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Charley
Street-smart Charley, a twelve-year old orphan from Boston, uses his talent to sing his way into the hearts of a farming family in Maine, but now the boy from Boston's streets has to learn how to cope with farm life.
195 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 16, 2013
Armed with knowledge and experience, local author Donna Seim has written a number of books for children. Her most recent, Charley, captivated me as it is a story of a middle-school-aged boy living over a century ago in Boston, the city where I grew up over half a century ago. The cover of the book initially caught my eye, with the lines of laundry hanging between tenement houses in Boston at the end of the first decade of the twentieth century. The cap on his head is so similar to the one my dad always wore and probably had worn at Charley's age. The character is based on family recollections of their dad and granddad.Charlie would have been about fifteen years older than my dad ... and no doubt living in the same part of Boston.
Charley is a street-kid. He'd hop the trolley cars when he needed to get somewhere in a hurry. He'd sneak into the neighborhood bakery to swipe sweets when his stomach and those of his friends were empty. He'd bring stolen bread home to his younger sister, older brother and their father when he could.
Donna Seim captures the colloquialisms of urban children of the streets. She describes succinctly the physical settings in the City of Boston (as my father always referred to it as such.) She understands and depicts clearly the emotional turmoil and loyalty to to each other of children who have grown up and suffered the loss of first one parent, and then the other. The stories of these children are familiar to her, as she has worked as a social worker with families living such stories.
Charley loses, again and again, people he loves. He is taken in by the Home for Little Wanderers in Boston (which, in later years, was a parochial grammar school that I attended, still bearing the stonework carving of that name from those years as an orphanage.) He then loses again, as his young sister is placed with a Boston well to-do-family, and then his young brother is sent to a farm family many miles west of Boston, and then loses yet again the new relationships he has forged in the orphanage when he himself is sent to live with a family in Maine.
Charley does have some blessings in his life, and one is his remarkable Irish voice. Charley can sing like his own dad sang ... and like my own dad did, too. And he is a likable sort, easy to make friends and eager to find fun with them, either on the streets of Boston or on the farm in Maine.
Charley's story is believable because it is based on real people, in a setting so very real to me. I was mesmerized by Seim's ability to recapture those memories that lay nearly forgotten in my own past. The book is so well written, and so carefully and concisely illustrated by Susan Spellman, that people who hadn't grown up on those city streets can still envision them through Charley's eyes. I give five stars for this wonderful book, and am happy to learn that some middle schools are beginning to add it to their recommended reading lists for ages 8 to 12. I believe many older readers will enjoy it as well.
Thank you, Donna Seim, for this treasure of a book!
Charley is a street-kid. He'd hop the trolley cars when he needed to get somewhere in a hurry. He'd sneak into the neighborhood bakery to swipe sweets when his stomach and those of his friends were empty. He'd bring stolen bread home to his younger sister, older brother and their father when he could.
Donna Seim captures the colloquialisms of urban children of the streets. She describes succinctly the physical settings in the City of Boston (as my father always referred to it as such.) She understands and depicts clearly the emotional turmoil and loyalty to to each other of children who have grown up and suffered the loss of first one parent, and then the other. The stories of these children are familiar to her, as she has worked as a social worker with families living such stories.
Charley loses, again and again, people he loves. He is taken in by the Home for Little Wanderers in Boston (which, in later years, was a parochial grammar school that I attended, still bearing the stonework carving of that name from those years as an orphanage.) He then loses again, as his young sister is placed with a Boston well to-do-family, and then his young brother is sent to a farm family many miles west of Boston, and then loses yet again the new relationships he has forged in the orphanage when he himself is sent to live with a family in Maine.
Charley does have some blessings in his life, and one is his remarkable Irish voice. Charley can sing like his own dad sang ... and like my own dad did, too. And he is a likable sort, easy to make friends and eager to find fun with them, either on the streets of Boston or on the farm in Maine.
Charley's story is believable because it is based on real people, in a setting so very real to me. I was mesmerized by Seim's ability to recapture those memories that lay nearly forgotten in my own past. The book is so well written, and so carefully and concisely illustrated by Susan Spellman, that people who hadn't grown up on those city streets can still envision them through Charley's eyes. I give five stars for this wonderful book, and am happy to learn that some middle schools are beginning to add it to their recommended reading lists for ages 8 to 12. I believe many older readers will enjoy it as well.
Thank you, Donna Seim, for this treasure of a book!
July 9, 2013
To put in a nutshell, Charley is a simple story of a little boy, who, along with his siblings is abandoned by their father, their mother being long dead. Charley being second of the four siblings, is not yet fourteen so he is also sent to an orphanage where he is picked up by a farming family. The family is mostly kind to him, but there are some members that give him a bad time. Read the book to find out what happens eventually. Does he go back to his hungry and dirty city life stealing food to fill his stomach, or, does he stay on the farm?
It is not so much with the story line that make it good, it is the narration that changes the entire look about it.
It isn't everyday you get to read a book, a non-fiction especially, that has complete control on your emotions. Charley, the book, ends just when it must, else it would look like a Dickens' recast. The sad parts have not been over exaggerated and neither have the happy parts, though few, been overshadowed.
