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The Noonday Friends
Eleven-year-old Franny Davis and her best friend share school and family problems in this realistic, often humorous story set in New York's Greenwich Village. 1966 Newbery Honor Book
Notable Children's Books of 1965 (ALA)
Children's Books of 1965 (Library of Congress)
"City" Books of the Sixties (The Instructor)
Notable Children's Books of 1965 (ALA)
Children's Books of 1965 (Library of Congress)
"City" Books of the Sixties (The Instructor)
182 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1965
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570 people want to read
About the author
Mary Stolz
86 books32 followersMary Stolz was a noted author for children and adolescents whose novels earned critical praise for the seriousness with which they took the problems of young people. Two of her books ''Belling the Tiger'' (1961) and ''The Noonday Friends'' (1965), were named Newbery Honor books by the ALA but it was her novels for young adults that combined romance with realistic situations that won devotion from her fans. Young men often created more problems and did not always provide happy ever after endings. Her heroines had to cope with complex situations and learn how to take action whether it was working as nurses (The Organdy Cupcakes), living in a housing project (Ready or Not), or escaping from being a social misfit by working for the summer as a waitress (The Sea Gulls Woke Me).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
May 11, 2018
A poor family finds that yet again their Dad has lost his job. Dad dreams of being an artist and borrows a corner of his friends studio, where he can be a Sunday painter and paint a portrait of his employer. Mr Davis finds it hard to keep a job he hates, Mrs Davis works and has to leave the youngest with someone too old to be able to have the patience with a preschool age child. Jimmy the eldest is always in trouble and Franny studies hard and finds her beauty obsessed friend Simone hard work. Marshall the youngest has his 5th birthday coming up and dreams of staying up all night. Nothing much happens in this story, but it is a lovely observation of family life, friendship, everyday life, hopes, and dreams.
August 25, 2019
Just found this book on a list of old YA books and realized I'd read it. I always loved the name Franny because of this book and had tried to find it but forgot the title. So glad to see it!
I loved it as a kid but looking forward to a reread in adulthood.
I loved it as a kid but looking forward to a reread in adulthood.
July 22, 2010
I thought this would be another of those nice-enough Newbery Honor books that I read and enjoy at the time but then later can only vaguely remember the characters and the storyline. I really enjoyed the two other Mary Stolz books I've read: A Dog on Barkham Street and The Bully of Barkham Street, so I guess I should have expected more. This did start out as a nice-enough story sort of reminiscent of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn with its New York City setting and just-surviving poor family, only for a younger reader. But somewhere in the middle of the book, I really started to like the characters and care about what happened to them. I especially liked Franny's four-year-old brother, Marshall, with his wish to stay up all night.
In the beginning, I didn't feel much sympathy with Franny's dad and his inability to keep a job. It seemed like he was the cause of all the family's problems. But I came to really sympathize with him as well: an artist who could never seem to find a job that would suit him while also allow him to support his family.
Although this is called "The Noonday Friends," I found that I wasn't much interested in Franny's petty squabbles with her friend Simone and the possibly-rich Lila Wembleton. I think a different title would have suited this book better in highlighting the more interesting storylines of Franny's and Simone's families.
This did feel a little dated if read as contemporary fiction. If I look at it as historical fiction set in Greenwich Village in the 1960s, it doesn't feel dated at all. :) 3.5 stars.
Note: My copy matches the ISBN number, but has a completely different cover than is shown here on GR. Scholastic must have changed the cover but not the ISBN at some point.
In the beginning, I didn't feel much sympathy with Franny's dad and his inability to keep a job. It seemed like he was the cause of all the family's problems. But I came to really sympathize with him as well: an artist who could never seem to find a job that would suit him while also allow him to support his family.
Although this is called "The Noonday Friends," I found that I wasn't much interested in Franny's petty squabbles with her friend Simone and the possibly-rich Lila Wembleton. I think a different title would have suited this book better in highlighting the more interesting storylines of Franny's and Simone's families.
This did feel a little dated if read as contemporary fiction. If I look at it as historical fiction set in Greenwich Village in the 1960s, it doesn't feel dated at all. :) 3.5 stars.
Note: My copy matches the ISBN number, but has a completely different cover than is shown here on GR. Scholastic must have changed the cover but not the ISBN at some point.
