My One Hundred Adventures: Summary and book reviews of My One Hundred Adventures by Polly Horvath, plus links to an excerpt from My One Hundred Adventures and a biography of Polly Horvath.
My One Hundred Adventures
by Polly Horvath
Hardcover: Sep 2008,
272 pages.
Paperback: Jan 2010,
272 pages.
Jane is 12 years old, and she is ready for adventures, to move beyond the world of her siblings and single mother and their house by the sea, and step into the “know-not what.” And, over the summer, adventures do seem to find Jane, whether it’s a thrilling ride in a hot-air balloon, the appearances of a slew of possible fathers, or a weird new friendship with a preacher and psychic wannabe. Most important, there’s Jane’s discovery of what lies at the heart of all great adventures: that it’s not what happens to you that matters, but what you learn about yourself.
Lovely, fresh, ambitious, subversive, sharp and generous, My One Hundred Adventures is a splendid novel for wise children; world-weary teens; and adults, young and old. Reading Horvath is good for the mind, the body and the heart. (Reviewed by Jo Perry).
iVillage - Matt Berman
There's an idea in publishing that anything about children must be for children, and sometimes this leads to odd ducks like this one ... The publisher rates it for ages 8-12. While there's nothing wildly inappropriate for that age, there are long swaths of gorgeous prose that don't leave them much to chew on ... This is a delightful book, if not really for kids.
Bookpage - Deborah Hopkinson
In lyrical, lilting language, Horvath reels out a captivating tale of one girl's unforgettable summer. So don't let the days of warmth and sunshine slip away without grabbing My One Hundred Adventures and whiling away one last, magical afternoon.
Kirkus Reviews
Starred Review. Jane's poetic, philosophical musings capture a child's logic with an adult voice in this witty, wise and wonderful novel.
Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Unconventionality is Horvath’s stock and trade, but here the high quirkiness quotient rests easily against Jane’s inner story with its honest, childlike core.
School Library Journal - Connie Tyrrell Burns
Starred Review. The book is filled with pithy observations and memorable passages that invite immediate rereading and admiration. This is Horvath at the top of her game, and that's saying something. Grades 4-7
Booklist
Starred Review. Unconventionality is Horvath's stock and trade, but here the high quirkiness quotient rests easily against Jane’s inner story with its honest, childlike core.
Recent Reader Reviews
Rated of 5
by L.C. I DID NOT LIK IT AT ALLLL I thought this book was a waste of my time. I thought it would be a very delightful book for a book report I had to do for my reading teacher. I WAS MISTAKEN because this book was one of the worst books I have ever read. I thought it was boring,... Read More
Rated of 5
by Matt My opinion Hey, my opinion doesn't really matter, and I do suggest you read it, but I was waiting to get this book, and when I finally read it I was disappointed. Really! You never find out who her father is, or how many REAL adventures she had.
Preserving the Sweetness of Summer
Jane Fielding's home and family are the center of My One Hundred
Adventures. Her mother's inventive, fresh cooking, the gathering of fresh
sea food, berries and greens, and the calm fellowship the Fieldings enjoy at
mealtimes sustain and fortify Jane as she greets each new adventure. Jane's
mother preserves the sweetness of summer with her perfect strawberry jam (much
like the elderly sisters who preserve Maine blueberries in Horvath's
award-winning The Canning Season). Old-fashioned horehound candy also
figures prominently in the novel.
No Cook Strawberry Freezer Jam
from newenglandrecipes.com
1¾ quarts fully ripe strawberries
1¾ cups sugar
1 package Sure-Jell Light Fruit Pectin
1 cup corn syrup
1. Hull and thoroughly crush strawberries, one layer at a time....
A sly, sharp-edged narrative about a small western Pennsylvania town and a dead-funny depiction of growing up in a slightly off-kilter place where the past is present, the present is confusing, and the future is completely up in the air.
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(1054 words).
iVillage - Matt Berman
of 5
by L.C.
of 5
by Matt
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1. Hull and thoroughly crush strawberries, one layer at a time....
