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December Stillness
Sensitive and idealistic fifteen-year-old Kelly McAllister feels at odds with everyone around her. Her best friend has suddenly turned boy crazy. Her talented mother creates greeting card designs instead of real art, and her father never talks to her about anything except working hard and getting ahead.
That's why Kelly becomes so involved in the plight of a homeless Vietnam vet who takes refuge in the library each day. Interviewing him began as a Social Studies project, but it takes on new meaning after her offers of food and friendship backfire into a real disaster. What had the war done to destroy this man? And what had it done to her own father, who had been to the same war... and refuses to speak of it?
That's why Kelly becomes so involved in the plight of a homeless Vietnam vet who takes refuge in the library each day. Interviewing him began as a Social Studies project, but it takes on new meaning after her offers of food and friendship backfire into a real disaster. What had the war done to destroy this man? And what had it done to her own father, who had been to the same war... and refuses to speak of it?
181 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1988
12 people are currently reading
531 people want to read
About the author
Mary Downing Hahn
71 books4,390 followersI grew up in a small shingled house down at the end of Guilford Road in College Park, Maryland. Our block was loaded with kids my age. We spent hours outdoors playing "Kick the Can" and "Mother, May I" as well as cowboy and outlaw games that usually ended in quarrels about who shot whom. In the summer, we went on day long expeditions into forbidden territory -- the woods on the other side of the train tracks, the creek that wound its way through College Park, and the experimental farm run by the University of Maryland.
In elementary school, I was known as the class artist. I loved to read and draw but I hated writing reports. Requirements such as outlines, perfect penmanship, and following directions killed my interest in putting words on paper. All those facts -- who cared what the principal products of Chile were? To me, writing reports was almost as boring as math.
Despite my dislike of writing, I loved to make up stories. Instead of telling them in words, I told them in pictures. My stories were usually about orphans who ran away and had the sort of exciting adventures I would have enjoyed if my mother hadn't always interfered.
When I was in junior high school, I developed an interest in more complex stories. I wanted to show how people felt, what they thought, what they said. For this, I needed words. Although I wasn't sure I was smart enough, I decided to write and illustrate children's books when I grew up. Consequently, at the age of thirteen, I began my first book. Small Town Life was about a girl named Susan, as tall and skinny and freckle faced as I was. Unlike her shy, self conscious creator, however, Susan was a leader who lived the life I wanted to live -- my ideal self, in other words. Although I never finished Small Town Life, it marked the start of a lifelong interest in writing.
In high school, I kept a diary. In college, I wrote poetry and short stories and dreamed of being published in The New Yorker. Unfortunately, I didn't have the courage or the confidence to send anything there.
By the time my first novel was published, I was 41 years old. That's how long it took me to get serious about writing. The Sara Summer took me a year to write, another year to find a publisher, and yet another year of revisions before Clarion accepted it.
Since Sara appeared in 1979, I've written an average of one book a year. If I have a plot firmly in mind when I begin, the writing goes fairly quickly. More typically, I start with a character or a situation and only a vague idea of what's going to happen. Therefore, I spend a lot of time revising and thinking things out. If I'd paid more attention to the craft of outlining back in elementary school, I might be a faster writer, but, on the other hand, if I knew everything that was going to happen in a story, I might be too bored to write it down. Writing is a journey of discovery. That's what makes it so exciting.
In elementary school, I was known as the class artist. I loved to read and draw but I hated writing reports. Requirements such as outlines, perfect penmanship, and following directions killed my interest in putting words on paper. All those facts -- who cared what the principal products of Chile were? To me, writing reports was almost as boring as math.
Despite my dislike of writing, I loved to make up stories. Instead of telling them in words, I told them in pictures. My stories were usually about orphans who ran away and had the sort of exciting adventures I would have enjoyed if my mother hadn't always interfered.