May 27, 2017
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
Franny Davis is eleven years old, and though she loves her father, she is often frustrated by his lack of ambition. An artist at heart, Mr. Davis finds it difficult to hold down any one job for very long, which leaves the family with little money to spare and lots of financial worries. These concerns are compounded by the fact that not long ago, Mr. Davis experienced an illness, the treatment for which left his family deep in debt. Mrs. Davis must now work full time, and since the youngest child, Marshall, is only five, Franny and her twin brother Jimmy have to look after him each afternoon instead of spending time with their friends. Thankfully, Franny’s friend, Simone, understands Franny’s situation because it is similar to her own, and the two form a lunchtime friendship that helps each of them cope with the difficulties of their daily lives.
This book was originally published in 1965, and it received a Newbery Honor in 1966. The story is told primarily from Franny’s point of view, but occasional chapters visit other perspectives to broaden the reader’s understanding of the lives of both girls and their families. I really enjoyed Stolz’s writing style, which focuses mainly on the emotions of her characters, and on the development of their individual personalities. Among my favorite characters is Marshall, the youngest brother, whose dialogue sometimes sounds too mature for his age, but whose desire for a birthday celebration is universally relatable and provides the bulk of the story’s suspense. I also like the way Stolz encourages the reader to empathize with Franny’s dad, despite his bad habits. Though I was never completely happy with his actions, I could understand how he was torn between his passion and his need to support his family.
The Noonday Friends is a great realistic fiction novel for readers who enjoy episodic tales of family life. Because of the New York City setting, some parts of the story put me in mind of Johanna Hurwitz, who also writes a lot of great slice-of-life stories about city living. The subject matter also makes it a great read-alike for Ramona and her Father, which also focuses on the difficulties faced by a family when a parent loses a job. In our current economic crisis, the themes in this book are perfectly relevant, and because the writing focuses mostly on the characters and not on the larger culture, there are few references that date the book to the 1960s.
I don’t know how I managed to miss this book, especially since it is a Newbery Honor! I look forward to reading more from Mary Stolz, and to possibly revisiting a title of hers I do remember from childhood, The Bully of Barkham Street.
Franny Davis is eleven years old, and though she loves her father, she is often frustrated by his lack of ambition. An artist at heart, Mr. Davis finds it difficult to hold down any one job for very long, which leaves the family with little money to spare and lots of financial worries. These concerns are compounded by the fact that not long ago, Mr. Davis experienced an illness, the treatment for which left his family deep in debt. Mrs. Davis must now work full time, and since the youngest child, Marshall, is only five, Franny and her twin brother Jimmy have to look after him each afternoon instead of spending time with their friends. Thankfully, Franny’s friend, Simone, understands Franny’s situation because it is similar to her own, and the two form a lunchtime friendship that helps each of them cope with the difficulties of their daily lives.
This book was originally published in 1965, and it received a Newbery Honor in 1966. The story is told primarily from Franny’s point of view, but occasional chapters visit other perspectives to broaden the reader’s understanding of the lives of both girls and their families. I really enjoyed Stolz’s writing style, which focuses mainly on the emotions of her characters, and on the development of their individual personalities. Among my favorite characters is Marshall, the youngest brother, whose dialogue sometimes sounds too mature for his age, but whose desire for a birthday celebration is universally relatable and provides the bulk of the story’s suspense. I also like the way Stolz encourages the reader to empathize with Franny’s dad, despite his bad habits. Though I was never completely happy with his actions, I could understand how he was torn between his passion and his need to support his family.
The Noonday Friends is a great realistic fiction novel for readers who enjoy episodic tales of family life. Because of the New York City setting, some parts of the story put me in mind of Johanna Hurwitz, who also writes a lot of great slice-of-life stories about city living. The subject matter also makes it a great read-alike for Ramona and her Father, which also focuses on the difficulties faced by a family when a parent loses a job. In our current economic crisis, the themes in this book are perfectly relevant, and because the writing focuses mostly on the characters and not on the larger culture, there are few references that date the book to the 1960s.
I don’t know how I managed to miss this book, especially since it is a Newbery Honor! I look forward to reading more from Mary Stolz, and to possibly revisiting a title of hers I do remember from childhood, The Bully of Barkham Street.
September 1, 2020
Read for Newbery Club in Children's Books group. My comments can serve as review:
At first I was not too sure I'd like it because it's another MG story about 'issues.' But Marshall, her little brother, is a charmer. When he and Franny played their after-school games I laughed and almost cried; what a wonderful big sister she is!
But why isn't the big brother helping take care of the little one? Because it's the early 1960s?
------
Well, I'm done with Noonday Friends and I loved it. I have no idea whether I would have as a child. We were poor, but not that poor, and my dad worked, between his job and his mother's farm and other rural 'gig' work, probably 70 hours a week. None of us were creative, or social... this would have been just too foreign to me; I'd have had no point of access.
