From the Bookshelf of Class of 2014…

One for the Murphys

Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Why we're reading this: This is the best book because you never know what to expect. Some places in the book, you are laughing yo…more
[close] This is the best book because you never know what to expect. Some places in the book, you are laughing your head off. Other times, you are bawling out your eyes. In every chapter, something new surprises you, so if there is a really sad part, the next chapter will lift your spirits. There is not a single sentence in this book that makes me not want to read more, and that is why One for the Murphys should be on this list.

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Feb 13, 2013 Anna Parks rated it it was amazing

This book book will make you laugh and cry. It takes you through the life of Carley conners a foster child who just wants to go home.Until she realizes she kind of likes the Murphys.

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Oct 17, 2012 Mike rated it it was amazing

Shelves: best-of-2012, reviewed

I'm not going to pretend I don't love a story that tears at the heartstrings. Conventional wisdom dictates that boys are supposed to want plot driven adventure or some good potty humor but I've always had a great response from boys to stand-above character driven stories as well. So, the back story to my experience with One For The Murphys: This one appeared on my radar last summer thanks to the ubiquitous Dr. Susannah Richards. I picked up a copy and passed it to one of my 5th graders and asked I'm not going to pretend I don't love a story that tears at the heartstrings. Conventional wisdom dictates that boys are supposed to want plot driven adventure or some good potty humor but I've always had a great response from boys to stand-above character driven stories as well. So, the back story to my experience with One For The Murphys: This one appeared on my radar last summer thanks to the ubiquitous Dr. Susannah Richards. I picked up a copy and passed it to one of my 5th graders and asked her to check it out for me and let me know if it was something I need to read. That was on a Friday. Monday morning she insisted that I read it. In fact, she was so adamant about this insistence that another student overhearing our conversation begged for the book. Of course, I made a big stink about it being my turn while our argument drew the attention of a few others. I relented, sat back, and watched the book jump from desk to desk until every one of my girls had tore through it. I was a little surprised when Emily, who had finished the majority of the story in a day or two, came to me before independent reading expressing that she didn't want to finish it. When I asked why, it was because she didn't want to cry this early in the day.

Finally, after hearing the story about the creation of story, I sat down to experience what all of those students went through this year. I totally understand where Emily was coming from. Lynda has put together nothing short of an emotional masterpiece. My tears started rolling a full hundred pages before the end of the book. Uh oh. So why do I think Murphys is such a stand-above story? Carley. Carley is by far the most compelling character I've ever met. When a story impacts you as forcefully as Carley's does, unpacking why she worked so well is nearly as exhausting as her experience.

As they say, it begins at the beginning. The gravity of Carley begins its pull from the first chapter. She's in the back of a car annoying the social worker by clicking and unclicking the door locks. It's the perfect unique action speaking volumes about both Carley and her situation. When the social worker asks her to "Please" stop, Carley comments, "I love it when people use the word please but they sound like they want to remove your face." What a perfect observation of a universal truth. I'm sure there's not a kid on the planet who doesn't understand this truth that Carley so perfectly articulates. Done. I love her. Page one.

This magnetism from the beginning can create an interesting problem. If the bar is set so high from the start, how can you pull a reader along without the character falling? Some books succeed because of excellent plotting, some because the storytelling is outrageously good, some because of unique settings, some because the whole is greater that its part; there are millions of ways for a book to be successful. One For The Murphys is a cut above precisely because each and every character we come in contact with is three dimensional from the moment we meet them and they remain true throughout the entire story. This seems like a simple statement about good writing but to pull that off when your novel revolves around an emotionally driven idea, the level of complexity is beyond fathomable. Not a single character flaw ever felt cheap. Not a single relationship felt forced. And above all else, the development of the characters- and thus, the story shines bold and brilliant. When that succeeds, you look forward to crying not because of a forced sappiness but because One For The Murphys remnids you just how lucky we are that we're human beings and how refreshing it is to feel such intense emotions.

I know the girls will be an easy sell. This year will be about getting the boys on board. ...more

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Feb 13, 2013 Joe K. marked it as to-read

Jan 23, 2013 Jordyn marked it as to-read

Jan 23, 2013 Brooke C. rated it it was amazing

Sep 25, 2014 Ellie Fox rated it really liked it

Shelves: all-time-favorites

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