Arly

by Robert Newton Peck

Although Arly Poole seems bound to follow in his father's footsteps as a field worker in Jailtown, Florida, where his family lives in 1927 in the shadow of a cruel boss, his world suddenly seems larger when a schoolteacher comes to town.

Genres: Young Adult, Childrens

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Robert Newton Peck is an American author of books for young adults. His titles include Soup and A Day No Pigs Would Die. He claims to have been born on February 17, 1928, in Vermont, but has refused to specify where. Similarly, he claims to have graduated from a high school in Texas, which he has also refused to identify. Some sources state that he was born in Nashville, Tennessee (supposedly where his mother was born, though other sources indicate she was born in Ticonderoga, New York, and that Peck, himself, may have been born there). The only reasonably certain Vermont connection is that his father was born in Cornwall.

Peck has written over sixty books including a great book explaining his childhood to becoming a teenager working on the farm called: A Day no Pigs would Die

He was a smart student, although his schooling was cut short by World War II. During and shortly after the conflict, he served as a machine-gunner in the U.S. Army 88th Infantry Division. Upon returning to the United States, he entered Rollins College, graduating in 1953. He then entered Cornell Law School, but never finished his course of study.

Newton married Dorothy Anne Houston and fathered two children, Anne and Christopher. The best man at the wedding and the godfather to the children was Fred Rogers of Mr. Roger's Neighborhood fame.

A Day No Pigs Would Die was his first novel, published in 1972 when he was already 44 years old. From then on he continued his lifelong journey through literature. To date, he has been credited for writing 55 fiction books, 6 nonfiction books, 35 songs, 3 television specials and over a hundred poems.

Several of his historical novels are about Fort Ticonderoga: Fawn, Hang for Treason, The King's Iron.

In 1993, Peck was diagnosed with oral cancer, but survived. As of 2005, he was living in Longwood, Florida, where he has in the past served as the director of the Rollins College Writers Conference. Peck sings in a barbershop quartet, plays ragtime piano, and is an enthusiastic speaker. His hobby is visiting schools, "to turn kids on to books."

—From Wikipedia

For more information, please see http://www.answers.com/topic/robert-n...

Reviews

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stumbled across this slim novel on an Accelerated Reader booklist while looking for middle school literature for my grandson. It’s an interesting choice in that the dialect would be something new, but there are definitely adult themes. The story is a heart wrenching slice of a “picker’s life” in Florida 1927, with both inspiring characters and vile characters. Nearly 100 years since the setting of the story, I looked up what can be found on the lives of “pickers” in Florida today. There is a lot to discuss in how our food gets to our table. There is also a lot to discuss on whether this book should be read in middle school. In the story, a fifteen year old girl decides that her best option in life is to work in an establishment where her job is to "socialize" the men. It's a harsh reality still.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This started out pathetically lewd and dealt with some mature material. The redeeming part of this sorry tale was a heroic lady who saw potential in people and sought to make a difference. Worth reading, but I would not recommend it for children or even young teens.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Touching and sad and hopeful.