From the Bookshelf of Mock Newbery 2026

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What Members Thought

Alyson Whatcott
Oct 26, 2009 rated it really liked it
Sweet, short book that I read in one sitting. I have mixed feelings about books with a strong dialect that are written for children. This one was narrated by an Italian Swiss trying to speak English so many words were just off and the syntax was often mistaken. It was cute and funny for me, but I wonder how much of this goes over kids heads or just confuses them. Part of me thinks all children's books should be written with only proper English so that they can get good rhythms and instincts in t ...more
Debbie Tanner
This book is hard to describe. It's told from the perspective of an angel who lives in a tower in the Ticino area of Switzerland (the Italian part). The angel lives in a tower and watches the family who lives next door as well as the people in the village but suddenly new people move into the tower with the idea they are going to turn it into an international school. I found the the story easy to follow but hard to read because the angel speaks with an Italian accent AND makes up words or confus ...more
Mary Louise Sanchez
Aug 22, 2011 rated it really liked it
The angel narrator has been been living in the stone tower of Casa Rosa in a village high in the Swiss Alps but doesn't know his mission and thinks he missed out on his "People's" training and that's why he calls himself and unfinished angel. Then Zola,an American girl, wearing three colorful skirts at once,comes to the village and wants the angel to help the orphan children who are living in the chicken barn. Angel discovers that he is "gladful" Zola came to his tower because "sometimes a peopl ...more
Karen Arendt
Jul 05, 2010 rated it it was amazing
Shelves: middle-grade, fantasy
Cute story. I had a little trouble with the language, mostly be because the angel could not think of the correct word... ex: shad, shat, shed. Clearly designed to be part of the story, but it would make it hard for students who do not read well to understand at times.
Caren
Dec 14, 2009 rated it really liked it
At first, I found it a bit slow, but it was just Creech's beautiful style of letting you in slowly...developing it into a beautiful story about life. ...more
Jeanne
Dec 19, 2009 rated it liked it
Shelves: children-s-books
I got 2/3 to the end and found the book was defective! I had just gotten to a shocker part and then I couldn't finish it! We have to order another copy so it will be a while before I can finish it. It is a youth book and since I haven't been able to finish a book and wanted to, I thought this would be a good choice, oh well.
May 4, just got my hands on this book again. It was very sweet. I started where I left off many months ago, I may have to go back and re-read the whole thing!
...more
Kim
Jan 30, 2010 rated it it was ok
Shelves: chapter, fantasy
Unfortunately, not my cup of tea. The made up words that the angel says is distracting. I never bonded with any of the characters.
Brandi Rae Fong
Jan 28, 2010 rated it really liked it
Shelves: juvenile-fiction
I loved this book! It was funny, touching and thought provoking. Told from a unique point of view, Creech really makes you think about the importance of taking care of one another, as well as the joy that can come from appreciating the simple things in life.
MaryLibrarianOH
Oct 05, 2009 rated it liked it
Maurynne  Maxwell
Jan 16, 2010 rated it really liked it
Sallie
Jan 22, 2010 rated it it was amazing
Janet Weber
Jan 23, 2010 rated it it was ok
Gina
Jan 28, 2010 rated it liked it
Shelves: children-s-books
Kathy
Feb 07, 2010 rated it really liked it
Shelves: children-s
Vanessa
Mar 16, 2010 rated it it was ok
Arien
Apr 14, 2010 rated it did not like it
Erica
Sep 20, 2010 rated it it was amazing
Shelves: fiction, ya, library, 2010
Jody
Jan 25, 2011 rated it it was ok  ·  review of another edition
Buettner
Jul 01, 2012 rated it liked it
Aimee
Sep 09, 2012 rated it liked it
Amy
Apr 25, 2015 marked it as to-read
Dolores
Mar 11, 2016 rated it liked it
Kim
Jan 27, 2018 rated it liked it
Jillian
Mar 30, 2020 marked it as to-read
Becky
May 23, 2022 marked it as to-read
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