Memory Bank

by Wallace West

When Hope learns that, while her memory account is seriously low, she is a champion dreamer, she stays at the World Wide Memory Bank trying to locate her sister Honey, whom their parents abandoned and told Hope to forget.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Fiction, Childrens, Juvenile, Family, Graphic Novels

263 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

This weird novel is one of those part-text, part-graphic novel books like The Invention of Hugo Cabret or Travels of Thelonious. It works well in this book; the story moved quickly, and I was intrigued by the action in the pictures. It worked as something of a mystery through the pictures alone. The setting is unusual--a bank which stores and monitors everyone's dreams and memories. It has a dark side--the children in this story are separated by truly cruel parents who are not laughable in light of the Clean Slate Gang of children trying to forget unbearable memories.

An interesting book. It is whimsical, fascinating, and sad in a Dahl sort of way. I am still undecided if my 4th and 5th graders would like it, or get lost trying to follow all the discussions of memories and dreams.

[Karissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got an advanced reading copy of this book through the Amazon Vine program. It looked like a fun book and had excellent reviews. After reading it though I have mixed feelings about it. There were some things I really didn't like and some things I really liked.

When Hope's little sister Honey is abandoned by their terrible parents. Hope falls into a deep depression; she spends long periods of her life sleeping. Then one day a man in a van shows up to take her to the Memory Bank because of a deficiency in her memory bank account. Hope finds herself in a crazy world of memories and dreams; hoping beyond hope that she will find someway back to her sister Honey.

First let's talk about things I liked. This is a very creative book. The idea of a Memory Bank was very interesting and fun. The story alternates between words (mostly Hope's part of the story) and pictures (Honey's part of the story). I really thought that the authors cleverly integrated the pictures and story to create a great overall picture of what was happening. As far as the plot; this story does emphasize how great it is to have love between siblings and for siblings to care about and help each other.

Unfortunately there were a lot of things I didn't like. The story was a bit dark to read to children (and I am the queen of reading dark stories to my kid). The idea of parents abandoning a small child in the middle of the road and of Hope's almost comatose like depression are very dark and serious; and I am not sure a young kid would be ready to deal with those types of things. I get that they were supposed to kind of darkly funny; but the way it was told added a bit too much realism to not take it all seriously. I also got a very yucky feeling when Hope decides to climb in a big white unknown van with some older guy...I was thinking okay...this is sooo not something I want to teach my kid to do. Yup, son, getting into big white vans with a strange man will lead you to a magical world where everyone treats you special...

In addition to the above I thought the story was kind of boring. My son and I started reading it together but it wouldn't hold his attention, so I finished reading it myself and was mainly glad when the story was over with. While the Memory Bank idea was neat, there were a lot of miscellaneous facts about how it worked that were boring. There isn't a ton of action and the story overall is pretty predictable.

Overall, some neat ideas and concepts. I loved how the story was integrated with picture sequences to tell the story. I would read it to older children; it is too dark for younger children and would put some questionable ideas into younger kids' heads. It does tell a positive story about caring and love between sisters; but to be honest some of my son's Franklin books (like Franklin and Harriet) do the same thing. It is not something I would read again and, to be honest, I am glad I got it through Vine and didn't spend money on it.

[Emily S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This month I took it apon myself to reread a book I read when I was younger. I read "the memory bank," by Rob Schepperson. The story starts out as a young girl telling her story about the treatment of her parents. This would include living in the garage and not being fed. One day she takes it apon herself to run away. She goes the risky rout by deciding to hitch hike. She is probably died up but a shipping truck where she meets a pleasant man. He is concerned for the girls sake once she explains her home situation. He takes her to what appears as a convinient store. It's to her surprise a mythical place referred to as a memory bank. She is welcomed with open arms but the people working the bank. Here she learns why people minds work the way they do. That there is a small factory of people piecing together your dreams and why you see your life flash before you eyes when you're dying. What I love about this book is the young girl reminds me a little of myself , I also feel that the imagination behind this book is amazing. What I didn't like is that it makes you over think everything. Overall I would recommend this book.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very clever—both the idea for the story and the mix of text and illustrations.

[Kerfe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Indeed a strange premise for a book--parents abandon younger sibling by the side of the road, older sibling goes into mourning and dreams her way into a reunion (sans parents).

And yet familiar, as familiar as a fairy tale. Harsher and harder to believe than Hansel and Gretel? Rapunzel? The Little Match Girl?

Clearly this ancient form speaks to all humans, even and especially the young.

