Summary | Excerpt | Reading Guide | Reviews | Beyond the book | Read-Alikes | Genres & Themes | Author Bio
and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World
Critics' Opinion:
Readers' Opinion:
First Published:
Aug 2004, 256 pages
Paperback:
Jan 2007, 256 pages
Book Reviewed by:
BookBrowse Review Team
Buy This Book
'This insightful, seemingly intuitive first novel digs deep inside the soul of 9-year-old narrator Ida B Applewood....Hannigan shows a remarkable understanding of a stubborn child's perspective in her honest, poignant portrayal of loss and rebirth. Ages 9-up.'
What do you do when your life goes from righter than right to a million miles
beyond wrong?
Chapter 1
"Ida B," Mama said to me on one of those days that
start right and just keep heading toward perfect until you go to sleep,
"when you're done with the dishes, you can go play. Daddy and I are going
to be working till dinner."
"Yes, ma'am," I said back, but I said it like this,
"Yes, may-uhm!" because I couldn't wait to get on with my business.
I could already hear the brook calling to me through the back door screen.
"C'mon out and play, Ida B. Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up." I had
three places I wanted to visit, six things I wanted to make, and two conversations I
hoped to have before dinnertime.
Mama was washing, Daddy was drying, and I was putting away the
dishes from lunch. And I knew that the moment I set the last pan in its place, I
was free. But the way those two were chatting and laughing and acting like we
had till next week to finish up, I could see it was going to be a while.
My insides started itching and my feet started ...
The story did not resonate with the adults or children (aged 10 & 12) in our family...continued
Full Review
(432 words)
This review is available to non-members for a limited time. For full access,
become a member today.
(Reviewed by BookBrowse Review Team).
Katherine Hannigan was raised in western New York State and earned degrees in
education, mathematics, and art. She has worked as the education coordinator for
a Head Start program and, most recently, as an assistant professor of art and
design. She lives in northeast Iowa.
Ida B is her first novel; she says, "Ida B came
to be, in large part, because of my move to the Midwest. Hers is the life I
would have chosen, if I could have. And I think I try to live up to her example
-- brave and true, full of fun, and fiercely loving."
She was inspired to write a children's book after hearing Kate DiCamillo speak
in St Paul. She had never read anything by DiCamillo, but thought it would
be interesting to hear what an ...
This "beyond the book" feature is available to non-members for a limited time. Join today for full access.
If you liked Ida B, try these:
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
by Kate DiCamillo, Bagram Ibatoulline
Published 2008
An extraordinary journey, from the depths of the ocean to the net of a fisherman, from the top of a garbage heap to the fireside of a hoboes' camp, from the bedside of an ailing child to the streets of Memphis. And along the way, we are shown a true miracle — that even a heart of the most breakable kind can learn to love, to lose, and to ...
by Jeanne Birdsall
Published 2007
Deliciously nostalgic and quaintly witty, this is a story as breezy and carefree as a summer day. 2005 National Book Award Winner. Ages 8-12.
The Stone Home
by Crystal Hana Kim
A moving family drama and coming-of-age story revealing a dark corner of South Korean history.
The House on Biscayne Bay
by Chanel Cleeton
As death stalks a gothic mansion in Miami, the lives of two women intertwine as the past and present collide.
The Funeral Cryer by Wenyan Lu
Debut novelist Wenyan Lu brings us this witty yet profound story about one woman's midlife reawakening in contemporary rural China.
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.
