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Shelf Life: Stories by the Book
Newbery Honor author Gary Paulsen brings together original stories that talk about books by authors such as Marion Dane Bauer and M.T. Anderson in this middle grade anthology.
From Jennifer L. Holm’s story of a girl on Mars trying desperately to return to Earth to Gregory Maguire’s domestic intrigue; from Kathleen Karr’s story of a thief in turn-of-the-century Chicago to M.T. Anderson’s mysterious shipboard adventure; from A. LaFaye’s tale of magical wonderment to Marion Dane Bauer’s story of doing good, this volume provides a full range of reading for every taste. Also featured are Joan Bauer, Ellen Conford, Margaret Peterson Haddix, and Ellen Wittlinger.
Sales of this book benefit ProLiteracy Worldwide, an international network with programs in the United States and partner programs abroad, whose mission is to change lives through literacy.
From Jennifer L. Holm’s story of a girl on Mars trying desperately to return to Earth to Gregory Maguire’s domestic intrigue; from Kathleen Karr’s story of a thief in turn-of-the-century Chicago to M.T. Anderson’s mysterious shipboard adventure; from A. LaFaye’s tale of magical wonderment to Marion Dane Bauer’s story of doing good, this volume provides a full range of reading for every taste. Also featured are Joan Bauer, Ellen Conford, Margaret Peterson Haddix, and Ellen Wittlinger.
Sales of this book benefit ProLiteracy Worldwide, an international network with programs in the United States and partner programs abroad, whose mission is to change lives through literacy.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2003
17 people are currently reading
963 people want to read
About the author
Gary Paulsen
389books3,834followersGary James Paulsen was an American writer of children's and young adult fiction, best known for coming-of-age stories about the wilderness. He was the author of more than 200 books and wrote more than 200 magazine articles and short stories, and several plays, all primarily for teenagers. He won the Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 1997 for his lifetime contribution in writing for teens.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
August 2, 2013
A fun collection of short stories. My favorite - also most creepy was M.T. Anderson's Barcarole for Paper and Bones. Seriously:"Nothing is simple. You cannot know some things without living them. If you want to know a man, do you cut open his torso and measure his guts, and take him limb from limb? If you dismember him and name his parts, you will never know him. The truth, it is like that too. For the truth to be preserved in wholeness, I had to destroy it utterly, so there could be no glib examination, no work upon its remains" (p. 140,Barcarole for Paper and Bones). Could there be a creepier truth metaphor? I doubt it.
My other favorite part was not in the stories proper, but in the the "About the contributors section," where, in addition to a short bio, each author says something about them and reading. I loved what Joan Bauer said:
"Why do I read?
I just can't help myself.
I read to learn and to grow, to laugh and to be motivated. I read to understand things I've never been exposed to. I read when I'm crabby, when I've just said monumentally dumb things to the people I love; I read for strength to help me when I feel broken, discouraged, and afraid. I read when I'm angry at the whole world. I read when everything is going right. I read to find hope. I read because I'm made up not just of skin and bones, of sights, feelings, and a deep need for chocolate, but I'm also made up of words.... "
Me too, Ms. Bauer. Me, too.
My other favorite part was not in the stories proper, but in the the "About the contributors section," where, in addition to a short bio, each author says something about them and reading. I loved what Joan Bauer said:
"Why do I read?
I just can't help myself.
I read to learn and to grow, to laugh and to be motivated. I read to understand things I've never been exposed to. I read when I'm crabby, when I've just said monumentally dumb things to the people I love; I read for strength to help me when I feel broken, discouraged, and afraid. I read when I'm angry at the whole world. I read when everything is going right. I read to find hope. I read because I'm made up not just of skin and bones, of sights, feelings, and a deep need for chocolate, but I'm also made up of words.... "
Me too, Ms. Bauer. Me, too.
October 1, 2007
Every time I saw this book at a book store, I would think "oh I want that book" and then I'd think, "but wait. don't I already have that book"? and finally I'd think "I'd better check my shelves" and then I forget and then the cycle would start again.
