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Faith, Hope, and Ivy June
When push comes to shove, two Kentucky girls find strength in each other.
Ivy June Mosely and Catherine Combs, two girls from different parts of Kentucky, are participating in the first seventh-grade student exchange program between their schools. The girls will stay at each other’s homes, attend school together, and record their experience in their journals. Catherine and her family have a beautiful home with plenty of space. Since Ivy June’s house is crowded, she lives with her grandparents. Her Pappaw works in the coal mines supporting four generations of kinfolk. Ivy June can’t wait until he leaves that mine forever and retires. As the girls get closer, they discover they’re more alike than different, especially when they face the terror of not knowing what’s happening to those they love most.
From the Hardcover edition.
Ivy June Mosely and Catherine Combs, two girls from different parts of Kentucky, are participating in the first seventh-grade student exchange program between their schools. The girls will stay at each other’s homes, attend school together, and record their experience in their journals. Catherine and her family have a beautiful home with plenty of space. Since Ivy June’s house is crowded, she lives with her grandparents. Her Pappaw works in the coal mines supporting four generations of kinfolk. Ivy June can’t wait until he leaves that mine forever and retires. As the girls get closer, they discover they’re more alike than different, especially when they face the terror of not knowing what’s happening to those they love most.
From the Hardcover edition.
288 pages, Library Binding
First published January 1, 2009
83 people are currently reading
2358 people want to read
About the author
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
202 books1,038 followersPhyllis Reynolds Naylor was born in Anderson, Indiana, US on January 4, 1933.
Her family were strongly religious with conservative, midwestern values and most of her childhood was spent moving a lot due to her father's occupation as a salesman.
Though she grew up during the Depression and her family did not have a lot of money, Naylor stated that she never felt poor because her family owned good books. Her parents enjoyed reading stories to the children--her father would imitate the characters in Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer--and her mother read to them every evening, "almost until we were old enough to go out on dates, though we never would have admitted this to anyone."
By the time Phyllis reached fifth grade, writing books was her favorite hobby and she would rush home from school each day to write down whatever plot had been forming in her head - at sixteen her first story was published in a local church magazine.
Phyllis has written over 80 books for children and young people. One of these books, "Shiloh," was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1992, was named a Notable Children's Book by the American Library Association and was also Young Adult Choice by the International Reading Association.
Naylor gets her ideas from things that happen to her or from things she has read. "Shiloh" was inspired by a little abused dog she and her husband found. The little dog haunted her so much that she had to write a story about him to get it out of her mind.
Her family were strongly religious with conservative, midwestern values and most of her childhood was spent moving a lot due to her father's occupation as a salesman.
Though she grew up during the Depression and her family did not have a lot of money, Naylor stated that she never felt poor because her family owned good books. Her parents enjoyed reading stories to the children--her father would imitate the characters in Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer--and her mother read to them every evening, "almost until we were old enough to go out on dates, though we never would have admitted this to anyone."
By the time Phyllis reached fifth grade, writing books was her favorite hobby and she would rush home from school each day to write down whatever plot had been forming in her head - at sixteen her first story was published in a local church magazine.
Phyllis has written over 80 books for children and young people. One of these books, "Shiloh," was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1992, was named a Notable Children's Book by the American Library Association and was also Young Adult Choice by the International Reading Association.
Naylor gets her ideas from things that happen to her or from things she has read. "Shiloh" was inspired by a little abused dog she and her husband found. The little dog haunted her so much that she had to write a story about him to get it out of her mind.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 479 reviews
March 13, 2009
This tale of two 7th-grade Kentucky girls is a bit like the city mouse and the country mouse. The country mouse, Ivy June, comes from one of the poorest parts of Kentucky, mountainous Thunder Creek. The city mouse, Catherine, lives in a big home in Lexington. In an exchange program, Ivy June stays for two weeks at Catherine’s house and then Catherine stays with Ivy June for two weeks.
The idea is not just to see how the other half lives but to puncture stereotypes (on both sides) and to gain new appreciation and knowledge about other ways of life. This does happen – both Ivy June and Catherine are at first taken aback but then learn to see all the important things beneath the surface differences. Despite a few misunderstandings, they even become friends.
Both girls are kind, thoughtful and intelligent, making them fine ambassadors for their respective regions and ensuring that the reader doesn’t have to endure any contrived culture shock crisis. There are some uncomfortable moments for both girls, but they weather them with maturity. Things go relatively smoothly and yet the experiences and thoughts of the two girls (expressed in journal entries that each girl is required to write) are compelling and extremely believable. This being mostly Ivy June’s story, readers really get to know this practical and thoughtful girl and to feel completely comfortable in her world – outhouses, no phones, and all. Catherine’s lifestyle, although probably bearing more resemblance to that of many readers, begins to feel like the exotic one.
It’s almost unnecessary, then, that drama is injected into the story in the form of two disasters, one happening in Catherine’s family and the other in Ivy June’s. It won’t be a spoiler to reveal that Ivy June’s beloved grandfather gets trapped in a mine, as readers will have been expecting it since the beginning of the novel – but I won’t give away the ending. The tension does draw the girls closer together and allows Catherine in particular to gain insight into the close-knit fabric of Ivy June’s community – but this would have been a fine friendship story even without the nail-biting climax (which did bring me to tears – and that’s not giving anything away, I promise!).
This is a thoughtful and well-written exploration of family, friendship and one’s place in the world. For grades 4 to 7.