When I was in junior high school, I developed an interest in more complex stories. I wanted to show how people felt, what they thought, what they said. For this, I needed words. Although I wasn't sure I was smart enough, I decided to write and illustrate children's books when I grew up. Consequently, at the age of thirteen, I began my first book. Small Town Life was about a girl named Susan, as tall and skinny and freckle faced as I was. Unlike her shy, self conscious creator, however, Susan was a leader who lived the life I wanted to live -- my ideal self, in other words. Although I never finished Small Town Life, it marked the start of a lifelong interest in writing.
In high school, I kept a diary. In college, I wrote poetry and short stories and dreamed of being published in The New Yorker. Unfortunately, I didn't have the courage or the confidence to send anything there.
By the time my first novel was published, I was 41 years old. That's how long it took me to get serious about writing. The Sara Summer took me a year to write, another year to find a publisher, and yet another year of revisions before Clarion accepted it.
Since Sara appeared in 1979, I've written an average of one book a year. If I have a plot firmly in mind when I begin, the writing goes fairly quickly. More typically, I start with a character or a situation and only a vague idea of what's going to happen. Therefore, I spend a lot of time revising and thinking things out. If I'd paid more attention to the craft of outlining back in elementary school, I might be a faster writer, but, on the other hand, if I knew everything that was going to happen in a story, I might be too bored to write it down. Writing is a journey of discovery. That's what makes it so exciting.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
July 1, 2018
I apologize in advance for this rant but...
This book was actually the book with the most annoying main character of all time. I have never wanted to chuck a book at a wall this much ever. I had to read this for school so I had to push through this book and it was terrible. This book had great potential. It had a serious tone to it- the trauma that soldiers go through during war. It’s not something to kid about. Throughout the book the main character pressures her dad to talk about the war even though it’s very clear that he’s uncomfortable and wants to broach the subject much more gently. But she doesn’t care, she wants answers and it’s so annoying and rude. Also, aside from that, throughout the book she’s bashing people for liking the suburbs. Like what did the suburbs ever do to you!!! She thinks she’s so above other people like “how can you people like the suburbs nothing ever happens you’re all so lame” like stoppppp. At one point she like yells at her mom and I’m like could you not!!!??? This main character was so annoying that it took away from the overall message about what the war did to young soldiers. I couldn’t really think about how meaningful the message was when the narrator made me want to scream.
Ok I’m done my rant. Srry if I’m a bit harsh 🤷🏼♀️
This book was actually the book with the most annoying main character of all time. I have never wanted to chuck a book at a wall this much ever. I had to read this for school so I had to push through this book and it was terrible. This book had great potential. It had a serious tone to it- the trauma that soldiers go through during war. It’s not something to kid about. Throughout the book the main character pressures her dad to talk about the war even though it’s very clear that he’s uncomfortable and wants to broach the subject much more gently. But she doesn’t care, she wants answers and it’s so annoying and rude. Also, aside from that, throughout the book she’s bashing people for liking the suburbs. Like what did the suburbs ever do to you!!! She thinks she’s so above other people like “how can you people like the suburbs nothing ever happens you’re all so lame” like stoppppp. At one point she like yells at her mom and I’m like could you not!!!??? This main character was so annoying that it took away from the overall message about what the war did to young soldiers. I couldn’t really think about how meaningful the message was when the narrator made me want to scream.
Ok I’m done my rant. Srry if I’m a bit harsh 🤷🏼♀️
January 10, 2026
This book irritated me. Hahn essentially rehashed the premise from "Daphne's Book" which told the story of a sensitive and insecure girl who tries to befriend a female classmate living in poverty while completing a school assignment. In "December Stillness" we get all that and so much more that renders the novel a hopeless mess.
Kelly McAllister is a typical eighth-grader. She doesn't like school, her friendships are complicated, and she has a very distant relationship with her father. This much was believable if not tiring. She's on the verge of failing a social studies class unless she gets an A on her final paper for which she decides to write about homelessness. To give her paper just the right punch, she tries to interview a homeless man who hangs around the public library to stay warm when the weather is cold. The homeless man, Mr. Weems, tells Kelly he just wants to be left alone. From there, Hahn devotes more than 100 pages to Kelly's multiple attempts to try speaking to Mr. Weems all the while learning from the library's staff that he was a Vietnam vet (just like Kelly's father), may have been a heroin user, and may even be living with PTSD. The latter two may only be hearsay, but Vietnam ultimately removes the story (and Kelly) so far from the theme of homelessness that I can't help but wonder if Hahn herself was lost in her own messy little book. I can only assume so for Kelly ultimately divides her time between stalking (yes, stalking) a man who wants nothing to do with her and arguing with her father who prefers not to speak of his own days in Vietnam. The book's brevity is a small comfort, but leaves too many questions such as if Kelly wanted to write about homelessness, why doesn't she interview a person who wants to speak to her; why doesn't Kelly just write about Vietnam instead of pestering Mr. Weems; or (more importantly) how did Kelly manage to crank out so much as a paragraph for her paper when her actions in the book wouldn't qualify as research?
I must hand it to Hahn that her prose is readable and Kelly is as believable as any naive and idealistic young adult would be, but the story itself has no real direction.
Kelly McAllister is a typical eighth-grader. She doesn't like school, her friendships are complicated, and she has a very distant relationship with her father. This much was believable if not tiring. She's on the verge of failing a social studies class unless she gets an A on her final paper for which she decides to write about homelessness. To give her paper just the right punch, she tries to interview a homeless man who hangs around the public library to stay warm when the weather is cold. The homeless man, Mr. Weems, tells Kelly he just wants to be left alone. From there, Hahn devotes more than 100 pages to Kelly's multiple attempts to try speaking to Mr. Weems all the while learning from the library's staff that he was a Vietnam vet (just like Kelly's father), may have been a heroin user, and may even be living with PTSD. The latter two may only be hearsay, but Vietnam ultimately removes the story (and Kelly) so far from the theme of homelessness that I can't help but wonder if Hahn herself was lost in her own messy little book. I can only assume so for Kelly ultimately divides her time between stalking (yes, stalking) a man who wants nothing to do with her and arguing with her father who prefers not to speak of his own days in Vietnam. The book's brevity is a small comfort, but leaves too many questions such as if Kelly wanted to write about homelessness, why doesn't she interview a person who wants to speak to her; why doesn't Kelly just write about Vietnam instead of pestering Mr. Weems; or (more importantly) how did Kelly manage to crank out so much as a paragraph for her paper when her actions in the book wouldn't qualify as research?
I must hand it to Hahn that her prose is readable and Kelly is as believable as any naive and idealistic young adult would be, but the story itself has no real direction.
November 9, 2009
This is another book that isn't a 3, but not quite a 4. Through much of the book, I had to fight the sigh of resignation that comes from reading the typical teen book where the protagonist is mad at the world, spends much of the book feeling sorry for herself, and rationalizing why it's OK to shrug off school. The end of the book found me with tears running down my face.
December Stillness is another book where the author uses fiction to address the societal ills of the world. In this case the protagonist deals with immature, giggly friends, a distant father, an artist mother who has sold out her talent to the greeting card world, and who is personally frustrated with the futility of her life.
In the process of finding a topic for a research paper, our 9th grade protagonist chooses to focus on the life of a homeless Viet Nam vet. She comes up against the normal stereotypes and reactions towards the homeless and in the process of trying to get to know the vet learns about post traumatic stress disorder. She learns many life lessons, but I loved the lesson she learns about her father the most.
December Stillness starts out superficial, but ends with an emotional tug that made the story worth the read.
December Stillness is another book where the author uses fiction to address the societal ills of the world. In this case the protagonist deals with immature, giggly friends, a distant father, an artist mother who has sold out her talent to the greeting card world, and who is personally frustrated with the futility of her life.
