  | Junction of Sunshine and Lucky Author: Schindler, Holly | |
| Price: $21.88 | ||
Summary:
Auggie and her grandfather use found objects to transform the appearance of their home and, in the process, change a whole town's perceptions of beauty and art.
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: MG Reading Level: 5.60 Points: 7.0 Quiz: 164821 | Reading Counts Information: Interest Level: 3-5 Reading Level: 6.60 Points: 11.0 Quiz: 63903 | |
Common Core Standards
Grade 4 → Reading → RL Literature → 4.RL Key Ideas & Details
Grade 4 → Reading → RL Literature → 4.RL Craft & Structure
Grade 4 → Reading → RL Literature → Texts Illustrating the Complexity, Quality, & Rang
Grade 5 → Reading → RL Literature → 5.RL Key Ideas & Details
Grade 5 → Reading → RL Literature → 5.RL Craft & Structure
Grade 5 → Reading → RL Literature → 5.RL Range of Reading & Level of Text Complexity
Grade 5 → Reading → RL Literature → Texts Illustrating the Complexity, Quality, & Rang
Grade 6 → Reading → RL Literature → 6.RL Key Ideas & Details
Grade 6 → Reading → RL Literature → 6.RL Craft & Structure
Grade 6 → Reading → RL Literature → 6.RL Range of Reading & Level of Text Complexity
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (12/15/13)
School Library Journal (03/01/14)
Booklist (02/01/14)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (02/14)
Full Text Reviews:
Bulletin for the Center... - 02/01/2014 Auggie Jones desperately wants to discover her shine, because it seems like everybody she knows has a talent: her best friend, Lexie, creates striking hairstyles, neighbor Irma Jean alters rags into stylish clothing, and classmate Weird Harold has a remarkable aptitude for facts and figures. Starting at Dickerson Elementary after her old school closes gives Auggie—named for the grandfather who takes care of her—the perfect chance to discover her own hidden talents. Soon, though, Lexie falls under the spell of resident mean girl Victoria, who makes no attempt to disguise her disdain for Auggie’s masculine name, her grandfather Gus’ work (trash hauling), or Serendipity Place, the neighborhood Auggie has called home all her life. When Victoria and her father, the head of the town’s newly formed House Beautification Committee, target Serendipity Place, residents scurry to meet their requirements as best they can. Determined to save her home, Auggie finds inspiration in the trash hauled by Grampa Gus and in items donated by neighbors, and soon pottery shards, vivid glass, and metal sculptures transform the house’s exterior into a vibrant expression of the love within its walls. In Auggie, Schindler creates a spunky, sympathetic character young readers will engage with and enjoy. Though the voice and even elements of the plot are derivative of DiCamillo’s Because of Winn Dixie (BCCB 6/00), the lively narration is enjoyable, and the diverse cast of characters (Auggie herself is African American, though many in her neighborhood are white) brings meaningful messages of community and self-respect to the fore. Some readers may wish Schindler had provided more detailed descriptions of the sculptures, but aspiring artists and anyone else looking for their shine will appreciate this satisfying portrait of a young girl and her close-knit community. AA - Copyright 2014 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.
Booklist - 02/01/2014 Auggie can’t wait to start school at Dickerson Elementary, a shiny new building in the wealthy part of town. The change promises a chance to discover her “shine,” or talent. But she does not anticipate losing her best friend or having the city’s House Beautification Committee target her working-class neighborhood. Auggie’s idea of community improvements—scrap metal sculptures and handmade stained glass windows—do not meet city approval. Inspired by stories of her mother’s courage, Auggie refuses to back down and finds her “shine” while inspiring the neighborhood to come together. The cast is subtly multicultural, with Auggie comparing her skin to the color of cocoa. She lives with her grandfather, while her mother’s whereabouts are a mystery until the book’s end. The book’s message feels heavy-handed at times, and the pacing is somewhat bogged down with descriptions of sculptures, but Auggie’s emotions ring true, and the reader will cheer for her and her self-made family of neighbors. - Copyright 2014 Booklist.
School Library Journal - 03/01/2014 Gr 4–6—When readers first meet Auggie Jones, she is crammed into Old Glory, her Grandpa Gus's pick-up truck, with her best friend, Lexie, and her neighbor Irma Jean on the way to the local junkyard. Some kids might not enjoy this experience, but Auggie sees the beauty in the way Grandpa Gus turns other people's trash into something new. In addition to the excitement of watching Grandpa Gus at work, the girls are looking forward to starting fifth grade at their new school. Montgomery Elementary, where the girls used to go, is being torn down, so they'll start at Dickerson, a school located in a wealthier neighborhood. The classist attitudes of some of the students begin to make Auggie question, for the first time, the way her family lives. The tension between the kids is brought to a head when the city's House Beautification Committee begins to send notices of code violations and rapidly accruing fines to many homeowners in Auggie's neighborhood. Grandpa Gus and Auggie combat the perception that their house is run-down by using found and discarded materials to make it more beautiful. Some people think the Jones's house is just getting uglier, but others, including some folk-art experts, see beauty in their work. Auggie's rich engagement with her community and willingness to stand up for her beliefs are inspiring, while her struggle to stay true to herself, even when her best friend gets absorbed in the cool crowd at their new school, will resonate with many readers. Some of the secondary characters (including the very bad villain, Victoria) are underdeveloped, but Auggie's own voice is strongly realized and effectively pulls readers into her world.—Gesse Stark-Smith, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR - Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
