The story of a young girls life in rural Virginia after her Aunt Belle goes missing and her cousin Woodrow moves in next door. Woodrow is the same age and has been brought up in a different lifestyle. However, together they become good friends and learn to lean on each other over the fact of Gypsy loosing her father and Woodrow loosing his mother.

This book was a good look at how different relatives can be raised in different cultures. I like the way it keep a mystery alive through the whole book with Gypsy father and Woodrow’s mother. This is a good book on life lessons about feelings.

This book could be used to develop a child’s imagination on how life was like in 1954. Also, the children could use clues in the book to solve the mysteries in the story.

A gentle, moving book about a young girl growing up in rural Virginia in the 1950s, and what happens after her aunt Belle disappears and her cousin Woodrow moves in with her grandparents next door.

There are two mysteries in the book: what happened to Belle Prater? and why does Gypsy have terrible nightmares about a faceless animal? In the course of the book, Woodrow and Gypsy discover the truth about the parents they have lost (his mother, her father) and learn a lot about what it means to grow up.

Review by Ms. DuVall

When Woodrow's mother suddenly disappears, he moves to his grandparents' home in a small Virginia town where he befriends his cousin and together they find the strength to face the terrible losses and fears in their lives. ( )

Kara Baker
Book Reviews
EDCI 4120/5120

White, R. (1996) Belle Prater’s boy. NewYork: Dell

GRADE LEVELS: 6-9

CATEGORY: Historical & Realistic Fiction.

READ-ALOUDS: PP 1-15 Chapter 1, PP 124-133 Chapter 15.

SUMMARY: Woodrow Prater’s mother disappears one night and he comes to live with his grandparents. His cousin, Gypsy, lives next door with her mother and step father. Over the course of the summer they become best friends, and help each other overcome their personal demons.

THEMES:
A major theme in Belle Prater’s Boy is the loss of a parent. Both Woodrow and Gypsy loose a parent due to that parent’s personal choice; and they have to learn to deal with it in their own way. Woodrow tells jokes and makes up stories, Gypsy internalizes her fears and becomes the “perfect little beauty” everyone wants her to be. Together they learn to face the truth of what has happened and to be strong for each other.
A second theme is prejudice. Woodrow is a backwoods boy without the cultured manners and clothing of the town folk. He is picked on by the town bully and looked down upon by the town’s hoity-toity women, but he gets through it with his wit and sense of humor. Gypsy is expected to be the town beauty; a debutant when her time comes. Everyone sees her as they want to see her; they ignore the girl under the gorgeous hair. Showing the real Gypsy takes both a tragic event and real courage.
A third theme is the meaning and cost of beauty. Belle and Love Prater are sisters; but only Love is considered beautiful. Love’s beauty gains her a husband, but costs her her sister. Amos was so in love with his beautiful face that he couldn’t take loosing it in the fire; he had his life and family, but the loss of his face wasn’t worth it. Woodrow’s eyes are crossed and his clothes don’t fit, but his heart and soul are beautiful—his beauty gets overlooked by everyone but his family.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Do you agree with Woodrow’s decision to keep his secret? Would you have done the same? If not, who would you have told?
2. What caused Gypsy’s nightmares? Could she have done anything earlier to stop the bad dreams? Could anyone have helped her?
3. What do you think of Woodrow’s father? Did he do the right thing by letting Woodrow move in with his grandparents?

READER RESPONSE:
I really enjoyed this book. White does and excellent job with characterization and plot flow. The two youngsters in this book are engaging and likeable. The adults are well rounded and believable. I especially liked the idea that there are no perfect people and that adults not only can make mistakes; they can be willing to admit them and move on.

A gentle, moving book about a young girl growing up in rural Virginia in the 1950s, and what happens after her aunt Belle disappears and her cousin Woodrow moves in with her grandparents next door.

There are two mysteries in the book: what happened to Belle Prater? and why does Gypsy have terrible nightmares about a faceless animal? In the course of the book, Woodrow and Gypsy discover the truth about the parents they have lost (his mother, her father) and learn a lot about what it means to grow up. ( )