Now, though, I can recognize that it's one of the first and best 'issues' books. But it is indeed about so much more than just MG friendships. Just like A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, it's about the setting as much as anything. Greenwich Village of 1965 is almost a character in its own right. And Mr. Davis, and Marshall, and Mr. Hourney, and even bit players like Tulio, all come alive. Well, except for that Jim. I do not understand him at all. And I do not know why Stoltz made him be twins with Franny, as that doesn't seem to add to the story.
I noticed that the edition scanned to openlibrary has a bunch of checkouts - at least a couple every year from 1966 to 1979. I don't know if it was on recommended reading lists, but I suspect at least some of those readers enjoyed it.
-----
Kaylee, in the group, has written up an excellent exploration of the book, including ideas about Jim. I'll have to reread this someday, referring back to her comments.
At first I was not too sure I'd like it because it's another MG story about 'issues.' But Marshall, her little brother, is a charmer. When he and Franny played their after-school games I laughed and almost cried; what a wonderful big sister she is!
But why isn't the big brother helping take care of the little one? Because it's the early 1960s?
------
Well, I'm done with Noonday Friends and I loved it. I have no idea whether I would have as a child. We were poor, but not that poor, and my dad worked, between his job and his mother's farm and other rural 'gig' work, probably 70 hours a week. None of us were creative, or social... this would have been just too foreign to me; I'd have had no point of access.
Now, though, I can recognize that it's one of the first and best 'issues' books. But it is indeed about so much more than just MG friendships. Just like A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, it's about the setting as much as anything. Greenwich Village of 1965 is almost a character in its own right. And Mr. Davis, and Marshall, and Mr. Hourney, and even bit players like Tulio, all come alive. Well, except for that Jim. I do not understand him at all. And I do not know why Stoltz made him be twins with Franny, as that doesn't seem to add to the story.
I noticed that the edition scanned to openlibrary has a bunch of checkouts - at least a couple every year from 1966 to 1979. I don't know if it was on recommended reading lists, but I suspect at least some of those readers enjoyed it.
-----
Kaylee, in the group, has written up an excellent exploration of the book, including ideas about Jim. I'll have to reread this someday, referring back to her comments.
August 30, 2007
One of my two favorite Mary Stolz books. Just last night I was telling my husband about the chapter where the little brother yearns to stay up all night and is given that as a birthday gift.
August 25, 2019
This is one of the more charming stories that I've read in some time; charming, yet in many ways unexpected. From all synopses of this book that I'd read, I had anticipated a tale chiefly focused on the troubles and rewards of contemporary friendship in New York City in the 1960s. While there is some of that in here, The Noonday Friends is actually a snapshot of the workings of a family as a whole, and how everything that being a member of that family—including outside elements such as relations between close friends and neighbors—means on a day-to-day basis. If this were just the story of Franny Davis and her best friend Simone, and how their comfortable friendship gets off track through an almost, sort of, not-really-there non-argument, then it would be a book well worth reading and pondering. What really gives it the extra kick and raises it up into the loftier Newbery class of literature is the various perspective changes that the third-person narrative occasionally makes, switching off at key moments to show us what the Davis family looks like through the eyes of each family member in turn. Aside from Franny, it is her four-year-old brother Marshall who gets most of the narrative time, and it's remarkable how much his story adds to this book as a whole. Without being sassy or extremely precocious (though he certainly is intelligent), Marshall is a joy for us to be around and learn about, and his smaller adventures within the scope of the story buoy the plot considerably. Besides providing welcome dashes of humor and the presence of a younger character with whom we get to see Fran more unguardedly demonstrate her love than is possible with the other members of her family, Marshall's keenly observant take on his everyday circumstances is enlightening and definitely worthy of giving at least a few moments' ponderance after the story is finished.
Franny and her family are a relatively happy group, but always without enough money to subsist comfortably. Her father is, at heart, a painter, though his lack of renown in that arena makes surviving off of his artwork an impossibility; therefore, he has taken a long line of nine-to-five jobs through the years, but every time ends up soon being released by his boss. It's just not in Mr. Davis to grind away at an uncreative job, and as hard as he tries to remain employed, it never works out in the end. Franny's mother works full-time to support their family of five (mother, father, Marshall, Franny and her twin brother, Jim), but the paycheck that she brings home isn't enough to do more than barely cover the essentials, and even that's often a major struggle.
