Strays Like Us

by Richard Peck

Molly Moberly knows she doesn't belong in this small Missouri town with her great-aunt Fay. It's just a temporary arrangement--until her mother gets out of the hospital. But then Molly meets Will, a fellow stray, and begins to realize she's not the only one on the outside. In fact, it seems like the town's full of strays--only some end up where they belong sooner than others. Richard Peck has created a rich, compassionate story that will go straight to the heart of every kid who's ever felt like an outsider."This sensitive heroine is one readers will want to take under their wing." -- Publishers Weekly , starred review

Genres: Childrens, Realistic Fiction, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Fiction, Contemporary

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Richard Peck was an American novelist known for his prolific contributions to modern young adult literature. He was awarded the Newbery Medal in 2001 for his novel A Year Down Yonder. For his cumulative contribution to young-adult literature, he received the Margaret A. Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 1990.

Reviews

[Beth Hutto · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very different book than I normally read. It was pretty good though! It's from the perspective of a 12 yo girl (Molly) who goes to live in a strange town with her Aunt Fay. All 15 chapters are different things that are happening in her life. There's not really an action plot, all character-driven.

[Devin Ramos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strays Like Us by Richard Peck was very enjoyable. The book was made in 1998 and it's genre is considered fiction. The story is about a girl named Molly who is forced to move in with her great Aunt Fay because her mother is a drug addict. Throughout the story, Molly is coping with the fact her mother is not there to support her. In her new town she is also struggling to feel apart of the community. The story begins with Molly in a tree and she meets a new friend in her new town, and they have a conversation. The new friend she made is a boy named Will.
The story is told through Molly's eyes and she explains her new life in the town. The majority of the story does not follow chronological order. For example, on page 47 it says, "... the kind of thing about about Aunt Fay... I didn't know if she liked me." The next page the subject changes to Molly celebrating Halloween. This tells me that the author wanted to ease Molly's conflicts with a happier thought. The plot of Strays Like Us is pretty straight forward. It clearly states what Molly is going through.
The protagonists in Strays Like Us is Molly, Aunt Fay, and Will. These are the protagonists because they all interact with one another and try to make things best with one another. The antagonist are Rocky Roberts and Mrs.Voorhees. Mrs.Voorhees is an antagonist because she is always starting a problem with Aunt Fay. Rocky Roberts is an antagonist because he pushed Molly and started a fight with her. The most interesting characters in the book are Molly and Will. They are the most interesting because they both can talk about the same things with their experiences that happened. The most boring character is Tracy Pringle. She is the most boring person in the book because she just goes to the library everyday.
The author in the book is trying to teach a moral. The lesson that the author wants readers to know is you can still fit in with a new community. The theme that the author is saying to the reader is very believable. It is believable because everyone has been in a position where we all had to get use to something we were not comfortable with.
Strays Like Us was a very good book and I would read it again. This is a good book because it had a lot of drama and emotion in it. I would also read another book by Richard Peck because of how good this one was. This book is made for readers who are either in 6th or 7th grade. You can purchase this book at Amazon for $3.99 as a hardcover book.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It's short and an easy read. I was hooked from the get-go. It's a book about how none of our lives are perfect, and everybody has secrets. It's about the fact that everybody is dealing with something. And I must say I was completely surprised at the end.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I enjoy Richard Peck's writing style so much. This book dealt with some serious issues in a great way. I felt very drawn to the characters - especially by the end - as you find out all the "secrets" everyone has. I would recommend this to older teenagers and adults.

[hpboy13 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not Peck's best work, but still an enjoyable read.

[KWinks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could find someone who writes adult novels as well as Peck writes middle grade. There is not one wasted word here and he never gets bogged down in details or descriptions. In fact, in this one, it's not even clear where this story is taking place and it feels out of time as well-there is a brief mention of computers.
I loved this story simply because it has everything I love in stories: a child who needs a home, people who struggle financially but who are noble, rich people who come off as complete asshats, and kids who are as smart as the adults. In fact, Molly drops some insights on life that made me tear up but never once doubt that someone who had gone through what she went through would see the world like that.
Peck doesn't psychoanalyze or baby the reader with explanations. Some of his characters are this way and that is how it is. Will's grandfather, for example, is forgetful and wanders out of the house in search of a supper he has already had. It's everyone's job to help out with him, because IT IS. Molly does not question, she accepts.
Peck gets the world of kids. I could actually smell my middle school while reading this.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

The other books I've read by Richard Peck have been either fantasies (like those of the mice on board the ship) or humorous. This one has humour, but it's more sparse, and it focuses more on emotions of two kids whose parents have effectively abandoned them. Peck's not afraid to deal with the emotions of kids of this age or their angsts and concerns, and he does it with his usual considerable skill.