In the process of finding a topic for a research paper, our 9th grade protagonist chooses to focus on the life of a homeless Viet Nam vet. She comes up against the normal stereotypes and reactions towards the homeless and in the process of trying to get to know the vet learns about post traumatic stress disorder. She learns many life lessons, but I loved the lesson she learns about her father the most.
December Stillness starts out superficial, but ends with an emotional tug that made the story worth the read.
May 11, 2023
This story was sad, but tastefully written. As someone who didnt know much about the Vietnam War, I found it every enlightening.
My only complaint is that Kelly seemed very whiny and self-serving. Even when trying to help Mr. Weems, she never considered what was in his best interest.
My only complaint is that Kelly seemed very whiny and self-serving. Even when trying to help Mr. Weems, she never considered what was in his best interest.
December 5, 2024
Nope! Even though this is a very short read about a very important topic I didn't finish it cause I have better things to do with my life. The main character is one of the most annoying characters I have ever come across in a book. She is self-absorbed, self-important, immature and arrogant. It started out badly when she approached Mr Weems in the library in a quite frankly awfully offensive way. No, not just a clumsy, stupid way because she didn't know any better. I found her downright offensive. And then, despite him telling her to leave him alone, she stalks and harasses this man, who as I understood it might be suffering from PTSD, and has the arrogance to believe she is his knight in white armour. She doesn't do it for his benefit, it comes off as purely for her own gratification and benefit. When she then arrogantly brushes off the fact that she has on many occasions broken library rules about no food in the library, as a librarian, I was so done with this insufferable immature brat.
June 16, 2022
Even though Mary Downing Hahn’s ghost stories are my favorite middle grade nostalgic reads, her more serious books like Following My Own Footsteps are great too. However, this one really doesn’t translate well 40 years later (though does any story from 1988?) I think the things kids experience now days are a lot harsher so Kelly just comes off as kind of a whiny brat instead of the more compassionate social crusader she would have in the 80’s. Now it is normal that middle school/high school kids are concerned about the homeless or veterans with PTSD and Kelly’s efforts seem a little self serving, though it does show some character growth. Also, I think it’s just harder to understand the social and political climate that Vietnam vets had to go through coming home because I didn’t grow up in that era and veterans from Iraq or Afghanistan didn’t get the same treatment. I think there is still some good talking points about war and how Kelly feels really dismissed by her dad because she’s not what he wants that could be good. I did cry at the end a couple times because I had really become attached to some of the characters, but over all I don’t really see kids connecting with this one anymore.
February 13, 2020
There's a lot I like about this story, written in the 80s, and about a fourteen-year-old surrounded by adult vets returned from Vietnam. I appreciate the protagonist's worry about bigger issues, her impatience with a mom who paints dragons when there's real stuff going on in the world, and the true gulf between her and her father. I like that she speaks up to him about becoming a corporate lawyer when he used to be an idealist.
I do not like the way she repeatedly gets in the face of someone who tells her over and over to leave him alone. I understand that these chain events needed to happen for the plot development, but I just wanted to shake her sometimes.
I do not like the way she repeatedly gets in the face of someone who tells her over and over to leave him alone. I understand that these chain events needed to happen for the plot development, but I just wanted to shake her sometimes.
March 15, 2017
This amazing book was written by Mary D Hahn, where a fifteen year old girl tries to help get her normal friend back after he turns crazy. I really liked this book, however the beginning of the book was a bit boring and once I carried on further it got better. it was an amazing book, and i would like to read it again.
November 18, 2014
Ahhhh, blissful 80s nostalgia. *wraps self up in time capsule cocoon* When being "current & relevant" meant addressing Vietnam war vets and/or their untreated PTSD.
February 28, 2018
"December Stillness," is written by a librarian Mary Downing Hahn. Hahn does a good job narrating a teenage girl named Kelly McAllister or "Mad Dog Kelly," coined by her long-time
male friend Keith, goes through what teenagers go through -angst, identity formation, confusion, rebellion. Parents do not have fun once their kids reach teenage years; it becomes more challenging.
