

|
Loading... Dicey's Song (original 1982; edition 1982)by Cynthia Voigt
Work detailsDicey's Song by Cynthia Voigt (1982)
None. Barbara Caruso's lovely narration brought some depth to these characters- made the prickly Tillerman women a little more accessible. I liked the story, I enjoyed listening to it after having read it some time ago, but it's still a sad story. ( )Book Two of the Tillerman Cycle, which follows Dicey, her siblings, and Gram as they sort out how to be a family together and deal with the difficulties life keeps throwing at them (as life is wont to do). Simply excellent. If not quite as bowl-you-over brilliant as Homecoming, still a worthy follow-up and deserving of many rereads. Recommended to everyone. Wonderful book. Great for young readers. Looking forward to reading others in this series Dicey is such an interesting character - self-assured, strong, smart. This book is full of people learning to trust each other, to reach out and not give up on relationships. There is grief but there is also grace in this story. Dicey’s Song, the second installment in the Tillerman series, tells the story of the four Tillerman children’s adjustment to their new life living with their widowed grandmother, Abigail Tillerman, whom they just met. In the previous book, Homecoming, the children were abandoned by their mother who was suffering from mental illness and this story picks up where Homecoming leaves off and focuses on the eldest, Dicey, and her struggles to find acceptance and security. I was drawn to the author’s description of Dicey’s emotional struggle with allowing the grandmother to become the primary caretaker of her siblings, which had been Dicey’s job for so long. Classroom extensions include having the students to write an essay explaining the significance of the book’s title, Dicey’s Song. Another extension would be to use words from the book as the vocabulary words of the week.
Ann Philips (Children's Literature) In the second book of Voigt's "Tillerman family" cycle, Dicey and her younger brothers and sister settle in with their grandmother on a stark homestead by the Chesapeake Bay. Their mother remains unresponsive in a Boston psychiatric hospital. Dicey is confused about where she fits into the family now that Gram has taken over responsibility for the youngsters, but she soon learns that the family still needs her resourcefulness and solid good sense. Dicey and Gram steady one another as each reaches out, breaking Tillerman tradition. Gram is a hard, proud woman who has lived to regret her isolation and the scattering of her children. Gram makes overtures to town folk and her world expands. Dicey tries to remain aloof at school, but neither Jeff the musician nor the forceful Mina relents until Dicey allows them into her circle of caring. In her spare time, Dicey is restoring a derelict sailboat, meticulously sanding down layers of old paint. Metaphorically, her emotional defenses wear away as she slowly opens to hope, friendship, expressive writing, and finally to an acceptance of her mother's death. When Gram and Dicey bring her mother's ashes home, the broken family is nearly healed. Written in fine, spare prose, this outstanding Newbery Medal winner belongs in every school and community library collection. Readers will be eager to pick up the rest of the series. 2003 (orig. 1982), Aladdin/Simon and Schuster, $5.99. Ages 10 to 14. Is contained in
References to this work on external resources.
|
Google Books — Loading...
Popular coversRatingAverage: (4.01)
Is this you?Become a LibraryThing Author. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||