November 7, 2011
As a children's and Teens' Librarian, I'm often asked for "clean" teen books. It's usually by parents (funny that!) of 12-14 year old girls, whose parents don't think they are ready emotionally for some of the content of teenage books. I'm not in total agreement with their values, but I do try and read books that will fit into this category, as good customer service :)
And I would be happy to recommend this, not just because there's no sex or swearing, but because it's a good read. It's insightful into different lives, looks at perennial tween/teen concerns such as friendship and families, and the beginnings of teenage years and crushes on boys. It's not too light, and not heavy - satisfying.
Ivy June and Catherine are both in Seventh-grade (13 years old?) and are the first to do an exchange between their two schools. While both live in the same American state their lives are very different. Ivy June's family is rural, working class, proud but poor and not well educated - or wanting that necessarily. Catherine's family live in the City of Lexington, are well-off, with Catherine attending the same private school her mother did. Both girls find their two week stay at each other's homes and school an eye-opener. Both deal with friendship issues as a result of the exchange, and both face tragedy that they help each other through.
And I would be happy to recommend this, not just because there's no sex or swearing, but because it's a good read. It's insightful into different lives, looks at perennial tween/teen concerns such as friendship and families, and the beginnings of teenage years and crushes on boys. It's not too light, and not heavy - satisfying.
Ivy June and Catherine are both in Seventh-grade (13 years old?) and are the first to do an exchange between their two schools. While both live in the same American state their lives are very different. Ivy June's family is rural, working class, proud but poor and not well educated - or wanting that necessarily. Catherine's family live in the City of Lexington, are well-off, with Catherine attending the same private school her mother did. Both girls find their two week stay at each other's homes and school an eye-opener. Both deal with friendship issues as a result of the exchange, and both face tragedy that they help each other through.
October 16, 2019
Almost a great book. Maybe I'm jaded, and I wanted a little more depth from Catharine. Maybe I'm naive, and I have a hard time believing that ppl *still* don't have phones and use outhouses. (My grandma got indoor plumbing in rural WI in the 1980s.)
But yeah, respect to our coal miners that give us the power to run our PCs and our smart homes and our electric cars....
(An author's note to explain better about Naylor's research into life in the hills would be very helpful.)
But yeah, respect to our coal miners that give us the power to run our PCs and our smart homes and our electric cars....
(An author's note to explain better about Naylor's research into life in the hills would be very helpful.)
October 31, 2018
The complexity of just what people envy in each other’s lives is masterfully shown in Phyllis Reynolds Naylor’s fiction novel Faith, Hope, and Ivy June. Two Kentucky girls, Ivy June of the small mountain town of Thunder Creek and Catherine of Lexington, are participating in an exchange student program. They each will take a turn to live at the other’s house for two weeks to learn about the way the other lives and see if it matches up to their expectations. Throughout the weeks they are to write in their journals about their experiences to compare how they line up with the stereotypes they have in their minds. Both girls come to learn that it is not things that they envy most about the other, but rather more intangible things and also learn that everyone expresses love in their own way.
Despite the extreme differences in wealth between the two girls, both find that what they desire most about the other’s life is not material things. When Ivy June returns from her stay with Catherine’s affluent family, she thinks about the opera house she visited, how nice fancy clothes would be, or even having the simple luxuries of running water and being driven to school instead of walking; but at the end of her musings, ”those were the small things. She would love a daddy like Catherine’s who asked about her day, inspected her homework… A family who encouraged her to broaden herself and told her how well she was doing when she tried something new” (141-142). Catherine, likewise, wrote in her journal during her stay with Ivy June, who lived with her grandparents because her own family’s home was too crowded for her, “I wish I had grandparents I loved that much” (163). When calamity strikes Thunder Creek and Catherine sees how the community sacrificially gives and gathers around the affected family, she knows she cannot say the same of her own people and writes wistfully that she wonders if Ivy June knows how lucky she has it. As both girls record their experiences in their journals they find that what they long for most of each other’s worlds is not the material but rather the intangible unique blessings given only by God.
Equally important as a lesson, Naylor points out that love looks diverse coming from different people. When Ivy June is homesick, she calls the lonesomeness she has for her mother and father different than that for her grandparents, more of a longing for the relationship she wishes she had with them, but she’s wise enough to see that her parents do love her in their own way. She writes in her journal, “I figure we all [speaking of her family] love each other down underneath where you can’t hardly see it” (37). Catherine experiences the same strained relationship with her worldly-minded Grandmother Rosemary. Naylor shows to the reader through the girls’ experiences that just listening and learning their loved one’s stories goes a long way to bridging the gap and being the one willing to take the first step forward to a deeper relationship. While the love of Catherine’s parents’ and Ivy June’s grandparents was very easy to see, equally existent was the love of Catherine’s grandparents and Ivy June’s mom and dad; love is shown in different ways.
Faith, Hope, and Ivy June is a book this generation will appreciate for its life lessons that show possessions are not what people are most jealous of nor is love a simple passion that always looks the same in people. With local color, realistic portrayal of life, and a beautiful setting Naylor will continue to capture readers of future years with this novel.
Despite the extreme differences in wealth between the two girls, both find that what they desire most about the other’s life is not material things. When Ivy June returns from her stay with Catherine’s affluent family, she thinks about the opera house she visited, how nice fancy clothes would be, or even having the simple luxuries of running water and being driven to school instead of walking; but at the end of her musings, ”those were the small things. She would love a daddy like Catherine’s who asked about her day, inspected her homework… A family who encouraged her to broaden herself and told her how well she was doing when she tried something new” (141-142). Catherine, likewise, wrote in her journal during her stay with Ivy June, who lived with her grandparents because her own family’s home was too crowded for her, “I wish I had grandparents I loved that much” (163). When calamity strikes Thunder Creek and Catherine sees how the community sacrificially gives and gathers around the affected family, she knows she cannot say the same of her own people and writes wistfully that she wonders if Ivy June knows how lucky she has it. As both girls record their experiences in their journals they find that what they long for most of each other’s worlds is not the material but rather the intangible unique blessings given only by God.