A picture book that owes as much to the parallel stories of the illustrated segments as to the more usual word-with-illustrations chapters that alternate, Coman and Shepperson literally draw you into their world of memory and dream.

The orphan, the wicked step/parents, the abandoned child, are all part of our literary history (think Harry Potter). Most of us will eventually be orphaned at some point in our lives, and it doesn't feel any better at age 60. How do we preserve and connect with what has been lost?

We know that the memory loss of Alzheimer's profoundly alters the person we have always known. What does it mean to forget? Should we discard incomplete memories? Is forgetting a kind of abandonment? What is the price we pay when the memory of someone or something no longer exists? Are those who forget as lost and altered as those forgotten?

And just where DO dreams and memories and real life and truth and wishing overlap, connect, meet? What really matters here? Is metaphor sometimes the best option? "Was she dreaming or remembering or was it actually happening?"

These are valid questions for all ages.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slightly surreal, almost fable-like exploration of memories and dreams from a young perspective, intrinsically acknowledging that the only precious thing some people have is memories while others have a legitimate need to forget everything, and that no one should stop making new memories.

This has one of the all-time great horrible beginnings with hall-of-fame awful parents. The story starts with little sister Honey getting kicked out of the car for laughing, which is not allowed, and abandoned. When older sister Hope protests, their parents tell her to--literally--"forget her."

Hope (not allowed out of the house) responds by spending all of her time sleeping until she is picked up in the middle of the night by a kindly delivery driver and taken to the World Wide Memory Bank, where she is celebrated for amassing such a huge collection of dreams and berated for a lack of memory deposits. The oddness progresses from there.

While I can see how this might not be everyone's cup of tea, I loved it.

[Shane · Rating 4 out of 5]

wow, I really enjoyed this story. I was not expecting the combined visual and narrative telling of the story. This was certainly a pleasant surprise. The two were interwoven very well...so as to draw me further into the story.
I am so excited to say that the first book I won through goodreads was such a joy to read and experience. Although this is a book for children (older children), it was immensely pleasurable for an adult. the story deals with mature themes, in a manner appropriate for the older child reader, and in a way that also appeals to an adult. Well Done. and thank you goodreads.

[Ishanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've heard great things about this book and I'm glad I've won it through goodreads "first reads" giveaways! Can't wait to read this to my niece!!! :)

UPDATE!

I finished this book today. It was definitely a good read for children. I only had a problem with the way the parents were described in the novel. However, I appreciate that the story gave the impression that anyone could have a good ending despite the battles they fight in life.

[Josh Newhouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

one part Matilda, one part Phantom Tollbooth, with heart and whimsy... this was a nice read... however, reading an ARC I feel like the drawings were hard to follow, and those drawings were a big part of the story... if the final drawings were clearer 4 stars, if not 3 stars... not sure if kids will appreciate it.

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

En underfundig bok där det krävs att man som läsare både kan läsa text, tolka bilder och läsa mellan raderna. Boken vore bra att använda när man i skolan övar sig på läs- och textförståelse och att tolka.

[Shoshana G · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. This was a little twee for my tastes. Hope and Honey’s horrible parents abandon Honey and order Hope to forget her sister, but she can’t. Hope ends up at the World Wide Memory bank, where she is a champion dreamer and is ordered to start making more memories, as they fear she’s been interfered with by the Clean Slate Gang. It has a mix of illustrations and text which has a lot of kid appeal, but I just found it to be too silly.

[Maggie Siler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inside Out collides with rebellious, abandoned children. With forgetters vs remembers and lobeglobes (memory marbles), the World Wide Memory Bank is a fun little world to hop into with Hope while she learns all about the Memory Bank and searches for Honey.

Super cute, middle grade read that I picked up at a second hand store to fulfill a graphic novel requirement on the 40 book challenge at the middle school where I work!

[Rowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book on a total whim and was surprised at how charmed I was by it! it was honestly delightful.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I FOUND IT!!!!

[Alison Jacques · Rating 5 out of 5]

My almost-8-year-old and I both loved this book. I've never seen illustrations used this way -- as a narrative segue between written chapters. Recommend!

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read with a surprise ending

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun crazy adventure told half with text and half with pictures. A great book for kids of any age.

[Tara Jolley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sort of a mix of Matilda and Inside Out. Sad, Happy, and quick read. Recommend reading

[Ariel · Rating 5 out of 5]

the epitome of nostalgia

[Aria · Rating 4 out of 5]

had a great ending really satisfied me!

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's hard to tell, in some ways, if this was a book better suited for a run at the Caldecott or Newbery Medal. Author Carolyn Coman has amassed a few Newbery credentials from her past writing, most notably in the form of the 1996 Newbery Honor book What Jamie Saw, but The Memory Bank is really told with equal parts text and pictures, making it a legit candidate for some real Caldecott notice.

The story is a departure from much of what Carolyn Coman has been known for writing; that is, realistic fiction dealing with matters of child abuse and the psychology of fear in preadolescents. The Memory Bank is a fairly light fantasy story with a sort of Roald Dahl sensibility about it, though it does carve out time for a more serous moment or two, as well.

Hope is a girl belonging, along with her younger sister, Honey, to parents who have no more business raising children than the Wormwoods did in Roald Dahl's Matilda. After repeated warnings by the parents that laughter (yes, laughter) will not be tolerated, Honey is left all alone by the side of the road. Distraught, Hope wants to find her sister and bring her home, but her parents order her to forget about Honey. She's a girl who broke the rules, after all, and used up all of her second chances.

Weighed down by the prospects of her dismal future as it now looks, Hope decides that it would be best to just give up on life and take to bed, where she can at least be reunited with Honey occasionally in the sanctuary of her dreams. Hope remains in bed all the time, which is fine by her neglectful parents, but this sudden imbalance in her life catches the attention of the World Wide Memory Bank (WWMB), an organization devoted to maintaining the balance between making new memories and meditating upon the old within the confines of one's dreams. The WWMB sends a chauffeur, of sorts, to bring Hope in for questioning to their amazing storehouse building of all the memories and dreams in the world. Here, for the first time in her life, Hope finds adults who really care about her, who use kind words to describe her personal attributes instead of the neverending negativity that she had always received from her unloving parents.

Hope's journey to find her beloved lost sister has just begun, but as she walks the halls of her own memories, as well as those of every other person who has ever walked the planet, Hope learns that her sister may not be as far away as she had feared. The equal powers of dreams and memories can bring her and her sister back together, if Hope is willing to give another shot at living life...

It's amazing how a person who has been torn down all of his or her life can convalesce so quickly and so completely when finally surrounded by nurturers instead of antagonists. This is the kind of healing that Hope begins to experience in The Memory Bank, and it really is an encouragement to the heart to read about it. A soul with even a little bit of hope remaining inside can still be cleaned of the badness that it has been forced to endure, and be filled anew with the positive energy of real love. If one keeps on trying to find something good about life, then one will always retain that tiny amount of necessary hope somewhere within oneself.

The Memory Bank is a nice story with terrific drawings, and I would certainly recommend it. I might give two and a half stars to this book.

[Kae · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for intermediate readers. The grammar is fairly simple but there's some big vocabulary.

The story is as fantastical as it is realistic, which should be fun for a kid in upper elementary.

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story revolves around the strong bond and love between two sisters, Hope and Honey. Their deep connection is understandable due to their difficult living situation having had the misfortune of being born to extremely selfish and neglectful parents. Since the two sisters are never sure when their parents will put their lives in danger, Hope gives her younger sister, Honey, a whistle that Honey can use to call upon Hope whenever she is in need of help. The cruelty of the parents is displayed within the first few pages, as they kick Honey out of the car for laughing, leaving the little girl on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. Hope's desperate cries for her parents to turn around go unheard. Instead, her parents tell Hope to "Forget her." And so begins Hope's depression, as she takes to her sleep and dreams for solace. Consequently, Hope's large imbalance of memories to dreams sweeps her off to the World Wide Memory Bank (WWMB), and perhaps one step closer to finding her little sister. "The Memory Bank" is done in the style of "The Invention of Hugo Cabret." Pen, ink, and pencil interior illustrations are used to further the story along, not just to highlight the content of the text. Hope's trials and tribulations at the WWMB are written out, while Honey's shenanigans with the Clean Slate Gang (CSG) are shown to readers through illustrations. This merger of art and text is done well, with beautifully expressive illustrations. The story is set in a sort of fantasy-esque world, not unlike Dahl's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," and the story has a sweetness about it, but even accounting for all that, I still would not recommend this book to anyone. I felt no tension or suspense in Hope's search and rescue of her little sister, due to the fact that Hope spent most of her time simply longing for her sister rather than actively going out and looking for Honey. Furthermore, although the book is meant to have a highly imagined world, I did not feel the writing effectively created a vivid fantasy world. Essentially, the plot and the characters just felt very simple, too simple to make any real impact on my memory. In the end, "The Memory Bank" was pretty good, but I wouldn't go out of my way to get my hands on it.

[Leslie Preddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Carolyn Coman and illustrator Rob Shepperson have partnered to create a deceptively deep and complex novel of unconditional love, belonging and family. Shepperson’s pen, ink and pencil illustrations are in no way superfluous, but importantly described pieces of the story not told within the text. Reminiscent of classic children’s literature, Hope and Honey’s parents are emotionally absent, causing the sisters to build a deeply close and loving bond. In this fantastical tale, Hope takes care of her little sister’s daily care and protects her sister from her uncaring parents until one day their aggravated parents abandon little Honey by the side of the road. They decide to forget Honey ever existed, even giving away all of her things, and encourage Hope to do the same. Hope cannot and does not want to forget. She struggles every day to keep her memories of Honey alive and dreams of being reunited with her sister. Eventually, she is taken to Memory Hall where she meets the Everlasting Memory caretaker, the Guardian of the Dream Vault, and other characters who show Hope attention and acceptance for the first time in her young life. There she learns about the government’s collection of memories and dreams and the sabotaging Clean Slate Gang let by Tabula Rasa. All ends happily ever after with Hope and Honey reunited, along with a few other happy reunions and a new sense of belonging and what constitutes a family. Illustrations are interspersed throughout to tell pieces of the tale from others’ perspectives and Honey’s dreams. This is a cautionary take thick with multiple layers of meaning and some challenging words combined with the worlds’ special terminology and will challenge readers with its intellectual depth.

[Melanie Au · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hope must have some of the meanest parents in the history of parenthood. When her sister, Honey, breaks the "no laughing rule" enforced by her parents, Honey is left at the side of the road and Hope is told to forget her sister forever. Upon returning home, her parents throw out Honey's mattress, sell her clothes and toys to passing strangers and set the dinner table for three. Feeling helpless and depressed, Hope restorts to hiding in her bedroom (she's forced to live in the garage) and sleeping all the time.
All this changes when a strange man arrives at Hope's house and tells her she is wanted by the "World Wide Memory Bank". Seeing that her parents don't want her anyway, Hope decides to leave home for the Memory Bank in hopes that she somehow will find her sister. It is there that she discovers an entire world she never knew existed -- the storage of memories, collection of dreams, and the rebellious Clean Slate Gang. But will Hope ever find her sister?
This story alternates between text and illustrations (which I liked quite a bit), with the text relating events happening to Hope and illustrations revealing what is happening to Honey. While the writing was pretty good and the story was intriguing, the author never provides an explanation for the collection of memories and dreams -- and I found myself continuously asking why things were happening as they were. I think the reason for the lack of clear explanation is because the story is meant to be metaphorical - touching on themes of the importance of remembrance and dreaming, the danger of forgetting ... but I am not sure kids will be aware of this and might just find the story confusing.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another sibling story. An older sister & a younger sister with a strong bond: memory. The opening chapter reveals a family car ride during which the parents drop off the youngest sister on the side of the road and leave her there because she blew a big bubble gum bubble in the car and made a mess. "Forget about her." they said to her sister as they drove away, and she watched through the back window as her sister became smaller and smaller. That opening scene made me gasp! But as the story moves along you understand more clearly that this is a different world - this isn't reality, it's clearly fantasy - and so it's a little easier to take. There are some fantastical scenarios and creations (the Memory Bank in particular)in this story that are fun to visualize, and there is plenty of emotion to relate to as the sisters try to get back together (which they do in the end much to my satisfaction and relief - whew!). I found myself trying to tie it all together neatly because I didn't feel like the author did that for me. There is lots of symbolism and allegorical spins but it wasn't neat and tidy so that left me a little disatisfied. I don't think kids will care about that so much, though. One interesting and fun aspect of the book is the way the younger (abandoned) sister's story is shown in graphic format with no words. These segments are sandwiched between the chapters in text that tell the older sister's story. So, as readers we aren't left wondering, "but but what about the poor little sister? - where is she? - what's happening to her?" We get to know this through the illustrations.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Theresa L. Stowell for TeensReadToo.com

Hope and Honey Scroggins have terrible parents. Their parents are so bad that it's no surprise to Hope when they leave tiny little Honey at the side of the road. "Just forget her" is the constant refrain from the adult members of the Scroggins family, who sell off Honey's belongings and take over their children's room. Hope is crushed and retreats into sleep to escape the heartbreak of her sister's loss.

But sleeping all of the time means that Hope isn't building any real life memories, so the Memory Bank sends a notice to Hope telling her that she has a deficit in her memory deposits. Though she doesn't understand the letter, Hope cherishes her first letter and hides it under her cot in the garage before going back to sleep to dream about Honey. A short time later, Mr. Obleratta shows up to take her to the WWMB, the World Wide Memory Bank.

Hope's adventure truly begins as she is placed on a conveyor belt and sent into the WWMD to justify why she is dreaming more than living. Within the WWMD, Hope meets all kinds of people and experiences positive adult relationships for the first time.

This is an enchanting story of two little girls whose love for each other ties them together despite separation and different experiences. Coman's narrative about Hope's adventure is interspersed with Shepperson's series of delightful illustrations that tell Honey's story. THE MEMORY BANK is an enjoyable experience that would work great for young readers, for classrooms, or family discussions.

[Jessica Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

via Cracking the Cover
ife hasn’t been easy for Hope Scroggins. In fact, the positive thing about it is her sister, Honey. The girls’ parents are awful. They’re so awful that one day, they just dump Honey on the side of the road.

“Forget Her,” Hope’s parents say as they drive away in a cloud of dust. But how do you forget the best thing in your life? Hope misses her sister so much she becomes depressed. All she does is sleep and dream. She sleeps so much that before long, her parents forget about her, too.

What Hope doesn’t know is that by sleeping all the time, she’s not making any memories

Memory-making is a serious business. Just ask the officials at the World Wide Memory Bank if you don’t believe me. Hope’s accounts are practically nonexistent, and they’ve come to the bank’s attention. Something must be done to fix the disparity and, Hope is whisked away to the land of memories.

The memory bank is full of wonders. There, dreams and memories are recorded, filed and kept safe. It’s a magical place, but there’s a group out to destroy the bank and everything it contains. It’s up to Hope to save the world’s memories and her sister.

“The Memory Bank” is a delightful book full of imagination. Told in a combination of text by Carolyn Coman and drawings by Rob Shepperson, it calls to mind work by Rhoald Dahl, particularly “Matilda.” There’s a buoyant rhythm and balance that plays throughout, making this a fun and energetic read.

[Becky Birtha · Rating 5 out of 5]

After Hope Scroggins's beloved little sister Honey is abandoned by their parents on the side of a road, Hope's life becomes so devoid of love, affection, or interest in anything, that she is picked up from the garage where she now sleeps, and taken to the World Wide Memory Bank, due to concern about her memory deficit-- she's simply stopped producing them. Though this story is purely fantasy, there's plenty of truth running through it. I was intrigued and amused by the ideas it introduced, such as the rebel Clean Slate Gang (with a leader calling herself Tabby, short for Tabula Rasa, who believes memories are better forgotten), and the categorization of first memories, everlasting memories, run-of-the-mill daily memories, and final moment flashbacks. Hope's a plucky heroine who goes from being a victim to being able to stand up for herself.

Two other books came to mind-- Kate Di Camillo's The Magician's Elephant, also a fantasy involving two siblings trying to find each other again, and The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. As in Hugo Cabret, nearly half the story (Honey's half) is told in pictures-- fascinating pencil and pen and ink drawings with intricate details of Hope's dreams, the fantastical memory bank and, reminiscent of J.M. Barrie's lost boys, the motley crew of kids whose parents have forgotten them. Apparently reviews are mixed, but I really enjoyed this book!

[Kellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought I'd let Megan give the first review of the book. My review follows hers.

Megan's Review:

I really liked this book. I like the funny things about it. It was kind of sad when Hope lost Honey. I liked Hope got candy, it made me hungry for candy! It was kind of exciting when Hope's garage opened and she was taken to the Memory Bank.


Kellie's Review:

This book was really different from most children's books. The closest I can think of would be Lemony Snicket's series, but even then there are major differences. I LOVED that the author used amazing illustrations to move the story along.

There are two sisters, Hope and Honey, and they have terrible parents that are kind of in the same vein as parents in Roald Dahl's books. They kick Honey out of the car one day and leave her on the side of the road, telling Hope to forget her. The rest of the book is Hope's adventure of trying to get her sister back because she is unable and unwilling to just forget the sister she loves.

The Memory Bank stores the strongest memories and also, memies (someone's first memory). Hope is taken there when her memory account drops too low. I loved the characters at the bank, from the man in charge of memories, to the woman of the dreams area, to the women who pick through the memories, they were all fun.

It's an awesome story and one that has an unexpected, but happy ending.