets it all ablaze with her anger and acting out. Throughout though, Cammie is far more than just as angry person, she is humanity personified, a girl in search of herself even as she spends her time looking for solutions in others. It’s a compelling story, one that is filled with moments of joy and despair.
Spinelli writes like a wizard, unveiling truths slowly and beautifully. As Cammie storms through her life, she also reveals the truths of others around her. And without revealing the entirely riveting and humbling ending, she creates opportunities where others become more than they have ever been before. It is a staggeringly rich novel that is written with such skill that it manages to read in an accessible way.
A masterful book about loss, childhood and recovery by a master of books for children, this is a must-read and a must-buy for libraries. Appropriate for ages 9-12.
February 21, 2017
Such a lovely book reminds me of Manic Magee, very lyrical. Becuase it is framed as an adult looking back, pushes the boundaries of children's lit but does an amazing job.
December 25, 2016
Cammie, the warden’s daughter, lives with her dad in an apartment that is part of the prison he commands.
Her mother was killed in an accident at a nearby intersection when Cammie was a baby; a truck turned the corner as her mom was crossing the street pushing Cammie in her baby carriage. Her mom’s last act was to push the baby carriage out of the way before the truck hit her and killed her.
And that is Cammie’s dilemma, for she lives in a prison made of stone to be sure, but she also is a prisoner in her own prison, a prison of anger and resentment that she has no mother to care for her, to, well, mother her.
Cammie so yearns for a mother that she wishes that the trusty woman who cares for their apartment and looks after Cammie while her dad is working were her mother. Or if not her, perhaps one of the women inmates she is close to.
THE WARDEN’S DAUGHTER culminates in a Cammie gone off the deep end in her desperation and despair. What will happen to her?
You will have to read this extraordinary book to find that out! And one more word – this is a book everyone, no matter how old you are, should read, since beyond Cammie’s needs, is our own need, to find out who were the real people, their real personalities and real growing up and becoming adult lives, that are parents are or were.
A MUST READ!
Her mother was killed in an accident at a nearby intersection when Cammie was a baby; a truck turned the corner as her mom was crossing the street pushing Cammie in her baby carriage. Her mom’s last act was to push the baby carriage out of the way before the truck hit her and killed her.
And that is Cammie’s dilemma, for she lives in a prison made of stone to be sure, but she also is a prisoner in her own prison, a prison of anger and resentment that she has no mother to care for her, to, well, mother her.
Cammie so yearns for a mother that she wishes that the trusty woman who cares for their apartment and looks after Cammie while her dad is working were her mother. Or if not her, perhaps one of the women inmates she is close to.
THE WARDEN’S DAUGHTER culminates in a Cammie gone off the deep end in her desperation and despair. What will happen to her?
You will have to read this extraordinary book to find that out! And one more word – this is a book everyone, no matter how old you are, should read, since beyond Cammie’s needs, is our own need, to find out who were the real people, their real personalities and real growing up and becoming adult lives, that are parents are or were.
A MUST READ!
February 7, 2017
Books like this have been done before: a girl coming to terms with the loss of her mother, even the prison setting. Still, Spinelli is a very good writer.
June 10, 2020
Book Report “The Warden's Daughter”
Name of the book: “The Warden’s Daughter”
Author: Jerry Spinelli
Date: 6/8/20
Main Characters: Cammie O'Reilly (Cannonball/ Miss Shortstop)
Characters who I like and reasons: Eloda is my favorite character in “The Warden's Daughter” Eloda is an inmate trustee who watches over Cammie when her father is not around who also cooks, cleans and takes care of the house. However, Eloda is actually a free woman and is there because she wants to take care of Cammie as Cammie does not have a mother. So Eloda spends another year in prison to teach and help Cammie.
Summarize in three sentences:
“The Warden's Daughter” is the story of a young girl named Cammie O’Reilly who is the daughter of a Prison Warden in small county jail. Cammie lives in the prison in an apartment and is taken care of by a prison trustee named Eloda. Cammie O’Reilly does not live with her mother because she was hit by a milk truck and died while trying to save Cammie. Cammie O’Reilly struggles with not having a mother and substitutes this by hanging out with either the female inmates or her friend Reggie. Cammie searches for a mother in her maid/ inmate trustee Eloda. Eloda appears cold and distant but, in reality, she has actually extended her prison term by a year to help take care of Cammie as she sees so much of her destructive self in her.
Most impressive sentences or parts and reasons What you feel or learn from this book :
The most impressive thing that I took away from “The Warden's Daughter” is that things may not always be what you think they are. For example, for a large portion of the book Cammie thinks that Eloda is just an inmate just trying to take advantage of her to get special treatment in the prison while in reality, she is only staying to take care of Cammie.
My judgment:
“The Warden's Daughter” is an amazing novel because it really paints a vivid picture of Cammie’s life and is a truly heartwarming novel.
Whom you can recommend and why:
I can recommend this book to both adults and kids because “The Warden’s Daughter” is a truly interesting and adventurous book that really gives the adventures and mistakes of childhood justice.
Name of the book: “The Warden’s Daughter”
Author: Jerry Spinelli
Date: 6/8/20
Main Characters: Cammie O'Reilly (Cannonball/ Miss Shortstop)
Characters who I like and reasons: Eloda is my favorite character in “The Warden's Daughter” Eloda is an inmate trustee who watches over Cammie when her father is not around who also cooks, cleans and takes care of the house. However, Eloda is actually a free woman and is there because she wants to take care of Cammie as Cammie does not have a mother. So Eloda spends another year in prison to teach and help Cammie.
Summarize in three sentences:
“The Warden's Daughter” is the story of a young girl named Cammie O’Reilly who is the daughter of a Prison Warden in small county jail. Cammie lives in the prison in an apartment and is taken care of by a prison trustee named Eloda. Cammie O’Reilly does not live with her mother because she was hit by a milk truck and died while trying to save Cammie. Cammie O’Reilly struggles with not having a mother and substitutes this by hanging out with either the female inmates or her friend Reggie. Cammie searches for a mother in her maid/ inmate trustee Eloda. Eloda appears cold and distant but, in reality, she has actually extended her prison term by a year to help take care of Cammie as she sees so much of her destructive self in her.
Most impressive sentences or parts and reasons What you feel or learn from this book :
The most impressive thing that I took away from “The Warden's Daughter” is that things may not always be what you think they are. For example, for a large portion of the book Cammie thinks that Eloda is just an inmate just trying to take advantage of her to get special treatment in the prison while in reality, she is only staying to take care of Cammie.
My judgment:
“The Warden's Daughter” is an amazing novel because it really paints a vivid picture of Cammie’s life and is a truly heartwarming novel.
Whom you can recommend and why:
I can recommend this book to both adults and kids because “The Warden’s Daughter” is a truly interesting and adventurous book that really gives the adventures and mistakes of childhood justice.
July 3, 2017
I don't think master storyteller Jerry Spinelli has ever written a book that I didn't like, and this one is no exception. The daughter of the warden, Cammie O'Reilly lives in an apartment above the Hancock County Prison in Two Mills, Pennsylvania. Although she dearly loves her father, Cammie misses her mother who died when she was very young. Readers will recognize her desire for a mother in how she behaves toward several of the women prisoners, particularly Eloda who is the family's housekeeper and was once an arsonist. For some reason, Cammie [nicknamed Cannonball for obvious reasons] has been able to keep her demons at bay until this particular summer of 1959 when all hell breaks lose. Suddenly her best friend Reggie Weinstein is maturing physically, developing breasts and wearing make-up, and going crazy over Elvis Presley. Cammie isn't sure where she fits in with all this since she still loves playing baseball, but plays it too roughly and fiercely. With the arrival of a man who killed a youngster, things get even more complicated since Reggie wants to meet him, and Cammie isn't at all sure how cool she is with using her position as the warden's daughter to pull that off. I'm betting many young readers will find it easy to slip into Cammie's shoes, aching for love and coping with grief and loss and uncertainty about who she even is, even while finding her situation as the warden's daughter to be unique. It's neat to have the bulk of the story bookended by modern times when Cammie looks back with fondness and a sense of loss on that particularly confusing summer. Parts of the story broke my heart since like Cammie, I was forced to reckon with the fact that some of the characters weren't always telling the truth. Boo Boo's story about the loyal man who was waiting for her simply killed me. But don't we all have small and large fantasies or wishes about how things might have been if only all was right in the world?
June 28, 2024
A lifetime of reading Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli (Maniac Magee, 1991) has led me to the conviction that anything he pens is worth engaging with. There's a magic to his writing I've never seen matched, though some have achieved glimmers of it. Aged into his seventies, years after peak popularity, Mr. Spinelli released The Warden's Daughter in 2017, and by then I knew enough to treat every new work from him as an unexpected gift, for even the great children's authors do not live forever. This book spirits us back to 1959 small-town Pennsylvania, where twelve-year-old Cammie O'Reilly lives with her widowed father. He is the warden of Hancock County Prison, and the two live in an apartment adjoining the facility. What is it like for a preteen girl who spends every day near some of the most notorious inmates in the U.S.? You'll get an answer in these pages.
Cammie doesn't look much like a young woman yet, though Reggie Weinstein, her best friend, can easily pass as in her late teens. Reggie dreams of dancing on the television program American Bandstand hosted by Dick Clark, but Cammie's dream is to have what she hasn't since infancy: a mother. Cammie's mother died saving her from a motor vehicle accident when Cammie was a baby, and most of her life she hasn't really felt the absence. As adolescence draws near, the loss of her mother begins to weigh, and Cammie resolves to do something about it. She'll convince Eloda Pupko, a prison trustee who works as housekeeper for the O'Reilly apartment, to act as her mother. Cammie presents this overture without ever saying what she wants, and Eloda doesn't pick up on her hints. Does the plan have any chance of success?
Summer of '59 is a flash of excitement, drama, and boredom, somehow all at once. Cammie resents Eloda's unspoken refusal to step into the role as her mother. Many of the ladies in prison have years remaining on their sentences, and though Cammie's father won't disclose Eloda's crime or how much time remains for her, Cammie is aware that going to prison doesn't brighten one's future. That summer the neighborhood is enthralled by the arrival of Marvin Edward Baker, a stone-faced child murderer who becomes a sort of celebrity at Hancock County Prison. Reggie is starstruck, but Cammie is more impressed by Boo Boo Dunbar, a sassy shoplifter who shows matronly affection for Cammie. If only Eloda would fuss over her as Boo Boo does every day.
"There was no glow I could not darken, no sweet I could not sour."
—The Warden's Daughter, P. 133
Will Reggie ever make it onto American Bandstand? Can Cammie soften Eloda to herself as a surrogate daughter? Meeting Danny Lapella, a baseball kid smitten with Cammie, and young Andrew Strong, who turns into the closest thing Cammie ever had to a brother, are interesting diversions as she winds her way toward the new school year, but not even drama or tragedy can take her eyes off the prize. She's convinced Eloda can fill the hole her mother left, but Cammie isn't the only one being coy in their relationship. Eloda has her own secrets, and perhaps in the end she will find a way to help Cammie make peace with what she lost in that accident more than a decade ago.
"Do not allow your future to be plundered by the past—neither the bad nor even the good of it."
—The Warden's Daughter, PP. 49-50
Under Jerry Spinelli's masterful hand The Warden's Daughter has special moments, but is too scattered to be a piece of unified narrative craftsmanship. I couldn't quite identify the ride I was taking, and that kept me from fully investing. Cammie is a dour girl with only one real friend, so a lot of the story takes place in her head, putting the world at a distance. The epilogues are a strong attempt to up the emotion factor, but I can't say they get all the way there, which is why I'm rating the book two and a half stars. I won't place it anywhere near the elite class of the author's Stargirl, Wringer, Crash, or Jake and Lily, but The Warden's Daughter brings some fond moments, and I'm grateful for everything we get from Jerry Spinelli.
Cammie doesn't look much like a young woman yet, though Reggie Weinstein, her best friend, can easily pass as in her late teens. Reggie dreams of dancing on the television program American Bandstand hosted by Dick Clark, but Cammie's dream is to have what she hasn't since infancy: a mother. Cammie's mother died saving her from a motor vehicle accident when Cammie was a baby, and most of her life she hasn't really felt the absence. As adolescence draws near, the loss of her mother begins to weigh, and Cammie resolves to do something about it. She'll convince Eloda Pupko, a prison trustee who works as housekeeper for the O'Reilly apartment, to act as her mother. Cammie presents this overture without ever saying what she wants, and Eloda doesn't pick up on her hints. Does the plan have any chance of success?
Summer of '59 is a flash of excitement, drama, and boredom, somehow all at once. Cammie resents Eloda's unspoken refusal to step into the role as her mother. Many of the ladies in prison have years remaining on their sentences, and though Cammie's father won't disclose Eloda's crime or how much time remains for her, Cammie is aware that going to prison doesn't brighten one's future. That summer the neighborhood is enthralled by the arrival of Marvin Edward Baker, a stone-faced child murderer who becomes a sort of celebrity at Hancock County Prison. Reggie is starstruck, but Cammie is more impressed by Boo Boo Dunbar, a sassy shoplifter who shows matronly affection for Cammie. If only Eloda would fuss over her as Boo Boo does every day.
"There was no glow I could not darken, no sweet I could not sour."
—The Warden's Daughter, P. 133
Will Reggie ever make it onto American Bandstand? Can Cammie soften Eloda to herself as a surrogate daughter? Meeting Danny Lapella, a baseball kid smitten with Cammie, and young Andrew Strong, who turns into the closest thing Cammie ever had to a brother, are interesting diversions as she winds her way toward the new school year, but not even drama or tragedy can take her eyes off the prize. She's convinced Eloda can fill the hole her mother left, but Cammie isn't the only one being coy in their relationship. Eloda has her own secrets, and perhaps in the end she will find a way to help Cammie make peace with what she lost in that accident more than a decade ago.