And Yah! The cycle broke, because I remembered to check and I DO have it and I will use short stories from it in todays in-service with 4-5th grade teachers and I will cry if they say "where is the teachers guide".
And Yah! The cycle broke, because I remembered to check and I DO have it and I will use short stories from it in todays in-service with 4-5th grade teachers and I will cry if they say "where is the teachers guide".
March 23, 2022
Gary Paulsen is still a favorite author ever since I read him to my daughter about 35 years ago. Those reads, loved by all ages, were adventures into nature by the main character sometimes alone or accompanied by a faithful dog! In Shelf Life, Paulson gives a brief story of his early life and the way books influenced his future and his commitment to literacy worldwide by donating the sales of this book. He introduces this collection of short stories, written by ten different authors from fantasy to farce, realism to science fiction but they all have something in common with how books change lives. Sometimes the book in the story wasn't obvious and the creative ways that the writers approached the challenge was sometimes ingenious! I think I finished each story with a smile and a desire to encourage reading at every age.
August 4, 2008
It's hard to judge a collection of short stories by different authors and give a single overall rating, and I admit, I didn't actually finish this book. But, I did read more than half of the 10 stories (my favorite of which was "Testing, Testing 123" by A. LaFaye) and lost interest somewhere along the line. In the back of the book there is a short bio about each author and a blurb about a fond memory relating to books. If the rest of the book was more like these back pages, I might have found it more interesting: instead, the only rule that the authors had to follow was that there had to be a mention of a book somewhere in their stories. In many cases, I found the mentions so vague and forgettable and quite besides the point of the story itself. There are a couple of almost-gems besides LaFaye but otherwise I felt the collection left alot to be desired and found myself thinking as I was reading, "Are these really the best stories/authors that someone like Gary Paulsen could find?"
October 17, 2013
I didn't even choose this book to begin with. After my paperback was stolen, my English teacher pulled this from a pile waiting to be reshelved and said, "Here. Just read this."
I'm kind of glad she picked Shelf Life. Coming from someone who is not a fan of Gary Paulsen and one who could even use the word hatred in describing feelings towards short stories, this book could very well end up on my own shelf some day.
I'm kind of glad she picked Shelf Life. Coming from someone who is not a fan of Gary Paulsen and one who could even use the word hatred in describing feelings towards short stories, this book could very well end up on my own shelf some day.
March 10, 2022
-22 Shelf Life by Dan Gutman
In your Hat -by Ellen Conford- 10 pgs. Dennies asks gorgeous popular Sriel to help him with a book report. She tells him all about a story and when he passes in what he wrote, he gets an F. She made it all up. He is furious and she asks what happened to your sense of humor.
(Lesson to not cheat)
Escape- Margaret Peterson Haddix
Woman falling out of her dress exposing breasts. Pg 23
Follow the Water by Jennifer Holm- Georgina lives on Mars. Gets annoyed with scientist poking her and she goes to a bar. She tries to buy a beer. (Pg39)
Testing Testing 1 2 3 by A Lafaye
The Idiot of Seville doesn’t do well on tests. Patrick gets distracted. One day Mrs Whittmore has him now her lawn� or rather her flower garden. He leaves to see things in a new way. He gets better at studying, focusing and learning all from Mrs Whitmmore blank book.
Tea Party Ends in Bloody Massacre, Film at 11 by Gregory Maguire
Henrietta Mott is reading under her dining room table as the Local Ladies League members sit and have tea. She overhears them talking about her mother and the fact that Henrietta is missing. As she reads The Thing That Lasts, she hears them gossip and determine that girls shouldn’t be timorous, work or have positions of power. They say men raising babies won’t last. In the end Henrietta shows herself and pretends to be something she is not so that her mother can have. Group of friends in this new neighborhood while they wait for her father to return from being a prisoner of espionage.
