Discover Well-Read Black Girl Books and the projects reshaping publishing →

BookBrowse Reviews Gossamer by Lois Lowry

Summary |  Excerpt |  Reviews |  Beyond the book |  Read-Alikes |  Genres & Themes |  Author Bio

Gossamer by Lois Lowry

Gossamer

by Lois Lowry
  • BookBrowse Review:
  • Critics' Consensus (6):
  • Readers' Rating (22):
  • First Published:
  • Apr 24, 2006, 144 pages
  • Paperback:
  • Jan 2008, 160 pages
  • Rate this book

About This Book

Reviews

BookBrowse:


The prose is light as gossamer; the story as haunting as a dream. Ages 10+
This review is available to non-members for a limited time. For access to our digital magazine, free books,and other benefits, become a member today.

In poetically simple words Lowry draws the reader into her story about Littlest One, a trainee dream-giver, assigned to the house of an elderly woman who agrees to foster an "angry boy".  Lowry shows us that it's possible to take on big issues such as child abuse without having to resort to gritty detail; instead she paints her story, not with a sugar-coating, but with a gossamer touch so that young children can empathize with the central characters, including the boy and his mother, without being overwhelmed by harsh details.  There is much for children and adults to appreciate in this short but surprisingly deep tale, and strong lessons to be learned about the power of the human spirit to start again and find hope in the littlest of things.

This review was originally published in The BookBrowse Review in May 2006, and has been updated for the January 2008 edition. Click here to go to this issue.

Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $60 for 12 months or $20 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

Read-Alikes

Read-Alikes Full readalike results are for members only

If you liked Gossamer, try these:

  • Ruby jacket

    Ruby

    by Cynthia Bond

    Published 2015

    About This book

    The epic, unforgettable story of a man determined to protect the woman he loves from the town desperate to destroy her—this beautiful and devastating debut heralds the arrival of a major new voice in fiction.

  • The Magician's Elephant jacket

    The Magician's Elephant

    by Kate DiCamillo

    Published 2011

    About This book

    More by this author

    Winner of BookBrowse's 2009 Children's Book Award. When a fortuneteller's tent appears in the market square of the city of Baltese, orphan Peter Augustus Duchene knows the questions that he needs to ask: Does his sister still live? And if so, how can he find her? The fortuneteller's mysterious answer (An elephant will lead him there!) sets off a ...

  • When You Reach Me jacket

    When You Reach Me

    by Rebecca Stead

    Published 2010

    About This book

    More by this author

    Winner of the 2010 Newbery Medal. Miranda is an ordinary sixth grader, until she starts receiving mysterious messages from somebody who knows all about her, including things that have not even happened yet. Each message brings her closer to believing that only she can prevent a tragic death. Until the final note makes her think she’s too late....

We have 9 read-alikes for Gossamer, but non-members are limited to three results. Join free to see the complete list of recommendations.
More books by Lois Lowry
Search read-alikes
How we choose read-alikes

BookBrowse Book Club

  • Book Jacket
    A Pair of Aces
    by Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray
    Two women on opposite sides of the law team up to bring down gangster Lucky Luciano in this gripping novel.
  • Book Jacket
    When No One Else Will
    by Amanda Skenandore
    1940s Chicago nurse risks everything at an illegal women’s clinic during a high-profile trial of courage and sisterhood.

Members Recommend

  • Book Jacket
    The Reimagining of Thornwood House
    by Jaleigh Johnson
    A witch and her ward discover a magical walking house and find the true meaning of home.
  • Book Jacket
    The Jellyfish Problem
    by Tessa Yang
    A marine biologist rescues a Maine island menaced by a giant glowing jellyfish in this inventive debut.
  • Book Jacket
    Summer's Never Over
    by Darby Bozeman
    A woman revisits a Southern summer camp where a counselor's death may not have been an accident.
  • Book Jacket
    Feast
    by Catherine Kurtz
    In 19th-century France, a girl with a magical taste becomes a duc’s poison taster amid nobility and danger.
Who Said...

When you are growing up there are two institutional places that affect you most powerfully: the church, which ...

Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!

Book
Trivia
  • Book Trivia

    Can you name the title?

    Test your book knowledge with our daily trivia challenge!

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

Q S, S

and be entered to win..

Your guide toexceptional          books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.