Three Pennies

by Melanie Crowder

A girl in foster care tries to find her birth mother before she loses her forever in this “tender tale” ( School Library Journal , starred review) about last chances and new opportunities.

For a kid bouncing from foster home to foster home, The Book of Changes is the perfect companion. That’s why Marin carries three pennies and a pocket-sized I Ching with her everywhere she goes. Yet when everything in her life suddenly starts changing—like landing in a foster home that feels like somewhere she could stay, maybe forever—the pennies don’t have any answers for her.

Marin is positive that all the wrongs in her life will be made right if only she can find her birth mother and convince her that they belong together. Marin is close, oh so close—until she gets some unwelcome news and her resolve, like the uneasy earth far beneath the city of San Francisco, is shaken.

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Adoption, Childrens, Family, Fiction, Contemporary

208 pages, Paperback

Published May 29, 2018

About the author

Melanie Crowder graduated in 2011 with an MFA in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is the author of JUMPER, MAZIE, THREE PENNIES, AN UNINTERRUPTED VIEW OF THE SKY, A NEARER MOON, AUDACITY, PARCHED, and THE LIGHTHOUSE BETWEEN THE WORLDS and A WAY BETWEEN WORLDS.

A West Coast girl at heart, Melanie now lives and writes in the beautiful state of Colorado.

Reviews

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was overall a really cute read about a young girl in the foster system and a woman who really wants a kid. There are four different points of view going on through this, which is amazing considering how short it is and how well everyone's personalities were conveyed. I thought this handled the emotions of a foster kid fairly well (though I have no experience in that) especially with feelings of denial and abandonment. This also shared light on a woman who really wanted a kid but wasn't sure how to handle the situations. There is also the point of view from an owl and the social worker on the girl's case.
This was also more of a poetic read and I would be worried if really young readers would be able to grasp some of the language and meanings. The one thing that really kept this from being a five star is that I still have NO IDEA what the owl's point of view was suppose to be for. I gained nothing from it and it didn't really progress the story.

[Amber Kuehler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book. It's perfect for my fourth graders. Told from three perspectives and in poetic prose, this is perfect for readers that are ready for something deep and real, yet appropriate for their age and sensitivity. I will definitely be adding this to my list for Mock Newbery 2017. 😀

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three Pennies is a lyrical tale about a foster child who dreams of someday finding her birth mother and living a happily-ever-after ending, comes alive under the skillful storytelling of Melanie Chowder. Since the age of four, foster child, Marin has been shuffled through the foster care system, living in less than satisfactory conditions every time. When she finally is assigned to Gilda Blackbourne a no-nonsense, rule oriented case worker, who must pick the best home for her next foster placement, she doesn't appreciate Gilda's skill. Reticent and unfriendly, Marin doesn't make her next placement a smooth one, even though the case worker has done her research about Marin's needs carefully. Parallel to Marin's new placement is the constant restlessness of the San Francisco earthquake's rumblings beneath her, AND an owl that watches Marin's activities with concern, ever protective of her waif like charge. The pacing of this story is masterful, mesmerizing the reader with concern for the child's safety and her ominous future. A beautiful tale full of possibilities, until the very end.

[Cassie Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You and I are like two halves of a bone trying to connect after a bad break." This story pulled on my heart strings big time. I can absolutely relate to Marin in so many ways. I love the intertwined messages of the Owl's thoughts, Marin, and Gilda (the social worker). This story is in our #MockNewbery and it's one that will definitely give the students opportunities to think deeply.

[Aliza Werner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully crafted in its storytelling and delicately handled in its subject matter. Abandoned by her mother at a young age, Marin has bounced from foster home to foster home. When her social worker brings her the news that a woman is interested in adopting her, Marin wonders if her birth mother might still actually want her back. Like the San Francisco ground beneath her feet, her future may be on shaky ground. Perhaps the best thing to do is to hold tight to the most steady thing in her life.

[The Reading Countess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poetic. Gorgeous tale about being open to love despite your weariness of being hurt. While our past colors our present, it doesn't have to define us in ways that we don't wish it to. We can be mothered by people other than the one who birthed us, and we can detect and even accept when motherhood doesn't fit the person we called 'mother.' Broken wings can heal. Hearts can be filled. Flipped pennies can all turn up heads.
Highly recommended
The writing reminded me of MAYBE A FOX.

[Michele Knott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved how the story was written with the different narrators and what each narrator contributed to the story. The quick pace had me finishing this book quickly, yet it already landed a spot in my heart.

[Scott Fillner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short chapters, diffenerent perspectives, sage advice, opportunities 4 discussion, & strong writing. Yes, I am putting this on my #MockNewbery

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

While my rating was only 3 stars, I do think that plenty of other people might like this book more than I did. The story was just a bit too slow/ephemeral for me, especially considering its intended audience (middle grade readers).

Marin is on a mission to find her mother. The mother who walked away from her when she was 4 years old. The mother who has not ever tried to contact her. The mother who has signed papers officially giving her up and allowing adoption proceedings to begin. Marin is sure that if she can just find her mother everything will be OK. But, as the side story of plate tectonics warns the reader, eventually all of the pressure and tension has to have a release. And it isn't usually peaceful.

This was a book for middle grade readers that read like literature. I just wasn't a huge fan. I would recommend for purchase if a school/teacher had a plan for using it in lit circles or if there were strong, young readers who needed some realistic fiction choices.

[Christina Hanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The bird who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones." This is just one bit of wisdom from the owl in @melanieacrowder's latest book, Three Pennies.
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Marin has been bounced around foster homes since she was four years old. Despite all of her moves, she always carries with her three pennies and a book, I Ching (The Book of Changes). Now that she's eleven, Marin is becoming even more curious as to who her birth mother is, and thinks if she finds her, Marin can convince her they belong together. But things start to suddenly change for Marin when her most recent foster home is a place she thinks could call home permanently. And now every time she flips her three pennies, the I Ching isn't giving her the answers she wants. Marin's future is becoming just as uncertain as the San Andreas Fault beneath San Francisco.
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Set in San Francisco and told from the perspectives of Marin; Gilda, a social worker; Lucy, a doctor and Marin's current foster mother; and Owl, Three Pennies is a wonderfully told story of curiosity, determination, and hope. With its short chapters, this would make a great read aloud, and one that I'll be adding to our Mock Newbery in the fall.

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading Three Pennies, I can say that Melanie Crowder's books will always have a place on the shelves in my 5/6 classroom. They are great stories, well told. I categorized Three Pennies as "realistic" even with occasional chapters from an owl's perspective, mostly because it's not the fanciful world that I fell in love with in A Nearer Moon. Three Pennies is a tribute to foster kids and the good-hearted adults, both social workers and foster parents, who work hard to find them homes.

[Tricia Douglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 4.5 Marin has been shuffled through foster homes and now has the possibility of being adopted. Using I Ching and three pennies she tries to answer and solve her problems and fears of change that revolve around her. She still hopes to find her birth mother and find out why she left Marin on her own. A good book about a topic many children would like to read about.

[Sherry Guice · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very quick and beautiful read...alternating story of a young girl who is struggling to find her mother and the owl who watches it all...

[Kiersten Engle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book so much it’s like a mixture of happiness and sadness and it’s such a sweet book and so easy to read Marin and Lucy are the best family ever there like two halves United into one

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice little story that wrapped up neatly. Kids will find this a satisfying read.

[Moon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Short, with many points of view, and sweet.

[Mary Louise Sanchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marin lives in San Francisco and is going to undergo a big change, after living in foster homes for many years. A single, Asian woman doctor is interested in possibly adopting Marin but Marin wants to find her birth mother first and convince her that they can still be a family. When Marin moves in with the doctor, she searches for her mother, using her own name as a clue. Then, shifts take place in Marin's life, just like the shifting tectonic plates in the Bay area.

This story is told from the viewpoints of three main characters: Marin; the social worker, Gilda, and an owl.

[Christine Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet story absolutely it a girl I foster care struggling to come to terms with the fact that her mother gave her up.

[Declan]

I think this is a great book that opens up what being abandoned really feels like. This book has a theme of excepting changes that you originally thought were bad.