Equally important as a lesson, Naylor points out that love looks diverse coming from different people. When Ivy June is homesick, she calls the lonesomeness she has for her mother and father different than that for her grandparents, more of a longing for the relationship she wishes she had with them, but she’s wise enough to see that her parents do love her in their own way. She writes in her journal, “I figure we all [speaking of her family] love each other down underneath where you can’t hardly see it” (37). Catherine experiences the same strained relationship with her worldly-minded Grandmother Rosemary. Naylor shows to the reader through the girls’ experiences that just listening and learning their loved one’s stories goes a long way to bridging the gap and being the one willing to take the first step forward to a deeper relationship. While the love of Catherine’s parents’ and Ivy June’s grandparents was very easy to see, equally existent was the love of Catherine’s grandparents and Ivy June’s mom and dad; love is shown in different ways.
Faith, Hope, and Ivy June is a book this generation will appreciate for its life lessons that show possessions are not what people are most jealous of nor is love a simple passion that always looks the same in people. With local color, realistic portrayal of life, and a beautiful setting Naylor will continue to capture readers of future years with this novel.
November 11, 2009
Well, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor has done it again. She writes stories that pull you right in and make you feel as if you are one of the characters. One of the first things I liked about this book was the teacher. She had the students brainstorming ideas about the unknown. This is the story of two girls from two totally different backgrounds. They will each spend two weeks in each other’s home. Ivy June comes from the poor, coal mining section of Kentucky while Catherine comes from a wealthier area. The teachers wanted Ivy June and Catherine to write down any preconceived ideas they had about the other person’s lifestyle. There were so many connections to make with this book. My father-in-law grew up in the hills of Tennessee and I had spent some time in my childhood living in Lexington, Kentucky. I personally love the mountains. Another connection I made with this book was the ideas they and their friends had about each other. In eighth grade one of my best friends was a girl people talked about because they lived in a very run down house. The love and friendship in her home was not much different than those friends we shared who had lots of money. In the story both girls learn that prejudice can raise it ugly head in all forms. When tough times came they both relied on their friendship to get them through. They both came away learning something about each other’s world and realizing that change can only happen if we open our eyes to the possibilities without judging first. I absolutely loved this book. I cried when each of them faced their own challenge. I laughed when they described taking a bath in the big round tub one after the other. Yes I could relate to a lot of this. It is definitely a book for my shelves.
July 10, 2013
I picked this book up at the Scholastic book warehouse as payment for volunteering. It is always nice going into a book with no expectations. No hype, no rave reviews, no battles, just me sitting and reading a book. Ahhhhh
I really enjoyed this sweet little story. Ivy June Mosley lives in Thunder Creek, KY. A very small mining town that hasn't quite caught up to modern day luxuries. Mostly because the people living there can't afford them. Catherine Combs lives in Lexington, KY and enjoys a normal life in modern day. These girls are chosen to participate in an exchange program.
What follows is an interesting exploration of two different worlds but how people who live so differently aren't that different after all.
At first I was struggling to know what time period this was set in because Ivy June doesn't have a telephone or an indoor bathroom. After reading about Catherine's house, I knew it was modern time because she has a cell phone.
It is hard to believe that there are still people without indoor plumbing, but the author helped to make it more believable and I am sure that those places are still around.
I liked that the author explored questions like "how do you know you want something if you have never had it" and I also really liked that the girls were able to be mature and not be judgmental of each other even though all those around them were.
All in all, this was a great story and I think I will try to get my kids to read it if only to help them see others for who they are and not what they have.
I really enjoyed this sweet little story. Ivy June Mosley lives in Thunder Creek, KY. A very small mining town that hasn't quite caught up to modern day luxuries. Mostly because the people living there can't afford them. Catherine Combs lives in Lexington, KY and enjoys a normal life in modern day. These girls are chosen to participate in an exchange program.
What follows is an interesting exploration of two different worlds but how people who live so differently aren't that different after all.
At first I was struggling to know what time period this was set in because Ivy June doesn't have a telephone or an indoor bathroom. After reading about Catherine's house, I knew it was modern time because she has a cell phone.
It is hard to believe that there are still people without indoor plumbing, but the author helped to make it more believable and I am sure that those places are still around.
I liked that the author explored questions like "how do you know you want something if you have never had it" and I also really liked that the girls were able to be mature and not be judgmental of each other even though all those around them were.
All in all, this was a great story and I think I will try to get my kids to read it if only to help them see others for who they are and not what they have.
January 1, 2010
Living outside Lexington, but having not had much encounter with the Appalachian mountain area of my state, I was fascinated in this contrast and comparison of Ivy June and Catherine. I thought the voices of both characters were realistic for that age girl, and loved the honest journal aspect of the text. I love the theme of understanding, acceptance, and that we are all more similar than we are different. Would that there be many ambassador programs like this among people living in different geographic areas and in different cultural/ethnic situations. My current students in Frankfort, KY are a marvelous combination of Ivy Junes and Catherines. This book should open the minds of both. I love this as a Mother Daughter Book Club Book.
