Giff, P.R. (2002). Pictures of Hollis Woods. New York, NY: Scholastic.(Picture from Amazon.com)
Pictures of Hollis Woods, a Newbery Honor Book, tells the story of twelve-year-old Hollis Woods, who was named for the place where she was abandoned as an infant. Hollis is a tough, loner on the surface, but her greatest desire is to be part of a family. She has moved from foster home to foster home, often running away. The story alternates between the girl's currrent placement (an elderly artist named Josie) and the former placement (the Regans). Hollis is also an artist and she has documented her time with the Regans in detailed pictures of the events that were special to her. Flashbacks to life with the Regans are detailed in descriptions of the pictures, revealing the events that brought Hollis to living with Josie.
Josie is very loving toward Hollis and Hollis soon becomes comfortable in Josie's eccentric world. However, Hollis realizes that some of Josie's strange behavior is more than just being quirky; Josie is beginning to forget things. When the social worker informs Hollis that a family has been found that will take her in because she cannot continue to stay with Josie, whose memory is worsening each day, Hollis does what she has always done...she runs. This time, however, she brings Josie and Henry, Josie's cat, with her. As she struggles with the heartache she left behind at the Regans, Hollis runs with Josie and Henry to a familiar place, a place she wanted as a home. As Hollis and Josie hole up in the summer home of the Regans, Hollis begins to realize they are not alone and discovers the truth of why she will never have to run away again.
This is the second book I have read that was written by Paticia Reilly Giff. I have also read Eleven, which told the story of an orphaned boy being raised by his uncle. While searching for his eleventh birthday present in the attic, he finds an article that says he was kidnapped as a baby. He begins to doubt if his uncle is really who he says he is and wonders about the events in his past that he can't remember. It is a heart-warming, intruiging story of family, friendship and sacrifice. While I enjoyed both books, in comparison, I think Pictures of Hollis Woods is a more visually crafted book, with the detailed descriptions of Hollis's drawings. The characters in both stories are developed in layers, with just enough detail revealed in each chapter to encourage the reader to keep turning the pages. There is a hint of suspense in these books as the author keeps events or other details unknown until just the right moment.
This book would be wonderful used as a read-aloud, as literature circle book, or as part of an author study, in which Ms. Giff's other books could be read and compared. Other books written by Patricia Reilly Giff are Lily's Crossing, Maggie's Door, A House of Tailors, and All the Way Home.
For a complete list of books by Patricia Reilly Giff and other resources visit
Patricia Reilly Giff
Newbery Award/Honor Book #2
Patron, S. (2006). The higher power of lucky. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster. (Picture from Fantastic Fiction)
Ten year old Lucky is searching for her higher power. Two-years ago, Lucky's mother died by stepping on downed electircal wires after a thunder storm. Her father, who was not a part of life, called his ex-wife Brigitte-who was from France-to be Lucky's guardian. Brigitte moved to Hard Pan, California and lived, with Lucky, in a group of air stream trailers that had been welded together as one. Lucky worked at the Found Object Wind Chime Museum and Visitor Center and had two close friends: ten year old Lincoln, who was a whiz at knot-tying and 5 year old Miles, who loved cookies and the book, Are You My Mother. Lucky has always felt out place with Brigitte and she sees herself as plain because her hair, eyebrows and face all the same sandy color, blending in with the desert in which she lives. She has been searching for her "higher power" and spends time eavesdropping on the twelve-step meetings being held at the museum. As she takes in the details of the locals "rock-bottom" stories and how they pulled themselves up by finding their higher power, Lucky thinks that's the only way she can become whatever it is she is supposed to become-which is a scientist like Charles Darwin.
When Lucky discovers Brigitte's passport and that Brigitte is getting a degree in French cooking, Lucky is sure that Brigitte is planning to return to the France that she so desperately misses. So, Lucky devises a plan to run away in hopes that Brigitte will realize just how much she wants Lucky in her life and she will not return to France. The plan does not go the way she had intended and she finds herself rescueing her friend Miles during a dust storm. When the folks of Hard Pan go searching for Lucky and Miles, Lucky finds out the truth about Brigitte's intentions and finally discovers her "higher power".
I had not read any of the controversy surrounding this book until after I began reading it. I too was a bit surprised at the use of the word scrotum but I also found Short Sammy's "rock bottom" story quite hilarious. I believe that the author has crafted a story filled with realistic, wondefully flawed characters that have endured difficult events,learned who thay are and who they can be, thus becoming better people for having experienced the difficulties. The Higher Power of Lucky is about letting go and holding on.
A review of this book found at Common Sense Media
An interview with Susan Patron
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