What do you think?
Rate this book
Binnie Latches On
Binnie, one of the four young Hornes and finally editor of the Hornepiper, the neighborhood paper, felt herself badly put upon. All the other children had hobbies, did things, went places, but Binnie was the odd one and she not only took it to heart but let it make her self-centered. Finally, though, when she was about twelve, she went to Dad's office and the smell of good newspaper ink made Binnie realize what she wanted to be: a newspaper woman.
214 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1950
About the author
Marie McSwigan
15 books22 followersA life-long writer, Ms. McSwigan wrote for several Pittsburgh newspapers and worked in publicity for many area institutions, including Kennywood Park and the University of Pittsburgh, before in 1947 she devoted all of her time to writing. Her first book was a biography of the primitive painter John Kane, who became popular after his death and on account of McSwigan's book. She was an award winning writer of more than 10 children's books. She died of leukemia and is buried at Calvary Roman Catholic Cemetery in Pittsburgh.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
November 20, 2019
This book from 1950 isn't a YA novel as I'd assumed from the cover and plot summary which makes it seems like a coming of age and finding yourself type novel. However, it is sort of a junior bildungsroman, in that in three sections, it outlines the development of Binnie, a girl growing up in Pittsburgh who we first meet around age 5, then 9, and then 12. She spends much of the book feeling sorry for herself because she's in between two bright and clever older siblings, and a charming younger sister, and feels that she has no particular talent. Eventually, after visiting her reporter father's newsroom, she discovers a passion for journalism, and sets up a neighborhood newspaper, the part of the book I enjoyed most.
Most of the book is episodic, but one thread that runs through it is the family's seemingly unachievable longing to move to a leafy suburb called "Oakland Park." From the evidence of the text, I didn't see anything wrong with where they were living, and the only indication that it's at all urban is that some people live in apartment houses. However, we are told the neighborhood is "run down" and also that Oakland Park is desirable because the houses are all brand new and everyone has their own yard and the schools are good (not that any problem was ever shown with the school Binnie attended). If I were the sort of person who actually wrote scholarly essays about children's literature (as opposed to just having ideas for them), I'd find this one to be good fodder for one about the phenomenon of "white flight" as portrayed in post WWII children's fiction.
Most of the book is episodic, but one thread that runs through it is the family's seemingly unachievable longing to move to a leafy suburb called "Oakland Park." From the evidence of the text, I didn't see anything wrong with where they were living, and the only indication that it's at all urban is that some people live in apartment houses. However, we are told the neighborhood is "run down" and also that Oakland Park is desirable because the houses are all brand new and everyone has their own yard and the schools are good (not that any problem was ever shown with the school Binnie attended). If I were the sort of person who actually wrote scholarly essays about children's literature (as opposed to just having ideas for them), I'd find this one to be good fodder for one about the phenomenon of "white flight" as portrayed in post WWII children's fiction.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review