[Vernon Area Public Library KIDS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Melanie Crowder writes a book about family. After Marin is abandoned by her mother, she gets bounced around from one foster care home to another. The only thing that keeps her going is the secret dream that her birth mother will eventually come back to her. When she finally is given the opportunity to be with a loving woman who really wants her, Marin struggles with giving up her dream. Recommended for students in grades 4-6.
Reviewed by Carol Kaner, Youth and School Services, Vernon Area Public Library

[Tamsyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful short story (novel), great for 4th grade and up, about Marin, a girl abandoned by her mother at 4 years to the foster care system in San Francisco. Marin has never given up hope that she will be reunited with her mother, but, at 11, she is now eligible to be adopted by a family. What happens when she is placed with a potential adoptive mother and her attempts to track down her birth mother (under the watchful eye of a neighbor's owl) and her habitual use of the I Ching made for a heartwarming tale.

[Meredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Crowder's writing is lovely, and I can see this as a Newbery contender. However, as a reader, I was frustrated by several things:

1. Is this really written for kids? p. 82: "What weighs more -- a city or an ocean? Both press down upon the earth with the ponderous weight of the souls they carry. Below the leagues of water, below the sand and the skeletons of sunken ships and the bones of creatures who lived and thrashed about and sank to the ocean floor thousands of years ago, the tectonic plates that held it all up groaned." Beautiful language, but I can only think of 2 out of 600 of my students who would stick with it.

2. When is this supposed to be taking place? Would a video store still be in business and have records from 2007 and would an 11-year-old say "Can you tell me if T.W. is still granted privileges on the account"?

3. Does Owl really need to be in this book? And is anyone going to credit Confucius for his quotes? He flew away with one of the stars I was going to give.

4. HOW DOES THE I-CHING WORK? I was still very confused ... what did the coins have to do with drawing little lines? I had to Google it after I looked up Owl's quotes.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

I say this with a very usually-open but currently-judging heart; how anyone could give this book less than five stars absolutely blows my mind. ‪This book is proof that it only takes 181 pages to get ALL the feels... fear, loss, love, and hope. Absolutely bawling our eyes out in the best of ways.

- - -


“Well, I had someone whom I really loved. And she loved me, too. But the ground shook terribly one day, as it does sometimes, and she didn’t make it out of a building that collapsed.”

“A heart is divided into four chambers. There’s a left ventricle and a right ventricle, a right atrium and a left atrium. Students of medicine will tell you all about the functions of each part, pumping blood in and out, constricting and releasing. And all that’s true - but I also like to think each chamber is responsible for a different kind of love. One for family. One for friends. Maybe another for pets and really special teachers or something.
Anyway, she filled up my whole chamber for romantic love. It’s still full of her, all these years later. There’s no room for anyone else...
What about you? Do you have any room left?”

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid little novel with highly likable characters. You will root for everyone and not be disappointed that the happy ending was a tad predictable. Still not sure what the owl's significance was, but enjoyed its inclusion. I plan to purchase for my elementary library based on it dealing with a foster kid and a deadbeat parent.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I picked this up to read a few chapters, but before I knew it, I'd read the entire thing in one sitting. I absolutely adored this book, so I'm gonna gush a little.

With a storytelling style reminiscent of DiCamillo, a theme similar to another of my favorites (Beasley's Gertie's Leap to Greatness), and divination as an element of the novel, perhaps I shouldn't be as blown away as I am, and yet.

There are so many things to love about Three Pennies; from the care the author took to research the foster care system, to the beautiful imagery and sparkling writing, to how well-rounded and genuinely clever Marin is as a protagonist, to just how stinkin' heartwarming it is. I'm enamored with this little gem.

The adults in the story are just as believable and flawed as the kids are, and Crowder illustrates this beautifully by exploring their thoughts in a complex way that feels oh-so human. Even the poor decisions any of them make can be excused once you see the world through their eyes.

Marin, unlike many young people in fiction, is portrayed as determined, but not stubborn, and that was an immensely refreshing experience. There is a fine line in middle-grade fiction between depicting children as "knowing what they want" and "obnoxious brat", and Crowder navigates this easily through showing us that Marin is not impervious to change, even when she thinks she is.

Another thing I loved was that Crowder didn't feel it necessary to over-explain details. One part that stood out to me was when one of the characters complimented some calligraphy art hanging on a wall, but the reader is offered no explanation of what that art may look like. Too often do authors feel it necessary to spoon-feed aesthetics of a story to the audience, but Crowder put all of her effort into the intricacies that actually mattered and no "filler". Unless it's direly important, just state what it is and move on. Excellent.

At the end, every little thread in the plot is tied up in a neat little bow. It's incredibly gratifying to read something that was clearly carefully planned and executed without being heavy-handed.

I can keep going! Bonus points for queer representation in the form of an all-around admirable adult, bonus points for also showing that not all parents are inherently decent people, bonus points for all the warm fuzzies I got reading this.

Now... when I write reviews, I do force myself to address things that felt a bit off to me in the novel. My only criticisms are
1) the beginning of the story was a bit jarring in terms of knowing Marin as a person with hobbies or interests, as her entire character seemed to be introduced and based on the problems in her life. I initially thought her personality was a bit flat, but as the story progressed, it bothered me less and less.
2) ***SPOILER*** The mention of the word "love" in relation to how Lucy felt about Marin came off a few chapters premature in my eyes. A heavy emotion like that I think would typically be saved for the resolution of the story, so having it tossed in there before the pair had faced their first large hardship together caught me off-guard. ***/SPOILERS***

Clearly, those criticisms didn't hamper my enjoyment of the novel. An absolute treat to read, and now one of my favorites on my shelf. I would recommend this to pretty much everybody, especially those who've experienced trauma due to family members or just want to be hugged by a book.

[Aurora · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This book is right at the edge of children's/middle-grade. The writing style reminds me a lot of classic children's books, where it doesn't have a true narrator per se but does feel like someone is telling you a story. It took me a few (incredibly short) chapters to get used to, but after that, I found it rather charming.

This book is very understanding of the fact that Marin still feels connected to her birth mother, and her struggle to accept how much she likes her foster mother because of that. Those are pretty complex feelings, and Crowder hit exactly the right balance of showing and telling needed to make that work for a children's book. It also portrayed every character as having valid reasons for thinking, feeling, and acting the way they do, even when they don't match up with one another. There is no "bad guy," not really. Even Marin's mother's decision to abandon her is treated sympathetically, without dismissing the pain it caused. It's unusual to see a children's book take such an honest look at what the adults in the story are dealing with, and rarer still to do so in a way that makes it clear that they aren't more (or less) correct or important than how the children feel about it. They're just human beings who don't have everything figured out and are trying their best to keep it together.

Marin's foster mother, Lucy, is wonderful. She really wants a child, and she seems to be exactly the sort of person who should have one. She is kind and understanding towards Marin even when Marin tries to push her away, and tells her she knows she can't replace her mother and doesn't expect to. The chapters that focus on Lucy spend a lot of time on what it means to be a mother, which is an unusual topic for a kid's book that, again, is executed wonderfully.

Every few chapters is from the perspective of an owl that lives nearby, which is yet another element that makes it feel a lot like classic children's books to me. The owl chapters don't add a whole lot, but they make the story feel more significant, and the owl's perspective is enchanting. I can see them being a mark against the book for some, though.

There are only two minor things keeping me from giving it 5 stars. First, the writing style limits the audience a bit. It's beautiful, but I don't think it'd appeal to most non-readers, which is unfortunate given how well it handles the topics it addresses. Second, there are a few places where the plot feels a bit weak--not terribly so, by any means, but just enough to hold it back from being as amazing overall as a lot of the elements were. Honestly, I'm a bit torn on whether it's really enough to warrant dropping it to 4.5, but I also try to factor in memorability when I'm undecided about a rating, and it has an airy and removed quality to it that makes me unsure how well it'd stick for most people.

Solidly recommend for children about 8-12, teens/adults who are okay with the simple writing style, and children about 6-8 who are able to understand and handle the topics of loss and adoption presented in a child-friendly way. Especially recommend to anyone the subjects personally resonate with

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mixed thoughts on this one. This is one where I really want to hear from my middle grade readers after they've read it.

Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Marin strives to be invisible as she bounces from foster home to the next waiting on her mom to come back. Her story and the characters are believable. When Marin discovers that her mom is relinquishing her rights to Marin, Marin is determined to do what it takes to track down her mom - even if it means disappointing and hurting her potential adoptive mother, Dr. Lucy.

I loved the beautiful writing style. Poignant, but overall hopeful. I also liked Dr. Lucy Chang's analogies about the heart and loss. Four chambers of her heart devoted to different kinds of love, and even though one of her chambers is full, she still has lots of room left. Or her analogy about kidneys and to not think of her as her new mother, but rather a new kidney, ready to do this new job.