January 24, 2026
This book was so good! I don't think there was a single character I didn't like!
February 26, 2017
This book made me smile from the very first page, and I never stopped wanting to hug it tight. Everything in this book is so lovely and descriptive, from the way Catherine's typical (upper?) middle class home is seen but not vilified through Ivy June's eyes to the way the author describes a below-the-poverty-line way of rural life it's hard to imagine still exists, I felt like I was right there with everything. The emphasis on family and community bonds was by far the most touching part of the latter, though.
October 15, 2010
Sweet, sweet, sweet middle school read about two twelve year old girls who participate in a student exchange program in Kentucky. Catherine lives in Lexington and Ivy June lives in the mountains with her coal mining grandfather. Family, stereotypes, love, friendship, and just sweet!
June 27, 2017
I picked this book up last year at the Scholastic Warehouse Book Sale for $1.00 and wasn't expecting much since it was so cheap. Note to self: Just because a book has a low price doesn't mean it can't be a wonderful story. I really loved this one. There was just so much sweetness and goodness in it, and some lessons we can all take away from it, especially in these troubling times with the political climate that we currently have in this country.
Just because you and another person grew up differently, or live differently, or don't worship the same way, you still may find that you share many things in common and have the same core beliefs.
Ivy June Mosely and Catherine Combs are both the same age and live in Kentucky, but that's seemingly where the similarities end. Ivy June's family lives in Appalachia and are mostly just getting by. Her dad can't find much work and four generations of the family is supported by her PawPaw who works in the coal mines. Catherine and her family live in Lexington. She and her siblings go to private school. She has her own room and bathroom. Ivy June lives with her grandparents and great grandmother since it is too crowded at her house. When both girls are chosen for the first seventh grade exchange program between their schools-they will stay for a week at each other’s homes, attend school together, and record their experience in their journals-they are excited, but also nervous. What will they have in common, if anything? What will they talk about? Will it be difficult to adjust to living with a family that is so different than their own? Will the school be harder or easier than theirs?
Both Ivy June and Catherine are smart, respectful, and kind girls who have loving relationships with their families. They also both have a strength of character that helps get them through some family crises that arise while they are staying at each other's homes. The supportive friendship they have developed with each other over the weeks is a blessing for both during this time. They come away from these weeks with each other not only with a deeper understanding of each others lives, but also a realization that although they come from very different backgrounds, they share a common ground and are very much alike.
Just because you and another person grew up differently, or live differently, or don't worship the same way, you still may find that you share many things in common and have the same core beliefs.
Ivy June Mosely and Catherine Combs are both the same age and live in Kentucky, but that's seemingly where the similarities end. Ivy June's family lives in Appalachia and are mostly just getting by. Her dad can't find much work and four generations of the family is supported by her PawPaw who works in the coal mines. Catherine and her family live in Lexington. She and her siblings go to private school. She has her own room and bathroom. Ivy June lives with her grandparents and great grandmother since it is too crowded at her house. When both girls are chosen for the first seventh grade exchange program between their schools-they will stay for a week at each other’s homes, attend school together, and record their experience in their journals-they are excited, but also nervous. What will they have in common, if anything? What will they talk about? Will it be difficult to adjust to living with a family that is so different than their own? Will the school be harder or easier than theirs?
Both Ivy June and Catherine are smart, respectful, and kind girls who have loving relationships with their families. They also both have a strength of character that helps get them through some family crises that arise while they are staying at each other's homes. The supportive friendship they have developed with each other over the weeks is a blessing for both during this time. They come away from these weeks with each other not only with a deeper understanding of each others lives, but also a realization that although they come from very different backgrounds, they share a common ground and are very much alike.
October 30, 2025
This book was entertaining and engaging. I liked that the characters explored their fears, differences, and similarities. They learned to see their past differently, which was great.
Are seventh-grade exchange students a thing? I’ve only heard of high school exchange students, so this aspect felt unrealistic to me.
Still, the book was quite enjoyable.
Are seventh-grade exchange students a thing? I’ve only heard of high school exchange students, so this aspect felt unrealistic to me.
Still, the book was quite enjoyable.
March 24, 2019
Really good for a preteen.
November 29, 2021
Great pick for our mother daughter book club!
April 1, 2013
Review Posted on Reading Lark 3/20/13: http://readinglark.blogspot.com/2013/...
I love novels that have a southern setting, but I harbor a soft spot for those set in the Appalachian region. I was perusing the audiobook shelves at the library looking for a new one to take home when I stumbled upon this one. I had never heard of the novel or the author, but I decided to take a chance when I realized it was set in Kentucky. Furthermore, I was intrigued by the synopsis. The story focuses on two 7th graders, Ivy June and Catherine, who are involved in a student exchange program.
Ivy June is from a small mountain town in Kentucky called Thunder Creek. She has a large family and lives with her grandparents. Her life provides a glimpse into what life is like for those in rural Kentucky. In addition, her grandfather is a coal miner. I found this aspect of the novel to be interesting because I don't know much about this profession aside from the fact that it is extremely dangerous. I have often wondered why men would do a job that can result in illness, injury, and death so easily. Ivy June's grandfather explains that it didn't have many options that would pay as well. His sense of familial responsibility is admirable and realistic. I found that the portrayal of the Mosely family, in general, was very true to the experience of many who live and work in the Appalachians.
Catherine couldn't be more different than Ivy June. She lives in Lexington, a city known for it's wealth and horse farms. Catherine has everything she could ever want or need; she doesn't have to save money and doesn't have to do chores. Her family has a housekeeper to help out with the domestic duties.