"Do not allow your future to be plundered by the past—neither the bad nor even the good of it."
—The Warden's Daughter, PP. 49-50
Under Jerry Spinelli's masterful hand The Warden's Daughter has special moments, but is too scattered to be a piece of unified narrative craftsmanship. I couldn't quite identify the ride I was taking, and that kept me from fully investing. Cammie is a dour girl with only one real friend, so a lot of the story takes place in her head, putting the world at a distance. The epilogues are a strong attempt to up the emotion factor, but I can't say they get all the way there, which is why I'm rating the book two and a half stars. I won't place it anywhere near the elite class of the author's Stargirl, Wringer, Crash, or Jake and Lily, but The Warden's Daughter brings some fond moments, and I'm grateful for everything we get from Jerry Spinelli.
February 14, 2018
I'm torn on how to review this one. It's definitely a book mean to win awards (and it probably will/has). It's lyrical and poetic and told from a limited point of view. And it's certainly not something that most kids will pick up unless it's assigned to them. It's heavy and scary in parts and not necessarily written "for" kids.
But darn it... I actually liked it. I didn't think I would in the end.
I did get mad when Cammie's friend Reggie started fangirling after the guy who was charged with killed a teen girl - but I wanted to cheer when Cammie hauled Reggie down to meet with the murder victim's mother and demanded Reggie tell the mom that she wanted her daughter's murderer's autograph. Other than that - this was a point-by-point slice-of-life story from the perspective of a girl who lived in a jail and befriended inmates and tried to make that part of her life mesh with her normal-kid-life. She rebels in the face of tragedy and tries to make sense of her world and the people in it.
The ending, though. The ending is what really hit me hard. I had to step away for a bit and take a walk because it was intense. But not in a bad way. I don't want to spoil it, but it was so satisfying and great and... yep. I can see why this one is in Newbery contention.
This is certainly not a light and fluffy read, so be prepared for that. But it's a good make-you-think book that adults can certainly get something out of. Hopefully some kids will too.
But darn it... I actually liked it. I didn't think I would in the end.
I did get mad when Cammie's friend Reggie started fangirling after the guy who was charged with killed a teen girl - but I wanted to cheer when Cammie hauled Reggie down to meet with the murder victim's mother and demanded Reggie tell the mom that she wanted her daughter's murderer's autograph. Other than that - this was a point-by-point slice-of-life story from the perspective of a girl who lived in a jail and befriended inmates and tried to make that part of her life mesh with her normal-kid-life. She rebels in the face of tragedy and tries to make sense of her world and the people in it.
The ending, though. The ending is what really hit me hard. I had to step away for a bit and take a walk because it was intense. But not in a bad way. I don't want to spoil it, but it was so satisfying and great and... yep. I can see why this one is in Newbery contention.
This is certainly not a light and fluffy read, so be prepared for that. But it's a good make-you-think book that adults can certainly get something out of. Hopefully some kids will too.
June 19, 2019
This is an excellent book that is well written and has great plot and suspense and has a wonderful ending.
This book is written as a grandmother writing the story of her "bad time" summer, the summer of 1959. She tells us about how she, Cammie, was the daughter of the warden of the county penitentiary and lives in the prison in a separate apartment. She has grown up without a mother, because when she was a little baby, a milk truck hit her mother. Cammie really struggles with the loss of her mother throughout the book, and tries to fill the void in her heart with first her trustee Eloda Pupco, and then another prison inmate who has taking a liking to her, Boo Boo Dunbar. Cammie also has strive in her relationship with her friend Reggie Winestine, over the person's famous new inmate, Edward Marvin Baker. The last third of the book has many plot twist and is emotionally difficult for both Cammie and the reader, the ending of the book is wonderful, and this is a book I would recommend to anyone.
This book is written as a grandmother writing the story of her "bad time" summer, the summer of 1959. She tells us about how she, Cammie, was the daughter of the warden of the county penitentiary and lives in the prison in a separate apartment. She has grown up without a mother, because when she was a little baby, a milk truck hit her mother. Cammie really struggles with the loss of her mother throughout the book, and tries to fill the void in her heart with first her trustee Eloda Pupco, and then another prison inmate who has taking a liking to her, Boo Boo Dunbar. Cammie also has strive in her relationship with her friend Reggie Winestine, over the person's famous new inmate, Edward Marvin Baker. The last third of the book has many plot twist and is emotionally difficult for both Cammie and the reader, the ending of the book is wonderful, and this is a book I would recommend to anyone.
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