[Marie Kuta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughtful and entertaining

An excellent read for teens and adults. Its about a 12 yr old girl who is sent to live with her great aunt, a temporary arrangement until her mother is 'well enough' to take care of her. author captures feelings of loneliness and hope on a deeply emotional level while unravelling mysteries and secrets.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good story about a girl who comes to live with her aunt and learns about life, people's experiences, and more about her family than she thought possible. There's a few small mysteries and one really great twist towards the end.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me until Chap 9 - but I am always willing to give Richard Peck the chance. He can be so sympathetic to young adults without imposing.

[Christopher Raffa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sad and dark tale, but with a decent ending

[Kennedy Online · Rating 5 out of 5]

I relate to this book being low-income, and feeling like a stray myself. And knowing there are like the name implies Stays like us. :)

Thx Ms Hamilton for putting me on peak :3

[Shanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Molly is just about to enter junior high. Her mother is a drug addict, and Molly is sent to live with a distant relative, Aunt Fay. Molly figures out that she isn't the only one with a difficult non-traditional family.

[Garrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its a book for young teens that, sadly, doesn't make the impact its trying to. Actually it barely makes a mark. If the writer had displayed more emotion coming from the characters at all in the book, it would seem to hold things together more or at the very least humanize them so the reader could find a way to relate.
The situation that Molly is in with her mother is somewhat-rare among teens these days and while reading through the book it shows that Richard Peck was never in that situation (in fact, he was in his 60s when he wrote this book. I don't think he really knew where to go or how to relate to a young audience). I can't imagine a young girl not rebelling for this type of thing.

Molly is blandly written, hardly ever speaking and when she does its never a turning point for the story. When the book does have turning points, she remains silent. The book is from her perspective but doesn't really give an insight to her thoughts aside from a few occasions. Its just her describing things. If it weren't for the picture on the cover you would never know what to imagine her looking like.
While the character of Will is presented as a main right from the start, he eventually just fades to the background. I, myself, at one point expected a relationship to bud between Molly and Will but nothing ever comes of it. Had the book been longer then maybe something more could have been fleshed out.
I think the character with the most dialogue is her Great Aunt Fay, who shows more personality than any of the rest. Side characters such as Tracy and her mom, Mrs. Voorhees, and Rocky Roberts are given enough page time to let the reader know they're there. They simply don't matter and that's a shame.

The main drag is the slow character development, if you can call it that. More could have been done in regards of character interaction, back stories, and overall presentation. The ending to the book happens in the last two chapters and the final is a repeat of the very first, taking up as little as two pages in the paperback. Its an easy read and will take less than 12 hours to breeze through, provided your attention span holds out.

[Becca Hay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This realistic fiction novel follows Molly right after a social worker dumps her off at her great Aunt Fay's house. Never having a home, all Molly ever had was Debbie, her mother. But when her mother is put in a "hospital" of sorts, Molly is forced to start a new life in a strange old town which holds many secrets. During the summer, the boy next door, Will, tries to make friends with Molly and discovers they have a similar story, they are both strays. As Molly copes with starting a new school, and holds on to the eternal hope of Debbie coming back, she comes to learn the secrets of the town she lives in and, with the guidance of her Aunt Fay, finds a place which she can finally call home. Being a big fan of the other works by this author, Richard Peck, I was eager for another "Year Down Yonder" tale but got something quite different. Though not the most engaging of beginnings, the plot line picks up towards the end and in true Peck-fashion, all miscellaneous threads at the beginning of the story are picked up and tied together at the end, weaving one interconnected story of love, loss, hope and family. The characters aren't quite as in depth as I would have hoped, though Peck, true to form, creates the strong adult figure of Aunt Fay, who, gruff though she may be, becomes the medium through which Molly heals while still retaining her autonomy. I did enjoy this book. I would suggest it to a 11+ audience as it does deal with some sensitive issues current in our day. Over all the three-star rating reflects the good plot as well as the interesting way Peck ties all elements together. However, what I found this work lacked the most was truly engaging situations which brought me as the reader into the situation the character is experiencing. It's a good read if you have the time but I wouldn't suggest going out of your way to read it.

[Kermit · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Richard Peck, and this was one of his books that I had never read. A young girl, Molly, goes to live with a distant relative in a small midwestern town because her mother is a drug addict. She makes friends with the boy next door who is living with his grandparents because he also had absent parents.
Part of the story deals with finding out that the boy, Will,--his father is really living in the upstairs room of the grandparents and dying of AIDS. When the community finds this out, Will bleeds slightly while playing school football, and no one wants to be around his blood because they think he may have "caught" the same disease from his father.
The copyright of this book is 1998---and at the time it was written, it would have been similar to the real story of that famous young man, Ryan White, and his efforts to help people be less afraid of AIDS.
Now, though, in 2010, it would be hard for young readers to relate to or even understand the hooplah over AIDS.

[M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It's good for kids who do not live in stable or permanent living situations and very good for kids who need to understand these others. Molly is living with a great-aunt by marriage, having been placed there while her mother is "in the hospital." Will lives next door with his grandparents. His dad is "in jail." Neither explanation is quite right, but most of their classmates accept them. Other kids have other reasons for feeling that they don't belong. I read somewhere a description of foster kids--think of them as sticky notes. The more times they're taken off and reattached to a new sheet of paper, the less stickiness remains. Molly is so sure she will be gone soon that she tries hard not to make any ties, but after a while she learns some of the secrets of her past (and Will's life) that let her allow herself to belong.

[Ayana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Narrator's Perspective


The perspective of this story was definetly 1st perspective. I know that because Molly, the main character in the book, used word like I and He to describe her life style. She mostly talked about how she didn't want any friends and she tried to stay in the croud so she wouldn't be notice. Molly in most of the book describes herself as a stray. In this story a stray is a person who would never be considered on of the people and would never fit in. She calls her self that because she is an orphan and she feels like everyone else in her environment doesn't know what that feels like.

"He sat up in the tree next to me tring to get me to talk, but I simply ignored him. For I wasn't tryin' to be anyone's buddy or pal. I was just hoping he would see that I ain't talkin' back and find somethin' else to do with his time." (Peck 16)

[cheyenne · Rating 3 out of 5]

the plot in this book is that molly moves in with her "aunt". she meets will who is ever nice and cares about her becuase they both are going though the same stuuf. his parents idn't around and her parents aren't around too. so they get along good he waits for her in the morning and they go to school together.
a connection that i have to both of them is that my dad isn't around to. so i just live with my mom but they live with there Aunt or other family member. and they both are upset at there parents for not there for them when they need them.
i gave this book 3 stars out of 5 stars. becuase some times this book wasn't so good but most of the time it was good. if you like books about friendship this is a good book for you to read.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Molly has been dumped with her Great-Aunt Fay. Her mother has left her amny times before and the knowledge we gain of life with the woman Molly calls Debbie is that of homelessness. Molly had learned how to cope. She doesn't try to make friends because she won't be there for long. Now at Aunt Fay's, Molly meets Will, another stray child. Aunt Fay is a practical nurse and treats patients in their homes. One of her patients is the spoiled and self-centered Mrs. Voorhees. Aunt Fay also spends a lot of time next door because of Will's father who is dying of AIDS. Molly finds out several secrets before the year is up as she comes to grips with her lot in life and learns to love and trust.

[Dominique Sturkey]

This book is about a girl named Molly who has to go live with her aunt because her mom went away. I think its kind of boring right now, i want to see what happens in the end because obviously her mom is not coming back for her. I want to finish this book but right now it is not exciting. I want to skip pages but than i wont be really reading all of the book. I dont want to just skip all of what im reading now because it could be information in there. This books reminds me of myself because when i had to stay with my aunt for like a week because my parents went away somewhere.

[Bcoghill Coghill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read most, if not all, of Peck's YA novels. This is up to his usual standards. I gave it a three because I did not find anything here that stood out. There are many stories of this sort in the YA universe of the 21st century probably inspired by Richard Peck. That is why I gave in three rather than four stars and I feel a little guilty about not giving it four. If this was the first of the nich-genre I had read I might have given it four or five stars.

[Rudy Guerrero]

This book is pretty interesting. I barely started reading it today and it already has me on hook of wanting to read what's going to happen next. Its based on how the girl is in a small town with other strays since her mom got sent to the hospital because she is sick. She meets a boy before they start school. Its interesting for me because it wants me to know more of how the girl is going to live in that small town and if she'll have any problems or if her mother is even going to come back.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another 7th grade read...about kids who don't fit in due to the fact that they are in a form of foster care. They find eachother prior to the first day of school and bond. It is also a great story that teaches about surviving at school while dealing with circumstances at home that no one is aware of. Good story to help kids understand how and why people are different.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richard Peck is one of those authors that has really grown on me. He has a way with words and unforgettable character dialogue that makes me think his writing is that hard to find combination of simple humor, wit and profoundness. I ended up really enjoying this book. Event though he writes YA, it is often the older matronly characters in his books that shine and steal the show.

[B · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the daughter of a drug addict moves in with her aunt, she meets another "stray."
Well told as well as humorous

[sweet lashea · Rating 3 out of 5]

i loved this book my teacher gave me the book and i really liked it

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I didn't always connect with the characters, and how the two main kids would occasionally go quite some time without any contact with each other. However, still a good plot idea.

[Edith]

im just know reading strays like us but so for the book is good

[Alice Fleury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Molly's story can be adapted to any kid that feels out of place in a world where people belong. In a town where everyone seems to know each other.

Molly is a trooper.