Both girls sign up to be part of the exchange process to satisfy their curiosity and inquisitive minds. I loved watching the girls interact and take stock of the world around them. Each of them ends up realizing how much she has to be thankful for while learning about a new way of living. Readers not only find out what's going on from the main narration, but also from the journal entries of both girls. I was fascinated as I listened to the girls' original notions about one another and how those views changed after living in a new place for two weeks. The experience was invaluable for them both and shed some light on long held stereotypes.
This novel allows for reflection and thought on how stereotypes influence interactions with others. There are also moments when you realize that regardless of where we're from and how much money we have, there are so many commonalities in life. I think it's a highly thought provoking novel that young readers will appreciate. There are so many conversations that could be had based on the ideas brought to light in this book.
At it's heart, this is a novel about friendship. You just might find that it can blossom between even the most unlikely of pairs.
One Last Gripe: I found myself daydreaming during some of the slower parts. I don't think this would have happened as easily if I had been reading it myself.
My Favorite Thing About This Book: Ivy June's grandparents reminded me of my own.
First Sentence: They'll probably be polite - crisp as a soda cracker on the outside, hard as day-old biscuits underneath.
Favorite Character: Ivy June
Least Favorite Character: Rosemary
I love novels that have a southern setting, but I harbor a soft spot for those set in the Appalachian region. I was perusing the audiobook shelves at the library looking for a new one to take home when I stumbled upon this one. I had never heard of the novel or the author, but I decided to take a chance when I realized it was set in Kentucky. Furthermore, I was intrigued by the synopsis. The story focuses on two 7th graders, Ivy June and Catherine, who are involved in a student exchange program.
Ivy June is from a small mountain town in Kentucky called Thunder Creek. She has a large family and lives with her grandparents. Her life provides a glimpse into what life is like for those in rural Kentucky. In addition, her grandfather is a coal miner. I found this aspect of the novel to be interesting because I don't know much about this profession aside from the fact that it is extremely dangerous. I have often wondered why men would do a job that can result in illness, injury, and death so easily. Ivy June's grandfather explains that it didn't have many options that would pay as well. His sense of familial responsibility is admirable and realistic. I found that the portrayal of the Mosely family, in general, was very true to the experience of many who live and work in the Appalachians.
Catherine couldn't be more different than Ivy June. She lives in Lexington, a city known for it's wealth and horse farms. Catherine has everything she could ever want or need; she doesn't have to save money and doesn't have to do chores. Her family has a housekeeper to help out with the domestic duties.
Both girls sign up to be part of the exchange process to satisfy their curiosity and inquisitive minds. I loved watching the girls interact and take stock of the world around them. Each of them ends up realizing how much she has to be thankful for while learning about a new way of living. Readers not only find out what's going on from the main narration, but also from the journal entries of both girls. I was fascinated as I listened to the girls' original notions about one another and how those views changed after living in a new place for two weeks. The experience was invaluable for them both and shed some light on long held stereotypes.
This novel allows for reflection and thought on how stereotypes influence interactions with others. There are also moments when you realize that regardless of where we're from and how much money we have, there are so many commonalities in life. I think it's a highly thought provoking novel that young readers will appreciate. There are so many conversations that could be had based on the ideas brought to light in this book.
At it's heart, this is a novel about friendship. You just might find that it can blossom between even the most unlikely of pairs.
One Last Gripe: I found myself daydreaming during some of the slower parts. I don't think this would have happened as easily if I had been reading it myself.
My Favorite Thing About This Book: Ivy June's grandparents reminded me of my own.
First Sentence: They'll probably be polite - crisp as a soda cracker on the outside, hard as day-old biscuits underneath.
Favorite Character: Ivy June
Least Favorite Character: Rosemary
May 12, 2015
This review is also available on my blog, Read Till Dawn.
Hmm. I'm wondering if part of my apathy toward the book comes from reading it at the wrong time or something. It has all the pieces that I normally love in a story, but this time around it just felt a little tired. Then again, I'm tired, so who knows whether the book is to fault?
The characterization is pretty well done. Ivy June and Catherine are very typical twelve-year-olds, and they are painted with the right mixture of faults and merits to be neither saccarine angels or cliche cheeky devils. The characterization (now that I think about it a little more) might err slightly on the side of the generic, but it serves its purpose and is done very well.
The depiction of city life seemed really straight-on to me, warts and all. The attitude the "city folk" have toward their destitute neighbors is a very realistic cocktail of curiosity, snobbishness, pity, and (in some people) spite. I enjoyed watching Ivy June interact with the city for the first time, seeing my culture through the eyes of a newbie.
As for Ivy June's culture . . . I don't know. I was definitely stressing right alongside her when things got scary in the second half of the book, but when it comes to the town as a whole I had a hard time connecting. Do people really live like that, in America, in the 21st century? Are outhouses really still a thing out in rural areas? I have a hard time suspending my inside realist and accepting the fact that Ivy June lives such a ninteenth-century life. I couuld be completely wrong, though - I don't really know much about rural Kentuky. If anyone knows, I would love to learn whether this aspect of the story was realistic or not.
At the end of the day, I liked Faith, Hope, and Ivy June, but I wasn't swept away. I almost wanted more. The similarities and contrasts between Ivy June and Catherine was interesting, especially once things started going wrong in the second half of the book, but when I put the book down I felt almost apathetic toward it. Somehow I didn't really connect at all with the characters - I felt like I'd seen everything before. Perhaps you might be able to get more out of it than I did; I think it is a good book, it just didn't really do for me.
Hmm. I'm wondering if part of my apathy toward the book comes from reading it at the wrong time or something. It has all the pieces that I normally love in a story, but this time around it just felt a little tired. Then again, I'm tired, so who knows whether the book is to fault?
The characterization is pretty well done. Ivy June and Catherine are very typical twelve-year-olds, and they are painted with the right mixture of faults and merits to be neither saccarine angels or cliche cheeky devils. The characterization (now that I think about it a little more) might err slightly on the side of the generic, but it serves its purpose and is done very well.
The depiction of city life seemed really straight-on to me, warts and all. The attitude the "city folk" have toward their destitute neighbors is a very realistic cocktail of curiosity, snobbishness, pity, and (in some people) spite. I enjoyed watching Ivy June interact with the city for the first time, seeing my culture through the eyes of a newbie.
As for Ivy June's culture . . . I don't know. I was definitely stressing right alongside her when things got scary in the second half of the book, but when it comes to the town as a whole I had a hard time connecting. Do people really live like that, in America, in the 21st century? Are outhouses really still a thing out in rural areas? I have a hard time suspending my inside realist and accepting the fact that Ivy June lives such a ninteenth-century life. I couuld be completely wrong, though - I don't really know much about rural Kentuky. If anyone knows, I would love to learn whether this aspect of the story was realistic or not.
At the end of the day, I liked Faith, Hope, and Ivy June, but I wasn't swept away. I almost wanted more. The similarities and contrasts between Ivy June and Catherine was interesting, especially once things started going wrong in the second half of the book, but when I put the book down I felt almost apathetic toward it. Somehow I didn't really connect at all with the characters - I felt like I'd seen everything before. Perhaps you might be able to get more out of it than I did; I think it is a good book, it just didn't really do for me.
November 28, 2020
Faith, Hope, and Ivy June is a book about two Kentucky seventh graders who live very different lives. One, well off, in Lexington while the other lives well enough in a small town in the mountains, Thunder Creek. Ivy June from Thunder Creek and Catherine from Lexington were both chosen from their respective schools to participate in an exchange program. The girls both spent two weeks in the others homes with them and their family to see just how similar and how different they and their lives were. Ivy June lives with her grandma and grandpa up the hill from her parents, three younger brothers, and older sister. Ivy June started living in her grandparents home, because there was no room in her own family's home anymore for all seven of them, but she kind of likes it better. Her parents are not the most affectionate and particularly not after finding out that Ivy June was going to spend two weeks in Lexington. They felt that Lexingtonians looked down on people who live in rural areas and that they would be snotty and rude and then Ivy June would come back just like that. But Ivy June was excited to see different parts of the state and learn new things. Once she arrived to Catherine's in Lexington, she was a bit nervous about how they would perceive her. She does not live, dress, or present as lavishly as her new Lexington family. But they were very inviting and Ivy June got comfortable quickly. There was not too much conflict while the girls were in Lexington, apart from Catherine's wicked step grandmother, and some bitter friends, the girls had a great time. Ivy June accidentally spilt one of Catherine's secrets and so she insisted that Ivy June tell her one of her own before she left. Ivy June saw the state capitol, the Lexington opera Theater, the Kentucky Horse Park and even rode a horse. Once it was time for Ivy June to go home and wait the week before Catherine came back she was bombarded with questions of how Lexington was. Ivy June became very nervous and obsessed with how Catherine would take her living situation. It was very different from Lexington. Ivy June's family went to the bathroom in an outhouse, had no shower, lots of hand me downs, and belongings just were not as pretty. That put a little riff between Ivy June and her family, but eventually it settled down. When Catherine arrived the following week, Ivy June's brothers were very eager to help get her settled in. Ivy June was surprised by her parents hospitality, but quickly was embarrassed by her older sister. Catherine was very polite and didn't seem to mind one bit how they lived differently, except that she couldn't wash her hair everyday. Ivy June's best friend quickly became jealous of her friendship with Catherine, though. On the first weekend Catherine was in Thunder Creek, she received news that er mother had a heart condition and was rushed to a hospital in Cleveland, but her father wanted her to stay there because there wasn't anything she could do at home. This obviously ut a strain on her time there. Ivy June and Catherine got into an argument about putting your faith in certain things and hoping on others and what kinds of superstitions mattered or made sense. Neither argument was anything but opinions and familial beliefs. But, they soon realized that nothing the other was saying helped anything and made up. The next week at school, Catherine received some positive news from her father about her mother and all was better. But the next day, more bad news came, but this time there was an incident at the coal mine that Ivy June's grandfather worked. The girls met Ivy June's family at a nearby church and stayed for days waiting for good news, Catherine even stayed past the day she was supposed to go home. The girls realized that even though they lived much different lives aesthetically speaking and maybe even faith-speaking, they were not that different after all. Throughout the exchange, the girls were to write in a journal all about their experiences, highlighting the ways they were similar and the ways they were different. These journal entries gave a more personal perspective into how each girl was feeling, since the book was written in third person. The last journal entry of the book was written by Ivy June and ended with the idea that maybe when they're older they'll be neighbors or college roommates, because anything could happen! I really enjoyed this story, it was hopeful and realistic, happy and sad in all the right amounts. From someone who lives in Lexington, it was very interesting to understand another's life outside of my urban city within my state. Naylor didn't paint one living situationa s better than another, which I appreciated and she really dug into the family dynamics of both girls and what makes them different, but that neither was really better than the other, just different. The story was different, unlike any other book I've read. It was a bit confusing at first, there wasn't really anything to pinpoint a time period, you could tell it was more modern because of the technology they had, but other parts of the story made it seem a lot longer ago. I would have liked to have a ballpark of what year it was. Since it was told in third person, it also took a bit to understand the voice of the story and who was who, but eventually I figured it out and the story was more readable. I think this would be a great book for upper elementary readers, even a more advanced third grade reader. It holds great messages and the story would be easy enough for them to understand and maybe even relate to. I think it is a great story for kids to understand the differences between how others live, even if they look like you and how stereotypes affect people. It's a good story to introduce different cultures and social justice issues. But, I think 3rd, 4th,and 5th graders would also just enjoy it for the friendship story it is at heart. It would work well as a transitional book, because the print is large and the journal entries scattered throughout make it a more bearable novel at a young age, even though it is so long. There are not any illustrations scattered throughout, but I think the journal entries kind of take the place of those. I think it also would build reader's confidence, because of how long it is, but it is definitely on level for those intermediate elementary grades. A great book to suggest for independent reading! Perhaps even a class read-aloud, I don't think i would use it for instructional purposes, but I think it could bring up some great, important conversations in class if used as a book purely for enjoyment.
September 27, 2010
Maine Student Book Award Nominee, 2010-2011. Initially I wasn't very interested in the premise of this book: two girls who live in Kentucky, one from a very poor coal-mining town and the other from a prosperous city family, embark on an exchange program. But Naylor "nails" these two girls -- poor Ivy June and city girl Catherine -- and the stereotypes and prejudices that exist between the classes. First Ivy June visits Lexington and experiences a life so different from her own -- indoor plumbing, cell phones, a night at the theater, and people who feel sorry for her. She opens herself to the wonder of all these new things, but there are some uncomfortable moments which Naylor describes realistically without over-dramatizing them. The girls begin to develop a true friendship, and then it's time for Catherine to visit a dirt-poor community. I think teens would be fascinated to read about people who live in America today without basic amenities. Ivy June's family doesn't have a telephone and she has to live with her grandparents because there isn't room for her in her parents' small house. A couple of tragedies bring the girls closer together and we get an honest look at what mining communities must live through when there's an accident at the mine. A quiet gem of a book.
November 19, 2016
I was hesitant to read this book based only on the description. The book is about two girls representing their schools in an exchange program, where each girl visits the other girls house for two weeks. Ivy June lived in the mountains with her large family in small homes with few amenities for instance having no plumbing and no central air. Ivy June must goes to public school and spends much of her day being the messenger between households and doing chores. Whereas, Katherine lives in a city in a large home, goes to a private school, and has plenty of time to play. The book is written from both girls perspectives in basic novel form, but the author also shares the journal entries each of the girls are required to make about their experiences during the exchanges. They identify the stereotypes they and others share, reflect on what it is actually like in the other girl’s life, and discovers the differences and similarities between them. During the exchange program both girls’ families experience tragedies and they must stick together in order to cope.
December 27, 2011
Just as appealing as the more heavily marketed upper-elementary/middle school girl protagonist books, but with more interesting lessons about judging others based on their backgrounds. Catherine, a modern city girl, and Ivy June, from Appalachia, participate in an exchange program and get to know each other with all the bumps of adolescent friendship and some bigger family & community issues as well. Pleasantly readable and realistic, without too much filler. I wish I could judge the realism of Reynolds Naylor's portrayal of mountain life better, but I was completely impressed that she didn't go out of her way to stress the primitiveness of Ivy June's grandparents' home. A worthy Bluestem nominee.
May 23, 2012
In this story there are two young girls, one rich and one poor, one with abundance and wealth and another with a family barely making ends meet.
Ivy June is chosen as an exchange student and stays with a wealthy Lexington Kentucky family, in return the wealthy child stays with Ivy June's poor, coal mining family.
In the end they discover the similar bonds that hold them together.
While the plot seems trite, somehow in the hands of this gifted writer, it works.
Ivy June is chosen as an exchange student and stays with a wealthy Lexington Kentucky family, in return the wealthy child stays with Ivy June's poor, coal mining family.
In the end they discover the similar bonds that hold them together.
While the plot seems trite, somehow in the hands of this gifted writer, it works.
March 5, 2009
Thanks to a two week exchange program between a private girls' school in Lexington and a public school in rural KY, two seventh grade girls get to see what life is like for others. The girls keep journals, become friends and help each other when disasters occur. The story is moving and the characters interesting.
December 18, 2009
The plot and story line of this book seemed a bit too forced. You could predict that something would happen to the grandfather from the beginning. Everything was just a tad too obvious and a tad too self-conscious. I still enjoyed it, but it isn't one of her better books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 23, 2011
I thought this book was amazing! It shows how you can be friends with someone even if they are WAY different than you. It also taught me more about being grateful for everything you have around you, no matter where you live. Thanks for reccomending this book to me Katie! :)
November 11, 2016
Good for upper elem. especially in the mood our country seems to be in right now where differences are being emphasized and the cause of bullying - probably mostly girls would like it. I agree with another reviewer that it's sort of the "City mouse/country mouse" story.
April 20, 2015
isnb: 9780545385350, Scholastic paperback
December 28, 2015
Faith. Hope, and Ivy June is one of my absolute favorite books.
July 25, 2017
1. Category/Genre: Juvenile Fiction
2. Copyright Date: 2009 - Delacorte Press/Random House
3. Age Level of Interest - Grades 3-6
4. Reading Level: 5.8
5. Brief Description: Two Kentucky middle school girls, Catherine and Ivy June, participate in an exchange program through their school. They are in wonder about each others' lives, and learn many things about themselves during the exchange.
6. Two Characteristics:
1. Point of view is often used to indicate the author's choice of narrators and the way the narrator reveals the story. Faith, Hope and Ivy June has many elements of personalization by the way the author reveals the journals of the two girls throughout the book. She also brings both families to life by highlighting conversations and feelings of the family members throughout the book.
2. Cultural implications. Phyllis Naylor does an excellent portrayal of the differences in the life of the two main characters; and how their perspectives change once they come to the realization that each other's lifestyles are different, yet the same in the way they care about their extended family and their communities.
7. How well does book reach its intended audience. I believe this books reaches an audience of middle school girls well. I don't think too many boys would read it, but I certainly intend to do a book talk about it with my 5th grade students this fall.
8. Awards/Reviews:
Book Links, 10/21/10
Booklist, 05/15/09
Horn Book Magazine, 09/01/09
Kirkus Reviews, 05/15/09
Library Media Connection, 10/01/09
Parents' Choice Silver Honor, 2009
Publishers Weekly, 06/15/09
Publishers Weekly starred, 06/15/09
School Library Journal, 09/01/09
Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA), 08/01/09
9. Citations: Book Links, 10/21/10; Booklist, 5/15/09, Library Media Connection, 10/01/09
2. Copyright Date: 2009 - Delacorte Press/Random House
3. Age Level of Interest - Grades 3-6
4. Reading Level: 5.8
5. Brief Description: Two Kentucky middle school girls, Catherine and Ivy June, participate in an exchange program through their school. They are in wonder about each others' lives, and learn many things about themselves during the exchange.
6. Two Characteristics:
1. Point of view is often used to indicate the author's choice of narrators and the way the narrator reveals the story. Faith, Hope and Ivy June has many elements of personalization by the way the author reveals the journals of the two girls throughout the book. She also brings both families to life by highlighting conversations and feelings of the family members throughout the book.
2. Cultural implications. Phyllis Naylor does an excellent portrayal of the differences in the life of the two main characters; and how their perspectives change once they come to the realization that each other's lifestyles are different, yet the same in the way they care about their extended family and their communities.
7. How well does book reach its intended audience. I believe this books reaches an audience of middle school girls well. I don't think too many boys would read it, but I certainly intend to do a book talk about it with my 5th grade students this fall.
8. Awards/Reviews:
Book Links, 10/21/10
Booklist, 05/15/09
Horn Book Magazine, 09/01/09
Kirkus Reviews, 05/15/09
Library Media Connection, 10/01/09
Parents' Choice Silver Honor, 2009
Publishers Weekly, 06/15/09
Publishers Weekly starred, 06/15/09
School Library Journal, 09/01/09
Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA), 08/01/09
9. Citations: Book Links, 10/21/10; Booklist, 5/15/09, Library Media Connection, 10/01/09
July 26, 2019
4.5 stars. Very interesting story about an exchange program between a student from a private Lexington girls Middle School and a 7th grader from a public school in the rural Thunder Creek. This felt like a historical novel until they mentioned cell phones. Life in a rural Appalachian Mountain town was poor and challenging.
With-reservations:
prejudice, poverty, rudeness, broken promises, danger, death
With-reservations:
prejudice, poverty, rudeness, broken promises, danger, death
December 22, 2019
Ivy June's family lives in the coal mining mountains of Kentucky. They don't have indoor plumbing, computers, or cell phones.
Catherine's family lives in Lexington - the "rich" part of Kentucky replete with thoroughbred race horses.
When a student exchange program occurs between Ivy June's little school and Catherine's private school, two very different worlds meet.
Ivy June gets to see what it's like to be able to bathe every day, to eat out at nice restaurants, to ride a horse, to have parents that listen to your opinions - but mostly, to see what it's like to not worry about money.
Catherine is shocked that Ivy June bathes in a tin tub once a week, she finds it a little crazy that an 80 year-old doctor climbs the hill on foot to see Ivy June's ailing Grandmommy, and that getting trapped in a mine is an actual thing.
When near tragedy strikes both girls while Catherine is on her stint with Ivy June, they realize they are more alike than they thought possible, and they find unexpected comfort in their new friendship.
It was kind of nice that there weren't any real mean girls in this story. I kept waiting for someone to make fun of Ivy June's clothes or for a girl to taunt Catherine for being rich - but it never happened. Refreshing - because there are already too many books with mean girls in them.
Catherine's family lives in Lexington - the "rich" part of Kentucky replete with thoroughbred race horses.
When a student exchange program occurs between Ivy June's little school and Catherine's private school, two very different worlds meet.
Ivy June gets to see what it's like to be able to bathe every day, to eat out at nice restaurants, to ride a horse, to have parents that listen to your opinions - but mostly, to see what it's like to not worry about money.
Catherine is shocked that Ivy June bathes in a tin tub once a week, she finds it a little crazy that an 80 year-old doctor climbs the hill on foot to see Ivy June's ailing Grandmommy, and that getting trapped in a mine is an actual thing.
When near tragedy strikes both girls while Catherine is on her stint with Ivy June, they realize they are more alike than they thought possible, and they find unexpected comfort in their new friendship.
It was kind of nice that there weren't any real mean girls in this story. I kept waiting for someone to make fun of Ivy June's clothes or for a girl to taunt Catherine for being rich - but it never happened. Refreshing - because there are already too many books with mean girls in them.
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