(Front load setting and characters as descriptions are unique)
What’s a Fellow to Do by Kathleen Karr
Slim the 14 year old thief is casing a manufacturing building. At the same time a young mother leaves her baby in the jewel case at Tiffany’s in hopes that someone will adopt her. As Slim reflects on his life, his deceased mom and sister and what he could’ve been, he finds the baby. He decides to keep her because she stole his heart. (Feel good, unexpected fondness for a thief-potential)
Wet Hens by Ellen Wittlinger
Jolene and Karly have been best friends forever- since their moms are. When Jolene gets mad at Karly b/c she got a Berger solo in the dance competition , Karly sets off to find something to do. She discovers Elizabeth at a yard sale and they have a fun day together. Elizabeth is rich, moving to CA and had watched Jolene and Karly’s friendship from afar all these years. At the end Karly calls Jolene bad they make up. Neither is as mad as a set hen anymore.
The Good Deed by Marion Dane Bauer
Anne Marie us a Girl Scout who Is assigned a sight impaired woman to visit. When she gets there she also meets the neighbor Risa who has 3 little brothers and is responsible for taking care of them while mom is at work. Risa created eye bouquets so that Miss Benson can “see� things and Anne Marie reads to her. At end Risa and Anne Marie become each others “good deed� for the summer. ****
Barcarole for Paper and Bones by M T Anderson
An abandoned ship floats into the harbor. Sailors hop aboard and discover no survivors but a crock of hot oatmeal. They find letters the describe the journey that include stories of pirates taking over the ship and forcing the crew to act out Greek acts in which they kill each other. We learn that there is a 16 year old boy who wrote and his all the letters to keep the experience a secret. Lots of italics stories. It takes a sophisticated reader to hold onto the plot.
Clean Sweep by Joan Bauer
Katie, her mom and brother Benjamin(14) own Clean Sweep cleaning business. Katie narrated her story of cleaning Mrs. Blanks attic and using the techniques her mom taught her to earn $25 by encouraging more cleaning. Her brother is a hyper chondriac and she often has to drag him along. Their dad dies suffer my and without health insurance so this business is a way to help people stay organized before they die. Mrs blank has a sad life and when Katie encourages her to call a long lost sister she does and is happy. (Cute story not edgy)
In your Hat -by Ellen Conford- 10 pgs. Dennies asks gorgeous popular Sriel to help him with a book report. She tells him all about a story and when he passes in what he wrote, he gets an F. She made it all up. He is furious and she asks what happened to your sense of humor.
(Lesson to not cheat)
Escape- Margaret Peterson Haddix
Woman falling out of her dress exposing breasts. Pg 23
Follow the Water by Jennifer Holm- Georgina lives on Mars. Gets annoyed with scientist poking her and she goes to a bar. She tries to buy a beer. (Pg39)
Testing Testing 1 2 3 by A Lafaye
The Idiot of Seville doesn’t do well on tests. Patrick gets distracted. One day Mrs Whittmore has him now her lawn� or rather her flower garden. He leaves to see things in a new way. He gets better at studying, focusing and learning all from Mrs Whitmmore blank book.
Tea Party Ends in Bloody Massacre, Film at 11 by Gregory Maguire
Henrietta Mott is reading under her dining room table as the Local Ladies League members sit and have tea. She overhears them talking about her mother and the fact that Henrietta is missing. As she reads The Thing That Lasts, she hears them gossip and determine that girls shouldn’t be timorous, work or have positions of power. They say men raising babies won’t last. In the end Henrietta shows herself and pretends to be something she is not so that her mother can have. Group of friends in this new neighborhood while they wait for her father to return from being a prisoner of espionage.
(Front load setting and characters as descriptions are unique)
What’s a Fellow to Do by Kathleen Karr
Slim the 14 year old thief is casing a manufacturing building. At the same time a young mother leaves her baby in the jewel case at Tiffany’s in hopes that someone will adopt her. As Slim reflects on his life, his deceased mom and sister and what he could’ve been, he finds the baby. He decides to keep her because she stole his heart. (Feel good, unexpected fondness for a thief-potential)
Wet Hens by Ellen Wittlinger
Jolene and Karly have been best friends forever- since their moms are. When Jolene gets mad at Karly b/c she got a Berger solo in the dance competition , Karly sets off to find something to do. She discovers Elizabeth at a yard sale and they have a fun day together. Elizabeth is rich, moving to CA and had watched Jolene and Karly’s friendship from afar all these years. At the end Karly calls Jolene bad they make up. Neither is as mad as a set hen anymore.
The Good Deed by Marion Dane Bauer
Anne Marie us a Girl Scout who Is assigned a sight impaired woman to visit. When she gets there she also meets the neighbor Risa who has 3 little brothers and is responsible for taking care of them while mom is at work. Risa created eye bouquets so that Miss Benson can “see� things and Anne Marie reads to her. At end Risa and Anne Marie become each others “good deed� for the summer. ****
Barcarole for Paper and Bones by M T Anderson
An abandoned ship floats into the harbor. Sailors hop aboard and discover no survivors but a crock of hot oatmeal. They find letters the describe the journey that include stories of pirates taking over the ship and forcing the crew to act out Greek acts in which they kill each other. We learn that there is a 16 year old boy who wrote and his all the letters to keep the experience a secret. Lots of italics stories. It takes a sophisticated reader to hold onto the plot.
Clean Sweep by Joan Bauer
Katie, her mom and brother Benjamin(14) own Clean Sweep cleaning business. Katie narrated her story of cleaning Mrs. Blanks attic and using the techniques her mom taught her to earn $25 by encouraging more cleaning. Her brother is a hyper chondriac and she often has to drag him along. Their dad dies suffer my and without health insurance so this business is a way to help people stay organized before they die. Mrs blank has a sad life and when Katie encourages her to call a long lost sister she does and is happy. (Cute story not edgy)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2023
One does not want to be too harsh on a book of short stories aimed at a young adult audience and published with the intention of raising money for adult literacy programs*, but most the stories are slight. It is the literary equivalent of a healthy, low calorie snack. It's not bad for you. It might be even good for you, but you are going to want something a bit more hearty at some point in your day. Still, snacks are good and you should probably have some, here or there. Especially when they aren't bad for you and might be even good for you in the right amount and those snacks fund an important charity. Maybe read this, I'm saying, or buy a copy to give to someone who needs a little "preaching to choir" about the importance of reading. A lot of us have that sort of kid in our life. This book could be perfect for them.
The general gist of these stories is that each one is about a book that changed lives (usually, specifically, the life of the focus character). As is true in all such themed collections, at least one story ignores the write-up.** It is always funny to imagine the behind-the-scenes on this. "In this story about the pickpocket finding a abandoned baby...where's the book?" "Life is the book!"
Some stories end off right after a resolution, giving those stories a kind of "opening chapter" vibe. This I liked. Conclusions are nice but all stories are merely a part of the conversation (even quite long stories are only the opening chapters for all the years of history that follow them). That the stories that tend to do this the most abruptly tend to be the ones that actually have the most plot is a design feature, not a bug. Those who like pat stories with comfy solutions will find several that would fit the mold, too. Considering the average plot is that a kid finds someone who likes to read and then this kid reads, well, there you go.
Genre wise, there are some slice of life stories, a magical realism story, one science fiction story, a story adjacent to the horror genre story, and a story that is definitely in the horror genre. The latter two are (suprise!) my favorite and the lattermost—M.T. Anderson's "Barcarole for Paper and Bone"—is honestly the story I would consider to be the the prize.
It is a solid piece of writing, exploring a variety of [short, many being micro-fiction] conflicting narratives on a "ghost ship" and the possible horrible things that might have happened and it is also a metaphor about the the after effects of trauma and trying to communicate with someone who did not go with that trauma. It is possibly worth the price of admission alone (it was for me) and is the reason I got the book to begin with. A coworker who is not a fan of horror described it as the most disturbing story she had ever read, one that gave her nightmares. I can almost get that. The sense that the various (and largely false, by design) possibilities of what occurred are only a glimpse into whatever actual horror was experienced forces the reader to complete the tales throughout while feeling incomplete: a clear violation of the writer-reader contract.
The fact that it feels like (and might just be) a convenient little dumping ground for Anderson's various threads and explored notions (his "commonplace" book, so to speak) is fine with me.
====
* and in that light, I embrace it as a give star treasure and wish to give a full five start round of applause, just not so much for the contents themselves.
** you know what I mean, you'll be reading a collection of stories about vampires and then there'll be a story about some mean boss at a pool hall and the characters are just Alabama boys and *maybe* there's hints of a vampire in one of the rumors the boys are talking about but it's also just about the way that summer heat and rural culture drains a person with no future, etc etc.
The general gist of these stories is that each one is about a book that changed lives (usually, specifically, the life of the focus character). As is true in all such themed collections, at least one story ignores the write-up.** It is always funny to imagine the behind-the-scenes on this. "In this story about the pickpocket finding a abandoned baby...where's the book?" "Life is the book!"
Some stories end off right after a resolution, giving those stories a kind of "opening chapter" vibe. This I liked. Conclusions are nice but all stories are merely a part of the conversation (even quite long stories are only the opening chapters for all the years of history that follow them). That the stories that tend to do this the most abruptly tend to be the ones that actually have the most plot is a design feature, not a bug. Those who like pat stories with comfy solutions will find several that would fit the mold, too. Considering the average plot is that a kid finds someone who likes to read and then this kid reads, well, there you go.
Genre wise, there are some slice of life stories, a magical realism story, one science fiction story, a story adjacent to the horror genre story, and a story that is definitely in the horror genre. The latter two are (suprise!) my favorite and the lattermost—M.T. Anderson's "Barcarole for Paper and Bone"—is honestly the story I would consider to be the the prize.
It is a solid piece of writing, exploring a variety of [short, many being micro-fiction] conflicting narratives on a "ghost ship" and the possible horrible things that might have happened and it is also a metaphor about the the after effects of trauma and trying to communicate with someone who did not go with that trauma. It is possibly worth the price of admission alone (it was for me) and is the reason I got the book to begin with. A coworker who is not a fan of horror described it as the most disturbing story she had ever read, one that gave her nightmares. I can almost get that. The sense that the various (and largely false, by design) possibilities of what occurred are only a glimpse into whatever actual horror was experienced forces the reader to complete the tales throughout while feeling incomplete: a clear violation of the writer-reader contract.
The fact that it feels like (and might just be) a convenient little dumping ground for Anderson's various threads and explored notions (his "commonplace" book, so to speak) is fine with me.
====
* and in that light, I embrace it as a give star treasure and wish to give a full five start round of applause, just not so much for the contents themselves.
** you know what I mean, you'll be reading a collection of stories about vampires and then there'll be a story about some mean boss at a pool hall and the characters are just Alabama boys and *maybe* there's hints of a vampire in one of the rumors the boys are talking about but it's also just about the way that summer heat and rural culture drains a person with no future, etc etc.
July 7, 2018
I don't have to read every book I start. This was an important decision I made last week. I finished Shelf Life; I returned Vinegar Girl to the library. Both of these books have something in common. In Shelf Life, editor Gary Paulsen asked prominent authors to write short stories which included the mention of a book. This was done to promote and benefit ProLiteracy Worldwide. Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler is the third book of Random House's "Hogarth Shakespeare" project where a novelist updates a story from Shakespeare.
I picked up Shelf Life from work and I almost did not finish it as the stories at the beginning did not interest me. Sure, they mention a famous book (or two) in each story, but the stories came across like the results of a writing assignment rather than what would naturally come from the author. However, some of the students at the school where I work had this book as required reading so I pushed on and I liked the stories at the end. Also, the last section "About the Contributors" fascinated me. I would have given the first half of the book 2 stars and the second half 3 stars if I could have.
Vinegar Girl written by well-known author Anne Tyler was supposed to be my "light-hearted" read after reading through a series of depressing books. It was okay, but I kept thinking the original Shakespearean play The Taming of the Shrew was a lot better. This isn't just me insisting on the original Shakespeare. I like his stories retold in modern language. I just kept thinking: "Wait, she's changing up the actual story." In the middle, I decided that I could stop reading. Just because I had started reading the book did not mean I had to finish it.
I picked up Shelf Life from work and I almost did not finish it as the stories at the beginning did not interest me. Sure, they mention a famous book (or two) in each story, but the stories came across like the results of a writing assignment rather than what would naturally come from the author. However, some of the students at the school where I work had this book as required reading so I pushed on and I liked the stories at the end. Also, the last section "About the Contributors" fascinated me. I would have given the first half of the book 2 stars and the second half 3 stars if I could have.
Vinegar Girl written by well-known author Anne Tyler was supposed to be my "light-hearted" read after reading through a series of depressing books. It was okay, but I kept thinking the original Shakespearean play The Taming of the Shrew was a lot better. This isn't just me insisting on the original Shakespeare. I like his stories retold in modern language. I just kept thinking: "Wait, she's changing up the actual story." In the middle, I decided that I could stop reading. Just because I had started reading the book did not mean I had to finish it.
July 3, 2021
Some of the stories here I liked - others I didn’t so much. Overall I didn’t LOVE this book, but I do kind of like it. I think I’ll go for a 3.9 star rating.
[From “Wet Hens”]:
“I am so mad! Jolene and I had planned to ride down to the beach if it was nice today because it’ll probably be the last hot weather for a while, but instead I’ll be spending my beautiful Saturday alone because I’m definitely not speaking to Jolene again. Ever. Unless she apologizes. And Jolene NEVER apologizes.� - Page 91
[Later in “Wet Hens”]
“‘Hi, Jolene?�
‘Karly?� her voice is soft.
‘Yeah. I’m sorry about the argument yesterday.’� - Page 106
[and then…]
“‘Karly, thanks for calling me. I� you know� I was just so MAD yesterday.�
‘I know,� I say, smiling into the phone. It’s not an apology, but it’s close enough.� - Page 107
I like this bit of the book because I feel like it perfectly captures two best friends fighting, and the anger. In the beginning, Karly even goes as far as to say that she and Jolene were never really best friends:
“I mean, even I thought we really were best friends. WRONG. A best friend would never turn on me the way Jolene did yesterday afternoon.� - Page 92
This all PERFECTLY captures being angry at someone! (I have more experience with being angry at my little brother than my best friend, but still.) You’re all like, “I’LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!!� and then a few minutes/hours/days later, you forgive them. That’s kind of how loving a sibling/best friend works. I can TOTALLY relate.
[From “Wet Hens”]:
“I am so mad! Jolene and I had planned to ride down to the beach if it was nice today because it’ll probably be the last hot weather for a while, but instead I’ll be spending my beautiful Saturday alone because I’m definitely not speaking to Jolene again. Ever. Unless she apologizes. And Jolene NEVER apologizes.� - Page 91
[Later in “Wet Hens”]
“‘Hi, Jolene?�
‘Karly?� her voice is soft.
‘Yeah. I’m sorry about the argument yesterday.’� - Page 106
[and then…]
“‘Karly, thanks for calling me. I� you know� I was just so MAD yesterday.�
‘I know,� I say, smiling into the phone. It’s not an apology, but it’s close enough.� - Page 107
I like this bit of the book because I feel like it perfectly captures two best friends fighting, and the anger. In the beginning, Karly even goes as far as to say that she and Jolene were never really best friends:
“I mean, even I thought we really were best friends. WRONG. A best friend would never turn on me the way Jolene did yesterday afternoon.� - Page 92
This all PERFECTLY captures being angry at someone! (I have more experience with being angry at my little brother than my best friend, but still.) You’re all like, “I’LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!!� and then a few minutes/hours/days later, you forgive them. That’s kind of how loving a sibling/best friend works. I can TOTALLY relate.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 15, 2023
The reason why I rated this book 4 out of 5 stars is because I find it cool that the editor of the story, Gary Paulsen, talked about his past and his future. It also explains why the authors of the book became authors for basically the same reason which was because books saved their lives during tough times.
Imagine growing up in poverty because your parents are struggling on managing their money, so you don't have much to do because most things are unaffordable for your family. Well that's exactly how Gary Paulsen grew up. Nothing to play, nothing to watch, nothing to eat, nothing to read, and nothing to write. Well actually, those last two are incorrect. The only thing he did during his rough lifestyle was read and write since he lived next to a library. Those two are the things that saved his life so he says in the book. Maybe we should all feel this way so we can recognize how important the toll
of education can be.
Imagine growing up in poverty because your parents are struggling on managing their money, so you don't have much to do because most things are unaffordable for your family. Well that's exactly how Gary Paulsen grew up. Nothing to play, nothing to watch, nothing to eat, nothing to read, and nothing to write. Well actually, those last two are incorrect. The only thing he did during his rough lifestyle was read and write since he lived next to a library. Those two are the things that saved his life so he says in the book. Maybe we should all feel this way so we can recognize how important the toll
of education can be.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2021
Gary Paulson is my favorite author! I worked with middle school kids and lived in Thief River Falls Gary’s hometown. Our students especially the boys just devoured his books! The stories are for the most part easy to read and my Special Ed students enjoyed them and they were able to write book reports on them. My sister found this book and gifted it to me and it was an awesome find. It is an older book from 2003 and I would thank all the authors that added their stories to this book. The interesting thing about these stories and Gary’s other books is that even though they are slanted toward younger readers there is always a lesson to be learned for older readers also. If you have read this far he has written adult books that are equally good!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 27, 2019
A charmed collection of short stories by prominent authors. The caveat was that the story had to mention a book.
There is something for everyone in this collection. Short stories tell volumes in brevity if crafted well. There are favorites, Barcarole for Paper and Bones by M.T. Anderson may top the list, but each is a small masterpiece.
Do not forgo the About the Contributors section. Each author gives a brief paragraph or so about their reading life. All book lovers will nod in agreement.
There is something for everyone in this collection. Short stories tell volumes in brevity if crafted well. There are favorites, Barcarole for Paper and Bones by M.T. Anderson may top the list, but each is a small masterpiece.
Do not forgo the About the Contributors section. Each author gives a brief paragraph or so about their reading life. All book lovers will nod in agreement.
November 4, 2022
Overall, the score would be 3.6/5, so I rounded up.
*In Your Hat by: Ellen Conford - 5/5
*Escape by: Margaret Peterson Haddix - 3/5
*Follow the Water by: Jennifer L. Holm - 5/5
*Testing, Testing, 1... 2... 3 by: A. Lafaye - 5/5
*Tea Party Ends in Bloody Massacre, Film at 11 by: Gregory Maguire - 3/5
*What's a Fellow to Do? by: Kathleen Karr - 4/5
*Wet Hens by: Ellen Wittlinger - 3/5
*The Good Deed by: Marion Dane Bauer - 4/5
*Barcarole for Paper and Bones by: M.T. Anderson - 1/5
*Clean Sweep by: Joan Bauer - 3/5
*In Your Hat by: Ellen Conford - 5/5
*Escape by: Margaret Peterson Haddix - 3/5
*Follow the Water by: Jennifer L. Holm - 5/5
*Testing, Testing, 1... 2... 3 by: A. Lafaye - 5/5
*Tea Party Ends in Bloody Massacre, Film at 11 by: Gregory Maguire - 3/5
*What's a Fellow to Do? by: Kathleen Karr - 4/5
*Wet Hens by: Ellen Wittlinger - 3/5
*The Good Deed by: Marion Dane Bauer - 4/5
*Barcarole for Paper and Bones by: M.T. Anderson - 1/5
*Clean Sweep by: Joan Bauer - 3/5
Read
November 21, 2024Got this from the library and couldn't remember why I put it on hold. I don't really like short stories. I read it anyway. Again I don't care much for short stories so I won't rate it but I found it enjoyable enough to finish. After reading I realized I requested it for my daughters ELA homeschool curriculum 😆 I will be curious to see what she thinks of it (she's 11 and only assigned some me of the stories)
May 29, 2022
What a fantastic collection.
's mysterious story kept me up last night just wondering if I'd missed something critical. And, of course, I did, but it only exacerbated the mystery. A wonderful story which I would LOVE to ask the author questions about.
's mysterious story kept me up last night just wondering if I'd missed something critical. And, of course, I did, but it only exacerbated the mystery. A wonderful story which I would LOVE to ask the author questions about.
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July 12, 2024Considering the prompt was having a book in the story, one has to squint awfully hard in several of the stories to find the book. That was disappointing to me. Being a collection of short stories by different authors, of course some stories hit me more favorably than others. All in all, I'm not sad I read it, but neither would I go out of my way to recommend it.
September 21, 2024
I pickd this up at a library book sale with the intention of putting it straight in my little free library but something tempted me to open it and I am not sorry. It was a great read. Each and every story had something different to offer. I am putting it in my little free library but with the hope that someone will enjoy it as much as I did.
March 10, 2020
4.5 stars.
I really enjoyed these stories. There were some I loved more than others and the story, "Barcarole for Paper and Bones" really bored me, otherwise each story gripped my attention and I was impressed.
I really enjoyed these stories. There were some I loved more than others and the story, "Barcarole for Paper and Bones" really bored me, otherwise each story gripped my attention and I was impressed.
October 8, 2020
Probably the most telling thing I can say about this collection of stories is that when I started to write this review, I couldn’t recall any of the stories I had just read. None of them are bad, some use good writing techniques, but I struggled to remember any of the characters or plot lines.
October 15, 2022
I love short stories. This was a mixed bag for sure. Some heart-warming, some creepy, some just plain strange. Still, I enjoyed most of them. I was hoping for a collection of stories for my fourth graders, but I don't think this is right for that.
May 4, 2024
A sweet collection of stories with an important book as a turning point in each narrative. Paulson’s introduction is a great essay about the vital joy of writing and reading, especially as a young person. Recommend for middle schoolers and beyond.
May 24, 2024
This is a collection of stories by various authors all surrounding books or reading or writing in some form. My favorite story was Barcarole for Paper and Bones by M. T. Anderson! But every story was enjoyable!
January 7, 2025
There's a little bit of a lot of genres in this collection of stories, mostly about books, to benefit ProLiteracy Worldwide. You may not like all of them, but you will probably have at least one that you can appreciate.
May 4, 2017
I enjoyed reading this collection of short stories. Each of the (ten) stories was unique, well-written and held my interest!
November 11, 2017
This is a great set of short stories written by many different authors. If you're looking for a quick read this would be an excellent choice.
April 23, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. There were 10 short stories, and I immensely enjoyed them all except for 1. Plus this was the LAST book I needed for EBN 2018. I would definitely read this book again!
July 28, 2019
Charming book of short stories. I read some of these to my Upper Elementary students and then finished reading the rest on my own.
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February 27, 2021haven't read this book in years just thinking about it now because a. lafaye's "testing, testing, 1, 2, 3" is such a perfect encapsulation of one aspect of how adhd is for me lol
July 25, 2021
Good quick read for vacation.
August 9, 2021
Fascinating short stories by numerous well-known authors. A few of the stories are rather creepy, several are heart-warming, all are delightful.
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