The female character Kelly comes across a homeless man who visits the library on a daily basis. She becomes curious about him after she decides to write a paper on war veterans. The homeless man carries a large garbage bag for his belongings and sits at the library and just reads. She talks to him as a dare challenged by one of her friends. She makes a scene and the librarian warns her. Despite her friend's warnings of Mr. Weems' weird disposition, she approaches him again at the library. She provokes him next time and Mr. Weems, the homeless man throws something at her. She does not see that Mr. Weems is dangerous. She is a teenager. Next time she visits the library she finds out from the librarian that people in the community reported complaints of Mr. Weems and he is no longer allowed to stay at the library. She feels guilty. There is a small scene in the book where she finally talks to Mr. Weems in a conversation at the park. This is the highlight of the book. All the book has been leading up to this moment. There is not much said. There is not much connection between Kelly and Mr. Weems; Mr. Weems is a Vietnam war veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD. While Kelly is different from typical girls or her friend
Julie who likes to shop and dress up, she is not that crazy or odd.
Hahn does a good job depicting some of the feelings teenage girls may experience - their distant relationship with their father as they are no longer small and cute, individuality vs. conformity to what is popular and acceptable, witnessing her parents' relationship with each other, not knowing how to relate to their parents. Her mother is an artist who illustrate holiday cards and she is disappointed at her mother for not pursuing her dreams. Kelly tells herself she "shall never ever give up," a good tenacious attitude for someone who has not found herself yet. Her father only cares about money which she cannot relate to. Her mother assures her that her father was once a hipster who could not care for stocks and making money. Life does that to us. We change because our lives change.
I first read this book as a teenager, most likely fifteen or sixteen years old and I can relate to the main female character Kelly. If I as a teenager was able to connect and relate to Kelly McAllister, than the author did a good job voicing a young teenager. I would have liked to have seen Kelly develop more of a relationship with Keith, the guy who calls her "Mad Dog McAllister," because she bit him when they were young. Kelly seemed to have feelings for Keith but the author does not explore their relationship. Keith may have not seen Kelly that way, he calls her "Mad Dog," not a compliment.
The book focuses more on Kelly's interest in Mr. Weems, and her inner thoughts. There is not much action that happens. Even when Kelly did mean well, bad consequences result from Kelly's provocation. She is not experienced and trained in dealing with someone who has a serious problem. The ending is appropriate and it gives light to repercussions of the war. Not every soldier died at war, but their life's energy, their thirst and joy for life died at the war front. Mr. Weems is one of the soldiers that survived the war, but his being changed.
male friend Keith, goes through what teenagers go through -angst, identity formation, confusion, rebellion. Parents do not have fun once their kids reach teenage years; it becomes more challenging.
The female character Kelly comes across a homeless man who visits the library on a daily basis. She becomes curious about him after she decides to write a paper on war veterans. The homeless man carries a large garbage bag for his belongings and sits at the library and just reads. She talks to him as a dare challenged by one of her friends. She makes a scene and the librarian warns her. Despite her friend's warnings of Mr. Weems' weird disposition, she approaches him again at the library. She provokes him next time and Mr. Weems, the homeless man throws something at her. She does not see that Mr. Weems is dangerous. She is a teenager. Next time she visits the library she finds out from the librarian that people in the community reported complaints of Mr. Weems and he is no longer allowed to stay at the library. She feels guilty. There is a small scene in the book where she finally talks to Mr. Weems in a conversation at the park. This is the highlight of the book. All the book has been leading up to this moment. There is not much said. There is not much connection between Kelly and Mr. Weems; Mr. Weems is a Vietnam war veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD. While Kelly is different from typical girls or her friend
Julie who likes to shop and dress up, she is not that crazy or odd.
Hahn does a good job depicting some of the feelings teenage girls may experience - their distant relationship with their father as they are no longer small and cute, individuality vs. conformity to what is popular and acceptable, witnessing her parents' relationship with each other, not knowing how to relate to their parents. Her mother is an artist who illustrate holiday cards and she is disappointed at her mother for not pursuing her dreams. Kelly tells herself she "shall never ever give up," a good tenacious attitude for someone who has not found herself yet. Her father only cares about money which she cannot relate to. Her mother assures her that her father was once a hipster who could not care for stocks and making money. Life does that to us. We change because our lives change.
I first read this book as a teenager, most likely fifteen or sixteen years old and I can relate to the main female character Kelly. If I as a teenager was able to connect and relate to Kelly McAllister, than the author did a good job voicing a young teenager. I would have liked to have seen Kelly develop more of a relationship with Keith, the guy who calls her "Mad Dog McAllister," because she bit him when they were young. Kelly seemed to have feelings for Keith but the author does not explore their relationship. Keith may have not seen Kelly that way, he calls her "Mad Dog," not a compliment.
The book focuses more on Kelly's interest in Mr. Weems, and her inner thoughts. There is not much action that happens. Even when Kelly did mean well, bad consequences result from Kelly's provocation. She is not experienced and trained in dealing with someone who has a serious problem. The ending is appropriate and it gives light to repercussions of the war. Not every soldier died at war, but their life's energy, their thirst and joy for life died at the war front. Mr. Weems is one of the soldiers that survived the war, but his being changed.
October 20, 2022
Discovered among my library’s shelves. Quick read. Recommended for Gen-X readers for sure.
The book, published in 1990, probably won’t resonate well with kids of the modern era with the references to 80’s/90’s trends (like going to the mall). However, there are definitely aspects that could be translated into our world today. Basic plot: Kids of privilege who have no clue about the real world trying to make sense of it all in the only way they know how. The main character, Kelly, is an awkward high school freshman who thinks she has adults all figured out. She attempts to befriend a local homeless veteran in the most cringeworthy manner. Her persistence causes ripple effects that end up affecting the lives of many people in her community- most without her knowledge.
I think we could probably all see ourselves in the characters in this book -especially when we remember our own self-absorbed journeys through adolescence. Maybe this book could be helpful for teens today trying to understand veterans of the modern era returning from Iraq/Afghanistan/other conflicts who are experiencing similar struggles with PTSD.
Spoiler 🚨 Alert: Veterans, Be prepared to sob throughout the final chapter as the Main Character gains a better understanding of the guilt Vietnam War Veterans faced coming home when 58,156 of their American comrades did not.
The book, published in 1990, probably won’t resonate well with kids of the modern era with the references to 80’s/90’s trends (like going to the mall). However, there are definitely aspects that could be translated into our world today. Basic plot: Kids of privilege who have no clue about the real world trying to make sense of it all in the only way they know how. The main character, Kelly, is an awkward high school freshman who thinks she has adults all figured out. She attempts to befriend a local homeless veteran in the most cringeworthy manner. Her persistence causes ripple effects that end up affecting the lives of many people in her community- most without her knowledge.
I think we could probably all see ourselves in the characters in this book -especially when we remember our own self-absorbed journeys through adolescence. Maybe this book could be helpful for teens today trying to understand veterans of the modern era returning from Iraq/Afghanistan/other conflicts who are experiencing similar struggles with PTSD.
Spoiler 🚨 Alert: Veterans, Be prepared to sob throughout the final chapter as the Main Character gains a better understanding of the guilt Vietnam War Veterans faced coming home when 58,156 of their American comrades did not.