I appreciated how the diversity was just there and a part of the story. Not THE story if that makes sense. (Marin is presumably white and adopted by an Asian-American lesbian doctor.)

The same beautiful writing, introspective nature, and multiple perspectives that I loved could be the things that cause some of my middle grade readers not to like it as well. I think it will take a certain type of reader for this book. As I was reading it, I instantly had a couple kids pop into my mind, so I know there is the perfect audience out there. Just know it isn't for every kid.

The inclusion of the owl was a bit interesting. I could have done with or without it. My readers that I'm thinking of will probably like the inclusion of the owl.

This would be a nice choice for a mentor text about word choice and descriptive writing.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel bad that I didn't like this book more.

I've only heard great things about it and was looking forward to reading it.

The writing is beautiful: poetic, descriptive, lyrical, and philosophical.

We have some unusual view points: fault lines deep beneath the earth, a formerly injured owl, a rule following CPS employee, an accomplished doctor who longs for a child, and Marin, a girl who desperately wants her mother to come and reclaim her from her foster home.

The story was lovely, exploring motherhood, belonging, and whether or not to follow the rules at all times.

I think my problem lay in the fact that there were so many perspectives for a 181 page book. Additionally, there was the dilemma (for me) of the inclusion of the I Ching. I personally did not find the inclusion compelling; in fact, it was pretty confusing to me how the I Ching worked.

I am a little surprised at how many reviews recommend this as a classroom read. I can think of many parents and students that would object to reading a book with so much fortune telling in it and many who would choose for their child to opt out of the book.

Another reviewer thought that the inclusion of Owl was unnecessary and, while I quite liked Owl, I thought so as well.

I don't know--this is the type of book that, frankly, makes me feel dense. There are so many themes, tied together strands of meaning, poetic phrases that, in the end, it makes me feel like I've missed much of what the book was actually trying to say. This is why I rated the book 3 stars and not 2 because, while this wasn't the book for me, there was much to objectively like about it.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marin has been in the foster care system for seven years with her only constants being a piggy bank, three pennies, and a pocket-size I Ching, a divination text. The answers have never been clear when Marin casts her pennies down and interprets them from her tiny book, but things become even more muddled as she begins to find a true forever home. A forever home would mean her birth mother could never claim her again... is that what she really wants?

Marin's journey is both emotional and physical as she discovers the different kinds of love in a family and travels to finds answers about her birth mother. The different perspectives allow readers to glimpse the good in each character as well as their struggles. While Crowder streamlines the foster care and adoption process to fit into a short story, this works perfectly with the introspective nature of the characters and the overall flow of each short chapter.

But... the owl... Within the alternating narrations, we occasionally travel to an owl's perspective. This seemed incongruous within the story as there are no other references or explanations as to the importance of owls to the characters and he has no effect on the story. The gentle creature is simply another observer... and a mildly random one at that.

This would be great for fans of Kathi Appelt's Maybe a Fox or other lyrical fantasies. Readers who are encountering the foster system (from elementary on through adult) may identify with the story and enjoy the closure Marin experiences.

[Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Most of us can rely on something good in our lives. Our parents' love. The constancy of a family pet. A pesky little sister or a know-it-all older brother and the perpetual flip-flop of siblings between affection and annoyance." But for the more than 400,000 children and adolescents living in foster care in the United States, many have nothing to rely on and many of them never lose the hope that a parent is waiting to reunite with them.

When Marin was four, her mother gave her up. By the time she was eleven and her mother had signed away her parental rights, she had lived in three foster homes where she was nothing more than a paycheck and two group homes; she had learned to become invisible; and she had never been loved. Dr. Lucy Chang had survived her own loss and was ready to open her heart to a child. But before she could adopt Marin, Marin had to stop planning to leave good to find her mother, the mother she was sure would want her. When Marin does find her mother and then discovered her mother's paper wishes, she learns that seven years before, not only did she wish …I was free," but more importantly, "I wish better for Marin than me."

The novel by Melanie Crowder, author of the wonderful historical verse novel Audacity, is short and beautifully written. Though published in 2017, the writing has more of a classic tone and I am not sure that would appeal to many adolescent readers. However, the very short chapters would make the novel a good daily teacher read-aloud.