Dear Hank Williams

by Kimberly Willis Holt

It's 1948 in Rippling Creek, Louisiana, and Tate P. Ellerbee's new teacher has just given her class an assignment--learning the art of letter-writing. Luckily, Tate has the perfect pen pal in mind: Hank Williams, a country music singer whose star has just begun to rise. Tate and her great-aunt and -uncle listen to him on the radio every Saturday night, and Tate just knows that she and Hank are kindred spirits.

Told entirely through Tate's hopeful letters, this beautifully drawn novel from National Book Award-winning author Kimberly Willis Holt gradually unfolds a story of family love, overcoming tragedy, and an insightful girl learning to find her voice.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Fiction, Historical, Childrens, Juvenile, Family

224 pages, Hardcover

First published April 14, 2015

About the author

Kimberly Willis Holt is the author of the Piper Reed series, including Piper Reed, Navy Brat, Piper Reed, Clubhouse Queen, and Piper Reed, Rodeo Star. She has written many award-winning novels, including The Water Seeker and My Louisiana Sky, as well as the picture books Waiting for Gregory and Skinny Brown Dog. A former Navy brat herself, Holt was born in Pensacola, Florida, and lived all over the U.S. and the world—from Paris to Norfolk to Guam to New Orleans. Holt long dreamed of being a writer, but first worked as a radio news director, marketed a water park, and was an interior decorator, among other jobs. A few years after she started writing, her third book, When Zachary Beaver Came to Town, won a National Book Award for Young People's Literature. She resides in West Texas with her family.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/kimber...

Reviews

[Deb Tyo · Rating 5 out of 5]

March 17, 2015

Dear Tate P. Ellerbee,

I just now finished reading your story. I’m a sucker for stories like yours. I think if we would ever meet someday that we would become great friends.

You love your momma like I love mine. And even though our mommas are in different places, we miss them the same. You can’t wait to see your momma when she comes home, and I can’t wait to see mine when I go home.

Your love for dogs and other creatures match mine. It breaks my heart to see an animal without a home or being treated poorly. Someone has to be in a pretty low spot to be mean to a furry creature.

Tate, please tell your Uncle Jolly and Aunt Patty Cake that I said hello. What great people you have in your life. They remind me of my Uncle Bill and Aunt Jewel, although they were married to each other unlike your Uncle Jolly and Aunt Patty Cake.

Before I end this letter, please say hi to Frog the next time you see him. He sounds like the best little brother ever. It was real nice of him to sit and listen to you practice your singing for the talent show. I’m gonna hold on to your Frog stories for a long, long time.

If you ever have a spare moment, Tate, I’d love to get a letter from you. I know you are busy with your amazing family. Take care and keep singing!

Your new friend,
D. Tyo

P.S. I’m going to tell everyone I know about you.
P.P.S. Maybe you’ll become as famous as Mr. Hank Williams.

[K.T. Brison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book touched me more than any book has in a long, long time. Told entirely in letters from Tate P. Ellerbe to her 'pen pal' Hank Williams, Sr., the story is a brilliant look at life in 1948 Louisiana for a young girl who has suffered more tragedy than she should even know about at her age but whose capacity for hope is nearly as big as her vibrant personality. Tate P. never gives up--believing in her family, in herself, and in the fairness of the world. The peaks into her real life--as opposed to the tales she tells not only to Hank Williams, but to herself--are so gut-wrenching that you end up wanting to just go find this amazing little girl and hug her until the pain goes away. But Tate P. is way too strong to want you to do that. She'd probably push you away or ask you to play spy instead. Tweens who are dealing with tragedies of their own or who have friends who need their support will love the insight and optimism explicit in Tate's story.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would give this book 4.5 stars. I was first interested in this book because of the title and ordered it for my library. I am familiar with the author from reading the Piper Reed stories with my daughter and enjoy her writing. She did not disappoint with this book. Love the pen pal concept in telling the story of Tate, a Louisiana girl who has had some heartache in life but remains upbeat and observant. Really love the main character and the family she has. Definitely a kid book adults will love

[Hoover Public Library Kids and Teens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dear Future Reader, I am so in love with this book written entirely in letters to a 1940's country western radio star. You will be too. Your #1 librarian, Miss Katie Jane

[Mississippi Library Commission · Rating 3 out of 5]

Are you a fan of unreliable narrators? Meet the sweetest, toughest, loving-est unreliable narrator we've ever run across: Tate P. Ellerbee. The cute premise has Tate writing her life story to Hank Williams via letters--they're pen pals, don'tcha know. The plotting is a bit slow (not bad, just slow), so this middle-grade novel may not be a good choice for struggling readers. This one will lend itself well to a discussion during/afterward.

[Robyn Rosencutter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I swear to sweet Sally, this book ripped my heart to pieces. It was excellent. Tate's voice came through perfectly. This is the best juvenile book I've read this year. It was just wonderful! It was funny, heartwarming, and yes there will be tears, but such is life.

My favorite quote:
"A dog pours a pitcher of love into the lonesome spots of your life". So true.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

What seemed like a sappy, sweet southern story of a young girl and her pen pal, rising star Hank Williams, turned into a story of depth and fortitude in the face of sorrow. Simple on the surface but full of layers of complexity.

[J Booth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one caught my eye the last time I was at the library with my kids- this time, I sat down and read it all the way through. Hogged the comfy chair and laughed, cried, and now I WANT FRIENDS TO READ IT so I can talk with someone about this beautiful book without spoiling anything! AH! <3

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a big Hank Williams fan which is why I read the book.The story was okay: it kept me interested enough to keep reading but I am annoyed that in the book Hank never writes
back.I realize that Tate writing Hank was just a device the writer used to help the protagonist face up to things and let out her true feelings but it still made it look like Hank was ignoring a young fan who for a long time had such hope he would write back I just did not like the way that came off.Now,I realize that in real life Hank must have had tons of fan mail and would gave never had time to respond to a lot but I am sure he wrote back to a few.Maybe that's unfair of me but it just annoys me I cannot help it.Decent story and writing though.

[Flyingzebras · Rating 5 out of 5]

So sweet. The ending is sad, and will have you looking through the book to see what you didn't see before.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kimberly Willis Holt's books always make me homesick--for the South, for Louisiana, and for other times. This book is no exception to that rule for her books. In addition to those longings, it made me yearn for a long ago time when everyone's noses weren't pointed to a television or computer screen or their attention captured by smartphones and texting but rather through the radios in their homes. Somehow, this author captures the sounds and vernacular of a much simpler time, 1948 and 1949. Eleven-year-old Tate P. Ellerbee lives with her aunt and uncle in rural Rippling Creek, Louisiana. As teachers have done for decades, her teacher, Mrs. Kipler, introduces a pen pal project designed to have her students write youngsters in Japan. But most of her classmates choose to write relatives, and Tate writes Hank Williams, a budding country music star who she has heard sing on the radio broadcast of the Louisiana Hayride. The entire book consists of letters Tate sends to Williams, letters to which he never responds except by sending publicity stills. As Tate pours her heart out, readers will quickly realize that she's spinning some tall tales, and while her life has surely included more than her share of tragedies, it also holds much joy. The truth about her father, mother, and little brother are heartbreaking, but they are balanced--as is life's sorrows for all of us--by Tate's finding her voice, literally and musically, and gaining some courage and even falling in love with Lovie, the stray dog her uncle brings home for her. The poignant reminder that those we love and have lost will be with us in the places and moments we shared together will surely prompt readers to reflect on their own losses. Although I kept waiting for Hank Williams to respond--and I also found myself thinking about how short his own life would turn out to be--and sometimes ached because Tate's messages seemed to be sent into a void, I told myself that sometimes it's enough just to express our feelings without getting a response back. After all, writing truly is therapeutic. I fell in love with all of these characters and rejoiced in the small and large moments that Tate shares with us.

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tate’s class has been told that they are doing a pen pal project and they can either be assigned pen pals or pick them. Tate has just the right person to write to, Hank Williams, who is an emerging star in 1948. Tate tells him all about her life in Rippling Creek, Louisiana where she lives with her Uncle Jolly, Aunt Patty Cake and her little brother Frog. At first, Tate tells Hank Williams that her parents are well known and gone because of their work, her father as a photographer and her mother in the movies. But as she continues to write to them, she reveals the truth of her family life where her father has disappeared and her mother is doing time in jail. There is one final secret that Tate can’t face at all and it will take all of her courage to admit to it.

Holt writes a story of a girl who has concocted a life of dreams for herself. Tate is unfailingly positive about many things. Even when she talks about her mother being in prison, she focuses on the fact that her mother is in an elite singing group while there. Her life with her uncle and aunt is stable and lovely, filled with small moments that demonstrate their love for her, like finding a way to hear her mother sing on the radio and discovering just the right dog at just the right time. Holt gives Tate all the time she needs to face her different truths. And the result is surprising and tender.

Tate is a marvelous character. She is quickly proven untrustworthy as she admits early in the novel to lying about her mother and father. Yet there is something so down-to-earth about her too that readers will somehow trust her despite all of this. Perhaps it is the details of her life that make that work, and the way that she hides truths even from herself. It is a delicate balance and one that Holt does very well.

Young readers will love this book for its heart and the beautiful spark of its main character. Appropriate for ages 8-11.

[The Styling Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sitting down to read this book I was prepared to read a beautiful historical fiction book but I didn’t expect such a powerful novel packed with twists and turns by form of letters from the beautiful character Tate P. Ellerbee. I really loved getting to know Tate, one of my favorite characters I’ve read in a book in a long time. I loved how she reveals bits of information and truths about herself through this novel. I appreciated seeing how the aftermath of WWII still impacted communities, attitudes, and sparked debate and ethical questions among neighbors. I appreciated a heartwrenching portion of the book that had me sobbing as Tate revealed something that she barely even admitted to herself…. I enjoyed reading this book. Highly recommended.

*Reminded me of Love, Ruby Lavender by Deborah Wiles.

Quotes from the book that I really appreciated:
“I like to think of the deceased before they became that way. I reckon they’d like me to remember them that way too.”

“A dog pours a pitcher of love into the lonesome spots of your life.”

Dear Hank WilliamsBook Talk: When you write a letter, do you expect a response? How many of you actually write letters? Would you write letters to a hero? A favorite musician? Tate P. Ellerbee is told by her teacher to choose someone to write to and she selects a newly popular musician, Hank Williams, hoping to receive a response. Wait til you read what happens!

[Kathy Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with Tate P. Ellerbee as I was reading the letters she wrote to Hank Williams. Her teacher had given the class an assignment to choose a pen pal. The teacher had arranged for her class to write to Japanese children but, in 1948 Louisiana, many of the children didn't want to write to children in a country that we had fought a war with. Tate picks Hank Williams because she heard him sing on the radio.

Through Tate's letters, answered only with autographed photos, we learn what life is like for a dreamy 11-year-old in rural Louisiana. We learn about her Aunt Patty Cake who sells beauty products, her Uncle Jolly who works at a nursery and has bad luck in love, and we learn about Tate's pesky little brother Frog. Tate's letters also express how much she misses her mother and her father. And, as the letters go on, we learn why neither of them is a part of Tate's daily life.

We see Tate's rivalry with schoolmate Verbia Calhoun and we see her determination to sing in the local talent show. We see her relationship with her new dog Lovie and we feel her heartbreak when Lovie doesn't come home.

This story was filled with heart and hope and I sobbed as I read the last thirty pages. Readers who want a glimpse into life after the Second World War as told by a wonderful character won't want to miss this excellent story.

[Dena McMurdie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young girl that develops a one sided pen pal relationship with Hank Williams and uses that connection to deal with the turmoil going on in her life. Dear Hank Williams had an authentic feel and a great flow to it. It was a short, quick read that won't be too intimidating for kids to tackle. Tate, the main character and author of the letters, is funny and charming. She keeps up her eternal optimism that her pen pal will write her back one day.

This is a very slow paced book, even with it being so short. It's told completely in Tate's letters to the up and coming music star, Hank Williams. She tells him about her friends, her enemies, her neighbors, and the things that make her day. As Tate gets more comfortable writing to Hank Williams, she begins to open up and the reader learns more about her and what she's been dealing with.

While I don't think that every kid will like this book, I believe that many will. It's rather typical for the age group, but it's still very sweet and the main character is likeable. There is a bit of a surprise at the ending, but it explains a lot of things that happened throughout the book.

Content: Clean

My blog: Batch of Books

[Carol Royce Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saw this in the bookstore and decided to pick it up, but then afterwards had second thoughts, wondering if I could get students interested in this book, since most would have no idea who Hank Williams is. The story is a series of letters that Tate P. Ellerbee writes to singer, Hank Williams, when her teacher gives them an assignment of writing to a pen pal. Through her letters the reader comes to find out about Tate and why she lives with her Aunt Patty Cake and Uncle Jolly, and not with her mom and dad. Tate aspires to one day be a singer herself, but although her mother has a great deal of talent, even singing on the radio, Tate is not known to have received that talent herself. But, she's a hard worker and won't give up on her dream.

This is a beautifully told story, with wonderful characters that you truly care about and want to see happy, and a twist that hit me like a two by four to the head. Yes, you will need Kleenex. Don't miss this book. It's a delight! And as for my original worry about "selling it" to students. It didn't take long to realize, "Yeah, I can see ____, or ____, or _____ loving this book." Can't wait until school starts so I can start sharing it.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tate P. Ellerbee is a young girl growing up in Louisiana during the late 1940's. For a class assignment, the teacher tells the students to pick a pen pal to write to. Tate choses the relatively unknown Hank Williams. Through her letters, Tate's difficult past is exposed. The exciting life she first presents to Mr. Williams and the readers is show to be not so rosy. The book is well written and flows well. Tate is a very funny, strong character. The truth of her life is pretty devastating, but there is a lot of hope in the end! I would recommend this book to children who enjoy Historical Fiction and female protagonist, ages 8-up

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some really nice elements here, especially the voice. It was hard for me to fully get on board with the epistolary format for this novel and to buy into the idea that she would really write these letters to Hank Williams. There was also a twist at the end that seemed to take the story off course for me. I loved the main character, though, and there were some genuinely sweet and funny moments.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's 1948 and Tate's teacher requires the entire class to choose a pen pal. Tate chooses the singer Hank Williams whom she admires, but has never met. Similar to Beverly Cleary's Dear Mr. Henshaw in form, Holt's homespun storytelling authentically captures the rhythm of life in Rippling Creek, Louisiana. As the one-sided letter writing continues, Tate reveals more about herself and faces some hard truths. An epistolary novel for middle grade readers.

[Aliza Werner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A MG novel set in the late 1940s, featuring Tate P. Ellerbee and her family. Told entirely in a series of letters Tate writes to her "pen pal" Hank Williams, we discover the truths behind Tate's family and watch her find her own strengths to carry on. A few twists toward the end and a plot line involving a pet dog, stole my heart, however, this was a heavy character study without much action for most of the book.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! Much like the movie Sliding Doors, when you get to the end you want to go back and start again knowing now what you know. This is a very powerful book! When my husband saw me on the couch silently crying as I finished this book he said, "Really? This is relaxing to you?" I love books that make me feel and this one definitely fits the bill!

[Kay Hommedieu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to a child who liked country music, especially Hank Williams, and US history after WW2.

The author's note at the end of the book is very helpful because Ms. Holt explains her experiences with her research on several plot and character elements of the book.

[Joellen Mccarthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This took awhile for me to get into, but once it did...wow. From the beginning the voice was amazing, but it wasn't until I grew to know and LOVE Tate that I couldn't read fast enough. A good MG, great MS read. Tons of amazing lines.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Tate P. Ellerbe used her pen pal assignment to write toHank Williams . She told him about her family and life in Louisiana. She never gave up hope that Hank would write back because he sent a picture. Do read. You won't be sorry.

[Tess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review here - http://abouttomock.blogspot.com/2015/...

[Linda Lipko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once I started, I couldn't put this book down. This is young adult at its best!

The amazing strength manifested though the major character, Tate Elllerbee, carries her story in a wonderfully powerful way. Tate and her brother, Frog, live in rural Louisiana with their Aunt Patty Cake, and Uncle Jolly. Tate and her family listen to radio station KWKH every Saturday night, primarily to hear country star Hank Williams.
Tate is drawn to the voice and music of Hank Williams.

She and her brother are loved by their Aunt and Uncle, but are ostracized by the local town gossip. Believing her mother is away and studying her lines to be a movie star. She and her younger brother also believe their father is a famous photographer who needs to travel for his job. Letters and communications are non existent. Thus, in her loneliness, Tate creates a scenario of their life and their return when they are famous and rich.

During the first day of school, her teacher sets the assignment of finding a pen pal, and discussing their communications from the pen pal is part of the grade. Tate finds her Pen Pal in her hero, Hank Williams. She writes to him almost daily, and it is through these communications we journey through the her life. She shares memories and thoughts with Hank Williams that she would not share with others.

While she is steadfast in this one-way pen pal scenario, she longs for at least one letter from her radio hero. Just as she experiences abandonment and lack of communication from her mother and father, she now knows, Hank, might be capable of singing about love, but he does not know how to care about others who love him.

I didn't expect the ending.

This is a powerful book!

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written for early teens. Events take place in 1948-49 in Rural Louisiana. Tate, a ten-year-old girl is given an assignment in school to write to someone as a pen pal. Hank Williams is an early country singer who sings on the radio in Louisiana. Tate decides to write to him. The book is a series of letters she writes to him. He never writes back. What she writes would qualify as journal entries. She describes the activities in her life and the people around her. The book had a certain charm and I would think early teens might like it. I am always looking for good teen fiction so I can steer my grandkids to read.

[Loretta Marchize · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cried. Not all out bawling, but I cried.
Uncle Jolly is funny, amazing, and I love his turn of heart.
Aunt Patty Cake is loving (even when it doesn't seem so) and so sweet.
Frog is... very Frog-like, and Tate?
Tate is amazing, always putting on a brave face.
also when Tate tells Uncle Jolly that Frog 'might wake up at any time' because he's sitting in the truck, as a way to get him out of the store, and then Uncle Jolly asks why she said that I never even thought about it, but FORESHADOWING, and it hurts. Oh Tate....
I loved this sweet little middle-grade book!
Content: none

[Chapter · Rating 4 out of 5]

From Goodreads site:
It's 1948 in Rippling Creek, Louisiana, and Tate P. Ellerbee's new teacher has just given her class an assignment--learning the art of letter-writing. Luckily, Tate has the perfect pen pal in mind: Hank Williams, a country music singer whose star has just begun to rise. Tate and her great-aunt and -uncle listen to him on the radio every Saturday night, and Tate just knows that she and Hank are kindred spirits.

Told entirely through Tate's hopeful letters, this beautifully drawn novel from National Book Award-winning author Kimberly Willis Holt gradually unfolds a story of family love, overcoming tragedy, and an insightful girl learning to find her voice.

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty good book. I liked how the entire book consisted of the main characters pen pal letters. What I didn't like at all was how the main characters brother WAS DEAD THE WHOLE BOOK. The last few pages said that the main character was visiting the cemetery and went to her brothers grave. I was completely shocked because I didn't realize that for the whole book, she was imagining her brother and talking to herself. Either I missed something, or the author completely forgot to mention that!