October 28, 2022
December Stillness was a great book I really enjoyed reading it, but I would say that I didn't like part of the ending. *SPOILER* When Mr. Weems was killed I think that was a very quick ending and that it could've went to Kelly and him being friends but it just quickly ended at that. Also I was looking forward to seeing what Kelly would write in her report as she was going to research about the homeless. I was predicting that after Mr. Weems died Kelly would've at least written/talked about her memories that she had made with Mr. Weems in her report. It just kind of left the report and the reason why Kelly initially wanted to interview Mr. Weems all hanging. I did like how it showed that her equations with her dad weren't very good but how it tied up at the end. I think I would've enjoyed it if Kelly went to some other setting and not just the library and her house mostly. If she actually went to the locations of where Mr. Weems house was originally. Overall I rate it a 3/5 because it was interesting at first but slowly it went downhill but it was very emotional at the end. It was interesting and I would recommend it to other readers that like reading books with quick endings, and not that filled with detail.
November 26, 2017
Mostly exposition until the grisly climax and satisfying denouement, December Stillness may be my least favorite book by MDH. THe interesting thing for me, having grown up in Elkridge, MD, was the realization that she had set the book in a factionalized version of her hometown of Columbia, a planned community. I almost spent more time being nostalgic for places I knew and recognized from my childhood even though she changed about 50% of the names. Even down to the description of the anchor stores in the mall, the accuracy was just so uncanny. Perhaps a fresh perspective would have read the story more objectively.
December 7, 2025
i actually loved this book, I knew about the author already from the ghost stories she wrote and my mom gave this to me because she knew I liked the authorbut this was a completely different type of story. our story follows a girl as she learns about the aftermath of war when she tries to befriend a homeless veteran who suffers severely due to war trauma. the book handles the horror of war with a light tone digestible for teen readers but still puts so much heart and emotion into the story and teaches us about how war is not only glory and for some people the war is never truly over. if you like Mrs downing hahns ghost stories I would suggest giving this one a look as well.
June 2, 2023
Yeah, there’s some frustration with the main character, but isn’t that what art is supposed to do: provoke feelings? Not to mention the main character is supposed to be a hormonal teen who knows nothing about life but thinks they know it all. I was much like her when I was that age, so maybe that’s why I didn’t feel like “chucking” the book or whatever other people are rambling about.
The frustration the character evokes is part of what makes Hahn such a great author. If you want to be bored to death, go read the dictionary.
The frustration the character evokes is part of what makes Hahn such a great author. If you want to be bored to death, go read the dictionary.
April 22, 2020
I read this book with my 13 year old son for school and we both thought it was pretty bad. It’s definitely dated (written in 1988) and hasn’t aged well. But the characters are just the most stereotypical people ever and they’re inconsistent at that. It’s clear the book was written for a MESSAGE but I’m still not clear what that was. As two dimensional as you can get.
November 2, 2025
Grew up reading a lot of books by MDH but I'd never seen this one. The other day it was on a lending shelf in work (hospital) so I grabbed it.....it's not going in my "did not finish" box, it's going in my "skipped to the end" box - I had to know what happened, but got tired of reading it about 120 pages in 🤷♀️
June 10, 2023
Picked this dusty paperback up at a free book rack in Costa Rica....the cover was a throwback. A quick read and instant time machine back to my childhood; so fun to be transported back to another time authentically.
March 24, 2017
Boring story line. Had to read for school.
December 31, 2017
A reread! Never fails to break my heart.
May 7, 2018
This is one of the only books that I have cried for. I will never forget this book and how much Kelly tried to help Mr. Weems.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2019
Read in middle school. A very good book!
June 15, 2021
Left me speechless. Another great one from Mary Downing Hahn.
August 20, 2021
One sad read but still good
January 23, 2022
absolutely beautifully written it was easy to read but so interesting. it doesn’t seem like a book i’d read for a school club but it was amazing. i read it in under 2hrs and i loved it.
March 12, 2022
3.5 stars
November 1, 2023
I've got some antagonistic feelings about this one.
December 13, 2023
Very unlikeable main character
January 15, 2024
This book omg it was so irritating the writing is fine but the MC is insufferable I hate her so much.
July 4, 2024
I almost quit halfway through, because the main character and her dad are annoying.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews