Pictures of Hollis Woods is a book about a young girl who is an orphan but whenever she is put into a home she runs. She is a runaway. She does not stay in any home for a long period of time. Until, she was put into a home with an elderly lady who is an artist and relates to Hollis, because she too is an artist. Staying with this lady she thinks back when she stayed at another home that she enjoyed. She just did not stay.

This book was not my favorite. It did have explicit details it just felt as if I could not get into the book as well as others.

In a classroom, we could read the book aloud in class and have a class discussion over what we read that day. Also, we could have the children make up their own questions and talk over it in class.

Hollis is an orphaned girl with an ability to draw and run away. After an incident occurs with a family where she finally feels like she belongs, she runs away unable to deal with the fact that they might not want her anymore. She finds a home with an elderly women who is slowly loosing her memory but has a great artistic talent like Hollis. When social care workers want to take Hollis away to a better suited care giver, Hollis devises a plan to escape. In the end she finds the family that wanted her all along and she finds her family. The authors language is descriptive and paints a picture with it. All while I read I was imagining the story with the authors cues. I think that this would be great to point out to students and encourage them to use their imagination while reading and also to write to encourage imagination. I think it would be great to have students draw scenes from the book which will make a connection with Hollis and also have them remember memorable scenes. ( )

Newbery Honor book I kept picking up and finally read. It's kind of like The Great Gilly Hopkins, only less mature, and a bit like Dear Shrink. I feel that Giff could have used a lot more description to really make this book fleshier. It's still good, but I don't feel that close to Hollis as it's so plot-driven. There are a few good bits of dialog, though. ( )

Hollis is a foster child and an artist. The reader must piece together what has happened to her in another family through flashbacks. Currently Hollis is staying with an elderly woman who has dementia. Very hopeful story about relationships. ( )

In Patricia Reilly Giff's Pictures of Hollis Woods, talented 12-year old foster kid Hollis Woods has made a "career" of sorts running away from her various foster families. On Long Island, her new eccentric guardian Josie, a retired art teacher, is different. Despite her sadness at missing her last foster family the Reagan's, Hollis allows herself to become increasingly attached to Josie. Hollis' affection for Josie, and her growing worries about Josie's forgetfulness, make up the backdrop for this wonderful story of love, loss and regret.

Hollis is a beautifully written character. She is complex and introverted, but by using her talent as an artist, she is ultimately able to overcome her defensiveness and become part of a loving family. The character and plot development keep the reader glued to the book, unable to put it down for even a minute. Pictures of Hollis Woods is a touching story of love and hope that would be a good read for both young and old alike. ( )