Yes, this book is going to find a place in my private library. It has just made a good memory that I will cherish for a long time to come.
(Read complete review at - http://zealotreaders.blogspot.in/2013... )
It is not so much with the story line that make it good, it is the narration that changes the entire look about it.
It isn't everyday you get to read a book, a non-fiction especially, that has complete control on your emotions. Charley, the book, ends just when it must, else it would look like a Dickens' recast. The sad parts have not been over exaggerated and neither have the happy parts, though few, been overshadowed.
Yes, this book is going to find a place in my private library. It has just made a good memory that I will cherish for a long time to come.
(Read complete review at - http://zealotreaders.blogspot.in/2013... )
June 28, 2013
This is such a cute and heart warming story. Charley doesn't want to leave his older brother or younger brother and sister, but when his dad leaves to find work, his older brother tells Charley that they need to go to the orphanage. After the choir director finds out Charley can sing very well, he joins the choir who travels all over the east, in hopes of finding homes for the children.
This story also breaks my heart, with knowing even now, children are hoping to find a family to call their own. I had a hard time reading it, only because it brought tears to my eyes, and it's really hard to read while you're crying. But I love this story! Donna Seim paints a picture and you imagine you're there in Boston, or in Maine. You can hear the language of the time too.
This story also breaks my heart, with knowing even now, children are hoping to find a family to call their own. I had a hard time reading it, only because it brought tears to my eyes, and it's really hard to read while you're crying. But I love this story! Donna Seim paints a picture and you imagine you're there in Boston, or in Maine. You can hear the language of the time too.
May 16, 2015
Charley is a charming and captivating read, offering entertaining insight into a bygone era. It is historically useful for young readers, illustrating the difficulties of life without delving too deeply into darkness. The book makes a great resource for teachers looking for cross-curricular materials. Charley is faced with a number of harsh realities, and handles them with pluck and courage. Readers can't help but want to learn more about his adventures!
Might there be a second book?
Might there be a second book?
February 20, 2020
I read Charley because I was participating in a theater production of Charley and my mom thought it would be good for me to read the book. All in all, it was a well written, beautiful story that I would highly suggest people read.
May 10, 2018
An orphaned Irish boy from turn-of-the-century Boston finds adventure and a new family in rural Maine. This exquisitely rendered story is perfect for the young adult reader in all of us. What a delight it is to find a story with wonderful characters and a heart bigger than all of us! This is a must read!
November 19, 2018
Amazing story with such a rich historical perspective, great imagery and a never ending mix of action adventure that keeps you drawn in. My kids loved this story too!
September 17, 2015
Charley might be street-smart, but he also has a tender heart. Life in the early 1900s is hard on most everyone it seems, and Charley is no exception. He lives in a tiny run-down apartment with no running water along with his two younger siblings, an older brother and their father, who hasn't been able to hold a job since his mother's death. Charley's father concludes the best he can do for his kids is give them an opportunity to find a home with a good family while he finds work. So he leaves a note with Charley's oldest brother asking the Home for Little Wanderers to take in the three youngest siblings. Twelve year old Charley is pretty sure he can get along just fine continuing to steal bread on the streets to make do, but his older brother encourages him to stay with his siblings so they'll all be together. With a compassionate heart he begrudgingly agrees to go with little Minnie and Clarence to the orphanage.
Author Donna Maries Seim vividly depicts the story of a young boy's hopes, fears and dreams as he struggles to find purpose as an abandoned half orphan. History buffs will appreciate this book for its authenticity. And this genuine story is sure to work its way into the hearts of readers of all ages.
An excellent selection for home and school libraries, Charley, comes highly recommended and has earned the Literary Classics Seal of Approval.
Author Donna Maries Seim vividly depicts the story of a young boy's hopes, fears and dreams as he struggles to find purpose as an abandoned half orphan. History buffs will appreciate this book for its authenticity. And this genuine story is sure to work its way into the hearts of readers of all ages.
An excellent selection for home and school libraries, Charley, comes highly recommended and has earned the Literary Classics Seal of Approval.
April 9, 2016
Charly is the story of Charles Kimball Ryan, set in Boston, in the early 1900s. After Charly’s mother dies in a tragic fire, his father leaves behind with his eldest son, instructions for him to take his youngest three children to the New England Home for Little Wanderers, then heads west.
Charly is not keen on the home, particularly when his youngest sister, Minnie, is soon chosen by a well-to-do couple to live with them. But he makes the best of things. Fortunately, he has a gift: he can sing! Thus . . .
Read more at http://www.patriciareding.com/blog-in....
Charly is not keen on the home, particularly when his youngest sister, Minnie, is soon chosen by a well-to-do couple to live with them. But he makes the best of things. Fortunately, he has a gift: he can sing! Thus . . .
Read more at http://www.patriciareding.com/blog-in....
April 15, 2016
A great read for anyone who needs to remember that life's challenges can help us become better people. Donna Marie Seim is a talented writer who recently won the Eloquent Quill Youth Fiction Book Award. I opened the book and was immediately fascinated by Charley. I wanted to know-- given the many challenges he faced -- if he could possibly succeed. I couldn't put the book down and read it in one sitting. Readers interested in early American history will especially love this book. It's a great story for all ages, and I highly recommend it for schools.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews