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Circle of Giving
When twelve-year-old Marguerite moves to Los Angeles in the late 1920s, she suddenly becomes shy, withdrawn, and ill at ease with other children until a girl with cerebral palsy moves in across the street.
Library Binding
First published April 1, 1984
22 people want to read
About the author
Ellen Howard
28 books10 followersChildren sometimes ask, "Do you write about your own life?" I have to answer that I do not. The reason is simple: My own life is boring. Yet I would not trade it for anyone else's.
I grew up in a large and loving family--parents, grandparents, and three children all under the same roof, a big white house in Portland, Oregon. At school, I was able, but not brilliant. I liked to draw. I liked to play pretend. I liked dolls, too, right through eighth grade, and only fear of what others would say made me give them up then.
Most of all, I loved to read! And I dreamed of a time when, a grown-up married lady with thirteen children, I would write books.
But childhood dreams have a way of getting lost. It was not until I was in my mid-thirties, after marriage, a child, divorce, and remarriage, that I was able to complete college. By then, my family included not only my daughter Beth, but my husband's daughters, Cynthia, Laurie, and Shaley.
It was in college that an important thing happened. I rediscovered stories and remembered my dream of writing them. My first published book was a story for children (CIRCLE OF GIVING, 1984).
Since then, our daughters have grown up. Now we have seven grandchildren. I work at home, writing. I speak at schools. I teach writing. I give speeches to teachers, librarians, and others. But most of the time, I am at home, gardening, cooking, washing, and ironing . . . and writing.
I know my life sounds boring, but for me it is filled with all the adventure, excitement and drama I can find and make in books. To me it is the best kind of life!
I grew up in a large and loving family--parents, grandparents, and three children all under the same roof, a big white house in Portland, Oregon. At school, I was able, but not brilliant. I liked to draw. I liked to play pretend. I liked dolls, too, right through eighth grade, and only fear of what others would say made me give them up then.
Most of all, I loved to read! And I dreamed of a time when, a grown-up married lady with thirteen children, I would write books.
But childhood dreams have a way of getting lost. It was not until I was in my mid-thirties, after marriage, a child, divorce, and remarriage, that I was able to complete college. By then, my family included not only my daughter Beth, but my husband's daughters, Cynthia, Laurie, and Shaley.
It was in college that an important thing happened. I rediscovered stories and remembered my dream of writing them. My first published book was a story for children (CIRCLE OF GIVING, 1984).
Since then, our daughters have grown up. Now we have seven grandchildren. I work at home, writing. I speak at schools. I teach writing. I give speeches to teachers, librarians, and others. But most of the time, I am at home, gardening, cooking, washing, and ironing . . . and writing.
I know my life sounds boring, but for me it is filled with all the adventure, excitement and drama I can find and make in books. To me it is the best kind of life!
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 27, 2023
Very Good! A story about how despite appearances, we’re all a little different and a little the same.
December 27, 2023
I loved this book growing up, when I saw it through the eyes of the narrator, 9-year-old Jeannie, who along with her family has left their home in Oregon for a new community in Southern California in the 1920s. Her older sister, Marguerite, was always popular and accomplished at home, but now she seems lost. An unusual family moves into the house across the street, and a friendship blossoms which transforms the entire neighborhood. The story spans most of a year, culminating at Christmas time. Reading it tonight, it got me square in the feels! I identified with Jeannie's mother, and I especially identified with Mrs. Hanisian! It's so hard to be a special needs momma these days, but it would have been so much harder in the past when there was less understanding and no support. Such a beautiful, well-told story!!! I love this book.
October 25, 2021
Sweet little story. Seemed more poignant because we just moved.
June 26, 2016
Review also published on rosalyncaar.com
I’m sure it means well.
Yep. That’s about the nicest thing I can say about this preachy bit of fluff.
Maybe this is a general problem I have with novels. But, for god’s sake stop beating me over the head with your moralistic crap.
I get it, there’s a kid that has a disability and we need to respect that and also at the same time build communities. But for goodness sake this struck me as melted marshmallow over a very real problem. It’s like the author had something she wanted to say, to talk about, to make kids understand more about, and then wrote a story around it. It seems fake.
Other than that, it’s a cute little story about two sisters, who moved to a perfectly perfect new block of houses in California. In the 1920s. Because it’s historical you get all these weird references to time specific movie stars and recipes. Blah.
This was a chore to read. Oh, it’s only a hundred pages, it shouldn’t be too bad. That’s what I thought. In reality it was hard to hear the whiny main character come to terms with a paraplegic in the neighborhood and have everything turn out so grand.
I’m sure it means well.
Yep. That’s about the nicest thing I can say about this preachy bit of fluff.
Maybe this is a general problem I have with novels. But, for god’s sake stop beating me over the head with your moralistic crap.
I get it, there’s a kid that has a disability and we need to respect that and also at the same time build communities. But for goodness sake this struck me as melted marshmallow over a very real problem. It’s like the author had something she wanted to say, to talk about, to make kids understand more about, and then wrote a story around it. It seems fake.
Other than that, it’s a cute little story about two sisters, who moved to a perfectly perfect new block of houses in California. In the 1920s. Because it’s historical you get all these weird references to time specific movie stars and recipes. Blah.
This was a chore to read. Oh, it’s only a hundred pages, it shouldn’t be too bad. That’s what I thought. In reality it was hard to hear the whiny main character come to terms with a paraplegic in the neighborhood and have everything turn out so grand.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews