Do you ever read a book and just don’t get it? That’s how I felt about “Ginger Pye”. I have not a clue why it’s Newbery award book.
I have to admit that I didn’t even finish it. I gave it a fair chance. I even broke my 50 page rule (if the book doesn’t appeal after 50 pages, I give myself permission to set it aside) as I was certain, with a designation as a Newbery book, there had to be something redeeming about it.
Some kids (brother/sister) get a dog. Their last name is Pye, their dog’s name is Ginger. Eventually Ginger disappears. At the end of the book (yes, when I decided I wasn’t going to finish it, I skipped ahead and read the last chapter) they find the dog and implicate the boy who was mean at the beginning.
Unfortunately the book is short on plot and big on filler. I had a hard time staying interested and many of the adventures were mundane and the discussions between the siblings less than inspiring.
I think this book was probably primarily written for the younger audience – perhaps a reader just starting to read novels with real chapters. However, I can’t say that this book would have appealed to me as a reader of that age. I think there are far more interesting books that fill this category.
Admittedly, I may be completely off base. This book may be beloved by millions. I may have missed a crucial detail of what makes this book great.
*off to research what OTHER people said about this book*
*comes back*
OK – I admit that when I go to see what “everyone” thinks about a book, my choice is Amazon.
It looks like this book may be part of a larger collection by the same author, and thus for some this may be the latest installment in a series of beloved stories.
The book received mixed reviews. Many of the reviewers who seemed to enjoy the book the most seemed very young in their writing, while a reviewer who identified herself as a mom, trying to read this book to her kids had complaints nearly identical to mine.
I can’t find anyone who is referring to some deep-rooted allegory in the book that I’m missing, so I’ll have to assume that what I see is what I get for “Ginger Pye”.
Overall, I can’t say I recommend the book, however from reviewing Amazon, this book may strike a chord with younger readers, who may say that *I’m* the one that doesn’t “get it”.
