What do you think?
Rate this book
Up from Jericho Tel
Long before there was Dolly the sheep, Jeanmarie Troxell dubbed the look-alike, think-alike girls in her school "clones" and decided she wanted nothing to do with them. That's how Jeanmarie forms an unlikely friendship with another outsider, Malcolm Soo, over an equally unlikely activity -- burying dead animals at the remote spot they name Jericho Tel.
It's at Jericho Tel that Jeanmarie and Malcolm encounter Tallulah, a famous actress who happens to be dead -- although not too dead to send them on a magical quest to find out who stole the famous Regina Stone. But their search leads Jeanmarie and Malcolm to something far more valuable than a missing diamond -- adventure, friendship, and self-knowledge.
It's at Jericho Tel that Jeanmarie and Malcolm encounter Tallulah, a famous actress who happens to be dead -- although not too dead to send them on a magical quest to find out who stole the famous Regina Stone. But their search leads Jeanmarie and Malcolm to something far more valuable than a missing diamond -- adventure, friendship, and self-knowledge.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1986
9 people are currently reading
259 people want to read
About the author
E.L. Konigsburg
63 books1,493 followersElaine Lobl Konigsburg was an American writer and illustrator of children's books and young adult fiction. She is one of six writers to win two Newbery Medals, the venerable American Library Association award for the year's "most distinguished contribution to American children's literature."
Konigsburg submitted her first two manuscripts to editor Jean E. Karl at Atheneum Publishers in 1966, and both were published in 1967: Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth and From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler won the 1968 Newbery Medal, and Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth was listed as a runner-up in the same year, making Konigsburg the only author to win the Newbery Medal and have another book listed as runner-up in the same year. She won again for The View from Saturday in 1997, 29 years later, the longest span between two Newberys awarded to one author.
For her contribution as a children's writer Konigsburg was U.S. nominee in 2006 for the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest international recognition available to creators of children's books.
Konigsburg submitted her first two manuscripts to editor Jean E. Karl at Atheneum Publishers in 1966, and both were published in 1967: Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth and From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler won the 1968 Newbery Medal, and Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth was listed as a runner-up in the same year, making Konigsburg the only author to win the Newbery Medal and have another book listed as runner-up in the same year. She won again for The View from Saturday in 1997, 29 years later, the longest span between two Newberys awarded to one author.
For her contribution as a children's writer Konigsburg was U.S. nominee in 2006 for the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest international recognition available to creators of children's books.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
August 4, 2024
"(D)on't seek great reviews from small minds. They have neither the character nor the vocabulary for them."
—Tallulah, Up from Jericho Tel, P. 107
Eccentric stories are not an outlier to E.L. Konigsburg's award-winning career, but Up from Jericho Tel might be her most eccentric. Jeanmarie Troxell, a sixth-grader, has had a rough go of it since moving with her mother to Singer Grove, New York from Texas. Kids at school show no interest in making Jeanmarie's acquaintance, and her mother works long hours as a security officer at Kennedy International Airport. Jeanmarie's hidden ambition is to be a famous actress, but she's afraid of being laughed at if she tells even her own mother, and she doesn't know her teachers well enough to feel comfortable trying out for school plays. By happenstance, Jeanmarie meets a boy her age named Malcolm Soo when they find a small dead animal close to the bus stop. They bury the poor creature in a clearing by the Empire Estates Mobile Homes Park where they both live—Jeanmarie names the clearing Jericho Tel, to lend it a sense of gravitas—and from that day forth they hold a proper funeral for every dead animal they come across. It's the starting point for a tentative friendship.
"A happy person strikes a balance between doing good and doing well."
—Tallulah, P. 176
When Jeanmarie and Malcolm find a dead Dalmatian near Jericho Tel, they realize burying the dog will be more difficult than doing the same for a squirrel. They need to dig deep with their shovels, and when they do that, the ground they're standing on caves in, depositing the two kids in an underground grotto. There they meet the ghost of Tallulah, a glamorous movie actress who died years ago. The Dalmatian they were about to bury is hers, sent Topside as a test of Jeanmarie and Malcolm's personal character. Tallulah has a couple of other tests to see if they're worthy of sending on her big quest, and when Jeanmarie and Malcolm pass these tests, Tallulah addresses the real reason she has summoned them to her final resting place. When she died, Tallulah wore a gem called the Regina Stone around her neck, a good-luck piece she credited with getting her career off the ground. Tallulah died in the presence of several bohemian friends—Nicolai Ion Simonescu, Patrick Henry Mermelstein, and Emmagene Krebs among them—and though Tallulah loved them all, the Regina Stone was missing from her neck at her time of death. One of her friends had to have taken it, and Tallulah wants Jeanmarie and Malcolm to find out which. She provides them temporary invisibility to head into sensitive areas for the investigation. Observing Tallulah's quirky friends, Jeanmarie and Malcolm see that these people have had a mix of lean and prosperous times since Tallulah's passing, but only one is responsible for taking the Regina Stone. If Jeanmarie and Malcolm complete Tallulah's quest, they will learn the movie star's secret to stardom that both of them want for their own reasons.
"I have never understood why people who have knocked themselves out to become stars, afterwards knock themselves out to prove they're just folks."
—Tallulah, P. 118
"Always use good grammar. It's like wearing designer clothing. People may not like your style, but they will pay attention to the cut of your cloth."
—Tallulah, P. 138
Up from Jericho Tel is a treasure trove of the luminous insights I love E.L. Konigsburg for, but this can't quite rescue the story. Its supernatural elements are numerous, creating a heavy burden to explain them in a way that allows the aspects of realistic fiction to stay anchored in believability. Ms. Konigsburg is capable of that degree of forethought and cleverness, but we see little of it in these pages. Most of her novels range from good to great, but Up from Jericho Tel is a rare failure by this author who produced much excellent literature. I do appreciate the covert reference to her grandchildren—Samuel and Amy Elizabeth—on page one hundred seven. She later used them as characters in three of her picture books from the 1990s. I'm not a fan of Up from Jericho Tel, but I'd bump my rating to one and a half stars because of its memorable quotes. If that's your favorite part of E.L. Konigsburg's writing, this book is worth your time.
—Tallulah, Up from Jericho Tel, P. 107
Eccentric stories are not an outlier to E.L. Konigsburg's award-winning career, but Up from Jericho Tel might be her most eccentric. Jeanmarie Troxell, a sixth-grader, has had a rough go of it since moving with her mother to Singer Grove, New York from Texas. Kids at school show no interest in making Jeanmarie's acquaintance, and her mother works long hours as a security officer at Kennedy International Airport. Jeanmarie's hidden ambition is to be a famous actress, but she's afraid of being laughed at if she tells even her own mother, and she doesn't know her teachers well enough to feel comfortable trying out for school plays. By happenstance, Jeanmarie meets a boy her age named Malcolm Soo when they find a small dead animal close to the bus stop. They bury the poor creature in a clearing by the Empire Estates Mobile Homes Park where they both live—Jeanmarie names the clearing Jericho Tel, to lend it a sense of gravitas—and from that day forth they hold a proper funeral for every dead animal they come across. It's the starting point for a tentative friendship.
"A happy person strikes a balance between doing good and doing well."
—Tallulah, P. 176
When Jeanmarie and Malcolm find a dead Dalmatian near Jericho Tel, they realize burying the dog will be more difficult than doing the same for a squirrel. They need to dig deep with their shovels, and when they do that, the ground they're standing on caves in, depositing the two kids in an underground grotto. There they meet the ghost of Tallulah, a glamorous movie actress who died years ago. The Dalmatian they were about to bury is hers, sent Topside as a test of Jeanmarie and Malcolm's personal character. Tallulah has a couple of other tests to see if they're worthy of sending on her big quest, and when Jeanmarie and Malcolm pass these tests, Tallulah addresses the real reason she has summoned them to her final resting place. When she died, Tallulah wore a gem called the Regina Stone around her neck, a good-luck piece she credited with getting her career off the ground. Tallulah died in the presence of several bohemian friends—Nicolai Ion Simonescu, Patrick Henry Mermelstein, and Emmagene Krebs among them—and though Tallulah loved them all, the Regina Stone was missing from her neck at her time of death. One of her friends had to have taken it, and Tallulah wants Jeanmarie and Malcolm to find out which. She provides them temporary invisibility to head into sensitive areas for the investigation. Observing Tallulah's quirky friends, Jeanmarie and Malcolm see that these people have had a mix of lean and prosperous times since Tallulah's passing, but only one is responsible for taking the Regina Stone. If Jeanmarie and Malcolm complete Tallulah's quest, they will learn the movie star's secret to stardom that both of them want for their own reasons.
"I have never understood why people who have knocked themselves out to become stars, afterwards knock themselves out to prove they're just folks."
—Tallulah, P. 118
"Always use good grammar. It's like wearing designer clothing. People may not like your style, but they will pay attention to the cut of your cloth."
—Tallulah, P. 138
Up from Jericho Tel is a treasure trove of the luminous insights I love E.L. Konigsburg for, but this can't quite rescue the story. Its supernatural elements are numerous, creating a heavy burden to explain them in a way that allows the aspects of realistic fiction to stay anchored in believability. Ms. Konigsburg is capable of that degree of forethought and cleverness, but we see little of it in these pages. Most of her novels range from good to great, but Up from Jericho Tel is a rare failure by this author who produced much excellent literature. I do appreciate the covert reference to her grandchildren—Samuel and Amy Elizabeth—on page one hundred seven. She later used them as characters in three of her picture books from the 1990s. I'm not a fan of Up from Jericho Tel, but I'd bump my rating to one and a half stars because of its memorable quotes. If that's your favorite part of E.L. Konigsburg's writing, this book is worth your time.
Want to read
February 28, 2014I know I read this once, but it was so long ago. I do think that I need to read it again. It made a big impression on me way back when.
September 9, 2019
When somebody gave me Up From Jericho Tel I was thrilled. A book by E.L. Konigsburg I hadn't read; I hadn't even heard of it!
There really wasn't anything for me to like about the story, except Tallulah, who is full of clever quotes:
• My favorite:“Good explanations are like bathing suits, darling; they are meant to reveal everything by covering only what is necessary.”
• “Never have a long conversation between anyone who says ‘between you and I.’”
• “I have never been a fan of fashion but I am a devotee of style. Remember that, darling. Stars have style.”
• “Really, darling, don’t seek great reviews from small minds. They have neither the character nor the vocabulary for them.”
• “I have never understood why people who have knocked themselves out to become stars, afterwards knock themselves out to prove they’re just folks.”
• “Always use good grammar. It’s like wearing designer clothing. People may not like your style, but they will pay attention to the cut of your cloth.”
• My second favorite: “If ever you want to learn the difference between accuracy and truth, look at a photograph of Gertrude Stein and then look at Picasso’s portrait of her.”
Jeanmarie has just moved from Texas to New York City with her mother, and the new school is brutal.
But Tallulah's quotes are sometimes amusing,
There really wasn't anything for me to like about the story, except Tallulah, who is full of clever quotes:
• My favorite:“Good explanations are like bathing suits, darling; they are meant to reveal everything by covering only what is necessary.”
• “Never have a long conversation between anyone who says ‘between you and I.’”
• “I have never been a fan of fashion but I am a devotee of style. Remember that, darling. Stars have style.”
• “Really, darling, don’t seek great reviews from small minds. They have neither the character nor the vocabulary for them.”
• “I have never understood why people who have knocked themselves out to become stars, afterwards knock themselves out to prove they’re just folks.”
• “Always use good grammar. It’s like wearing designer clothing. People may not like your style, but they will pay attention to the cut of your cloth.”
• My second favorite: “If ever you want to learn the difference between accuracy and truth, look at a photograph of Gertrude Stein and then look at Picasso’s portrait of her.”
Jeanmarie has just moved from Texas to New York City with her mother, and the new school is brutal.
The girl clones at Singer Grove were just like the ones in Texas; they knocked themselves out to be like everyone else and then bragged about how they were different. All their differences put into a pot and boiled down wouldn’t spice baby food. By trying to brag about how different they were, they just really showed how alike they were, because all their differences were alike.Jeanmarie, on the other hand, is original: she wants to be a famous actress and definitely has a dramatic streak. One day she finds a dead animal and decides to give it a burial. She meets Malcom Soo, who sees her checking out the dead animal, and they become friends. From there, they meet Tallulah, who is dead, and she sends them on a quest involving several tasks. But none of them are interesting and neither are the other characters.
But Tallulah's quotes are sometimes amusing,
July 13, 2020
Jeanmarie Troxell and Malcolm Soo are two latch-key kids living in a New York trailer park. They become friends when they team up to bury and give funerals for dead animals they find in their neighborhood. Their burial ground is a place they christen Jericho Tel, and it is beneath this makeshift cemetery that they meet Tallulah. Tallulah is a dead actress who enlists Jeanmarie and Malcolm to help her find the Regina Stone, which someone stole from her body as she was dying. In doing Tallulah's bidding, Jeanmarie and Malcolm come to meet some of her eccentric perfomer friends and they work together to solve the puzzle of what exactly happened at the moment of Tallulah's death.
Until now, I thought (George) was E.L. Konigsburg's weirdest novel, but Up From Jericho Tel has definitely given it some competition. What makes it so odd and therefore so intriguing is the fact that so little is explained. Why does Tallulah want the help of these specific kids? What does their burial of dead animals have to do with her finding them? What is the point, really, of seeking out the Regina Stone? The story doesn't really address any of these issues; rather, the reader is just plunked down in the middle of these unlikely events and asked to accept them.
Obviously some of what Konigsburg is trying to get at involves fame, as both Jeanmarie and Malcolm wish to be famous and Tallulah became so during her lifetime. Tallulah also waxes philosophical at every turn, and she has a lot of wonderful one-line insights that really resonated with me. Still, it is impossible to really articulate what this book is truly about; giving a booktalk to a child reader would be difficult to say the least. I think the only way to present it, honestly, is to say it's a Konigsburg book and trust readers who have enjoyed some of her less "out there" books to know what that means and to bring an open mind to the story.
Though it's not my favorite Konigsburg, reading this book was a fun way to spend a few evenings. I don't think I'll be likely to re-read this one any time soon, but it is definitely very different, and despite its many quirks, the quality of the writing is top-notch. Even a not-very-interesting plot is made somehow engaging by Konigsburg's unique voice. With this author, it's never so much what she writes that I enjoy, but how she writes it.
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
Until now, I thought (George) was E.L. Konigsburg's weirdest novel, but Up From Jericho Tel has definitely given it some competition. What makes it so odd and therefore so intriguing is the fact that so little is explained. Why does Tallulah want the help of these specific kids? What does their burial of dead animals have to do with her finding them? What is the point, really, of seeking out the Regina Stone? The story doesn't really address any of these issues; rather, the reader is just plunked down in the middle of these unlikely events and asked to accept them.
Obviously some of what Konigsburg is trying to get at involves fame, as both Jeanmarie and Malcolm wish to be famous and Tallulah became so during her lifetime. Tallulah also waxes philosophical at every turn, and she has a lot of wonderful one-line insights that really resonated with me. Still, it is impossible to really articulate what this book is truly about; giving a booktalk to a child reader would be difficult to say the least. I think the only way to present it, honestly, is to say it's a Konigsburg book and trust readers who have enjoyed some of her less "out there" books to know what that means and to bring an open mind to the story.
Though it's not my favorite Konigsburg, reading this book was a fun way to spend a few evenings. I don't think I'll be likely to re-read this one any time soon, but it is definitely very different, and despite its many quirks, the quality of the writing is top-notch. Even a not-very-interesting plot is made somehow engaging by Konigsburg's unique voice. With this author, it's never so much what she writes that I enjoy, but how she writes it.
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
March 6, 2015
This is not my favorite E.L. Konigsburg book, though I adore her on general principles: she is one of very few authors I've written fan letters to in my life--and she is one of even fewer who responded. Up from Jericho Tel is a strange mishmash of realism with fantastic elements that aren't really fully explained or even made clear for some time into the book--I kept wondering if I was really understanding what was going on. I did enjoy the characters and was interested in the plot, but it just ended up feeling a little thin overall. Maybe with some fleshing out, it could have been a better book.
May 15, 2007
I read this book as I was exploring books to read with/to my 5th and 6th grade class. I ended up loving it and read it to them with all of the voices of different characters! They loved it! And I loved it! Read it!
February 16, 2020
A classic Konigsburg, although I can see why it may not have won a Newberry. The characters are well developed and easy to relate to. However, there is a lot of suspension of disbelief required to even be able to get into Jericho Tel. And I'd think the appropriate age for this book is probably transitioning from magic to tween angst. I love the compassion for dead animals. I love the focus on building character. Emphasis on Tallulah's generosity as a star to three buskers that she took under her wing was great.
November 23, 2023
3.75 stars
as an autistic person, jeanmarie and malcolm are definitely autism coded. ocd too i think. we love to see it
*racism/xenophobia content warning is bc it was the 80s and saying things like "i hate anything other than the english language" was 'okay.'*
CONTENT WARNINGS:
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Bullying, Racism, Xenophobia, and Classism
as an autistic person, jeanmarie and malcolm are definitely autism coded. ocd too i think. we love to see it
*racism/xenophobia content warning is bc it was the 80s and saying things like "i hate anything other than the english language" was 'okay.'*
CONTENT WARNINGS:
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Bullying, Racism, Xenophobia, and Classism
March 28, 2020
Interesting - very different than her other books.
October 29, 2021
What a delightfully weird little book! (The ghost of Tallulah Bankhead sends two children on a quest.)
I don't know how I overlooked this one as a child, but I'm glad that I've read it.
I don't know how I overlooked this one as a child, but I'm glad that I've read it.
November 5, 2017
This was a weird little book. I liked the characters & overall message, but the plot was very odd. It seemed to suffer from genre confusion. It wasn’t magical realism OR realism; the supernatural elements were handled as if they were commonplace & needed no explanation/context. I’m not sure what to make of it!
September 9, 2016
I hate not loving one of her books, but this was a little dated and a little pedantic. Great characters and great moral though.
August 8, 2013
An extremely fanciful tale that I enjoyed once I decided to suspend disbelief.
"Our teacher last year had shown us a film strip of microscopic life in a drop of water, and I thought that it should have had an R rating; I found the unseen world violent, full of sex and with no redeeming social value." What a metaphor. It rings so true (although I think life in a drop of water does have redeeming social value).
"The trouble with logical explanations was that they only made sense. They never explained senses." My emotional self understands the depth of this statement, but when I try to cross over into my left brain to explain it logically, I can't find the words to describe. And that, in and of itself, is a perfect example of the truth of these sentences.
"Our teacher last year had shown us a film strip of microscopic life in a drop of water, and I thought that it should have had an R rating; I found the unseen world violent, full of sex and with no redeeming social value." What a metaphor. It rings so true (although I think life in a drop of water does have redeeming social value).
"The trouble with logical explanations was that they only made sense. They never explained senses." My emotional self understands the depth of this statement, but when I try to cross over into my left brain to explain it logically, I can't find the words to describe. And that, in and of itself, is a perfect example of the truth of these sentences.
May 24, 2008
The best thing here is Konigsburg's depiction of relationship between Jeanmarie and Malcolm Soo. She's unbelievably skilled at creating convincing fictional versions of bookish, precocious pre-pubescents. She gets all the self-satisfaction, dependence on half-understood facts and concepts, and, most of all, the vulnerability and underlying desire for companionship. The banter between Jeanmarie and Malcolm is funny and note-perfect. There's a lot more going on in this book's plot, and the peripheral weirdos that Konigsburg throws in are as intriguing as anything in Louise Fitzhugh or Joan Aiken.
June 19, 2007
not many books around with a dead tallulah bankhead as a main character! another great read.
what i really enjoy about the books of e.l. konigsburg is the way she portrays young adults. they are very real and very distinctive, not stereotypes or wooden dialogue. they are kids i would want to hang out with or know and they are very much self-possessed. some might say they are outsiders, but a key aspect of the books is always friendship and how important it is to have a relationship with at least one peer.
what i really enjoy about the books of e.l. konigsburg is the way she portrays young adults. they are very real and very distinctive, not stereotypes or wooden dialogue. they are kids i would want to hang out with or know and they are very much self-possessed. some might say they are outsiders, but a key aspect of the books is always friendship and how important it is to have a relationship with at least one peer.
November 29, 2007
Sometimes I feel like the inimitable Ms. Konigsburg just puts plot elements into a paper bag, shakes it, pulls out a few, and thinks "YA GOLD!" This one works though: kids who bury dead animals for a hobby, a subterranean Tallulah Bankhead, and a motley collection of buskers, ventriloquists, and inept musicians. Also, there's a jewel-heist mystery. ("I've always wanted to be part of a heist!")
Seriously, this one's impossible to explain, but it's worth reading, and like all Konigsburg books, can be completed in an afternoon.
Seriously, this one's impossible to explain, but it's worth reading, and like all Konigsburg books, can be completed in an afternoon.
March 28, 2016
Not as strong as the other Konigsburg books, but the puzzle is pretty entertaining. It's a bit awkward at first to combine the fantasy/surreal world with the contemporary/everyday setting. And the main characters (especially Jeanmarie) are a bit annoying - and there are some unnecessary conversations about racial (immigrant stereotyping, etc) that will create a controversy nowadays but I guess was still passable during the 80s (when this book was written). Not her best, but it's ok to cure the craving of some Konigsburgs.
February 7, 2010
Quirky characters are Konigsburg's stock in trade, and they are here in abundance. Including, inexplicably and delightfully, the ghost of Tallulah Bankhead. The plot is fairly thin, but it doesn't matter much, because this one's all about how the characters relate to each other and their world. The dialogue struck me at first as stiff and distracting but I soon got used to it.
April 19, 2007
I never hear this book spoken of when people wax rhapsodic about the young adult lit that really moved them. To me, this was as seminal and creative as the Roald Dahls I returned to over and over again. It's got everything! Magic, mystery, Tallulah Bankhead ...
March 7, 2008
I love E L Konigsburg's books. Her quirky characters and plots always keep my interest and resonate with me. I met the author at a children's books conference in Reno in the early 90s, and she's as genuine in person as her books are when read.
May 26, 2012
An enjoyable yarn all the way through--Konigsberg has an agility and depth with young people's voices, and the etchings of their worlds, that is well worth the moment to dip into; and Jericho Tel was a fantastic blend of upside down fantasy and perfect credibility.
June 5, 2014
A very weird book with some pretty stupid philosophical ramblings with no discernible point or truth to them. Just a strange story with a disjointed boring plot. I was annoyed by the characters. I finally started skipping and skimming just to get through it. Egh.
August 14, 2007
my favorite book of all time.
September 23, 2007
I READ THIS BOOK A LONG TIME AGO BUT I REMEMBER THAT THIS BOOK IS GOOD BUT SOME PARTS OF THE BOOK I DIDNT UNDERSTAND
March 29, 2010
My son continues reading through E. L. Konigsburg. This is a mystery that is solved through deduction and magic. A good read.
July 1, 2012
Slightly weirder than A View from Saturday but well worth it just to get to know the character Tallulah.
Read
February 6, 20132012 nov, e710
August 25, 2012
Not one of my favorite E. L. Konigsburg books- it didn't have quite the impact of her more well-known novels. Still, it was a quick & enjoyable read.
November 19, 2012
As an adult I really enjoyed this story. My sixth graders are struggling with it. Giving them some background knowledge on stage acting and old revival scams would have helped comprehension.
May 24, 2013
I couldn't finish it. I didn't like the translation in Japanese. Perhaps I should read in English??
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews