|
SUNSETS OF MISS OLIVIA WIGGINS, THE
|
|
Written by
Lester L. Laminack
|
|
Illustrated by
Constance R. Bergum
|
Hardcover: $15.95
ISBN: 978-1-56145-139-5
Total Pages: 32
Size: 10 x 8-1/2
|
|
|
Picture books, ages 6-10/Fiction
|
|
|
|
LESTER L. LAMINACK is a specialist in children's literacy and professor emeritus at Western Carolina University. Laminack has written numerous books and articles for educators and is a familiar speaker at professional meetings and reading associations nationwide. He lives in North Carolina.You can visit Lester L. Laminack's website at: www.lesterlaminack.com
|
|
|
|
CONSTANCE R. BERGUM has illustrated several children's books. She holds an MFA in illustration from Marywood University and lives in Montana.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This poignant tale tells of a woman residing in a nursing home who seems to live more in a world of memories than here in the present.
|
Accelerated Reader & Reading Counts Tests:
AR Quiz#: 51041
AR Reading Level: 3.8
|
|
|
|
ALTHOUGH MISS OLIVIA IS UNABLE to respond and their presence often seems to go unnoticed, daughter Angel and great-grandson Troy know better. Anything from a beautiful sunset to the mention of her porch swing--Troy's favorite place--can take her back into her past, from when she was just a little girl out on the farm with her papa to a recent birthday shared with her daughter. She can no longer do the things she used to do, but she's still their Momma Olivia.
Laminack treats a difficult topic with great care, giving voice to the seldom discussed tragedy of watching a loved one slip out of the present and into the past in terms children can understand. Bergum's delicate watercolors also give soft expression to the continuity of generations and the love that holds a family together during times of hardship. The Sunsets of Miss Olivia Wiggins was the result of a very special collaboration between author and illustrator.
Click here for an informative teacher's guide to The Sunsets of Miss Olivia Wiggins.
|
|
|
|
Reviews
"Through this story readers will be reassured that older people can have a full inner life and will understand the importance of visiting them." School Library Journal "Moments of real eloquence.... The book provides an unusually empathic look at the reality of aging.... Children perplexed or upset by their own visits to deteriorating elders may find this book helpful and even consoling."Publishers Weekly "Realistic watercolors flow gently between present and past in this tender depiction of a life well lived, which speaks to the value of maintaining loving relationships, even when they are altered by Alzheimer’s disease."Booklist "The story will strike a chord with young children who may, for the first time, realize their grandparents and great-grandparents were once children like themselves.... The gentle watercolor, illustrations of Miss Wiggins' life--past and present--help bring the story to life for readers of all ages." Boston Herald
|
|
|
|
Awards
* Joan Fassler Memorial Book Award, Association for the Care of Children's Health
|
|
More books by Author/Illustrators:
|
Dancing with Katya
A moving, dramatic story of the transforming power of love and the strong bonds between siblings that even polio cannot weaken.
Read More
|
|
|
|
|
|
Saturdays and Teacakes
When I was nine or ten years old I couldn't wait for Saturdays. I got up early, dressed, and rolled my bicycle out of the garage.
Read More
|
|
|
Snow Day!
Award-winning author Lester Laminack’s clever take on this familiar childhood wish features an unexpected twist sure to surprise and delight school-age readers.
Read More
|
|
|
|
When Rain Falls
A colorful look at the amazing ways animals behave and interact with their environments on a rainy day
Read More
|
| |
|
|