At school, Franny's friendship with Simone hasn't been quite as happy since well-to-do Lila Wembleton entered the picture. Lila extends her friendship to Simone but not Franny, and as hard as everyone (including Simone) often finds it to get along with Lila, Franny still wonders if Simone might be happier being friends with Lila than with her. Franny and Simone have a complicated friendship, though, hard to fully describe independent of the book, and to me there at all times seemed to be an underlying feeling that their relationship was never in any real danger. Maybe there's just a certain flexibility in the way that Franny and Simone relate to each other, both coming from lower-class working families that by necessity demand a lot of the girls' time in extra assistance just to keep everything from hitting the fan. They each understand that the other isn't going to have much opportunity to hang around and do nothing together as normal friends do. Regardless of the inherent stability of their friendship, though, when a situation that is severely lacking in qualifications to be classified an argument causes Franny and Simone to naturally part ways for a time, it's incumbent upon Franny to learn more about friendship and the importance of the connection that she has with Simone, and figure out what the future holds for them as both friends and indispensable members of their own struggling family units.
The Noonday Friends is a very realistic book, not bothering with manufactured suspense or crazy twists to drive the action. It is simply a homey, constant look at a family under pressure in the heart of the city, and what they do to stay together and accept each other's shortcomings under difficult circumstances. There's no mistaking the love in the Davis family; it lives and breathes in everything they do. Just because their parents may silently "argue" when bad things happen and Jim may not usually get along with Franny or Marshall, it doesn't mean that the tie binding them as a unit isn't stronger than all of that. Through every situation they are determined to get through it together, as a family, and it's that surety in their ultimate purpose that leads them through the tough patches when they come along in this story, and which I'm sure will continue to lead them as they face further hardships in the future.
A book this lovely and charming doesn't come around every day, you know. It's easy for me to see why the Newbery Committee would have retroactively awarded The Noonday Friends a Newbery Honor for 1966, given its lively yet totally down-to-earth writing style, and the loving warmth that the characters never fail to generate, without the presence of a single schmaltzy sentence. I have no doubt that this book will be special to me for a very long time.
Franny and her family are a relatively happy group, but always without enough money to subsist comfortably. Her father is, at heart, a painter, though his lack of renown in that arena makes surviving off of his artwork an impossibility; therefore, he has taken a long line of nine-to-five jobs through the years, but every time ends up soon being released by his boss. It's just not in Mr. Davis to grind away at an uncreative job, and as hard as he tries to remain employed, it never works out in the end. Franny's mother works full-time to support their family of five (mother, father, Marshall, Franny and her twin brother, Jim), but the paycheck that she brings home isn't enough to do more than barely cover the essentials, and even that's often a major struggle.
At school, Franny's friendship with Simone hasn't been quite as happy since well-to-do Lila Wembleton entered the picture. Lila extends her friendship to Simone but not Franny, and as hard as everyone (including Simone) often finds it to get along with Lila, Franny still wonders if Simone might be happier being friends with Lila than with her. Franny and Simone have a complicated friendship, though, hard to fully describe independent of the book, and to me there at all times seemed to be an underlying feeling that their relationship was never in any real danger. Maybe there's just a certain flexibility in the way that Franny and Simone relate to each other, both coming from lower-class working families that by necessity demand a lot of the girls' time in extra assistance just to keep everything from hitting the fan. They each understand that the other isn't going to have much opportunity to hang around and do nothing together as normal friends do. Regardless of the inherent stability of their friendship, though, when a situation that is severely lacking in qualifications to be classified an argument causes Franny and Simone to naturally part ways for a time, it's incumbent upon Franny to learn more about friendship and the importance of the connection that she has with Simone, and figure out what the future holds for them as both friends and indispensable members of their own struggling family units.
The Noonday Friends is a very realistic book, not bothering with manufactured suspense or crazy twists to drive the action. It is simply a homey, constant look at a family under pressure in the heart of the city, and what they do to stay together and accept each other's shortcomings under difficult circumstances. There's no mistaking the love in the Davis family; it lives and breathes in everything they do. Just because their parents may silently "argue" when bad things happen and Jim may not usually get along with Franny or Marshall, it doesn't mean that the tie binding them as a unit isn't stronger than all of that. Through every situation they are determined to get through it together, as a family, and it's that surety in their ultimate purpose that leads them through the tough patches when they come along in this story, and which I'm sure will continue to lead them as they face further hardships in the future.
A book this lovely and charming doesn't come around every day, you know. It's easy for me to see why the Newbery Committee would have retroactively awarded The Noonday Friends a Newbery Honor for 1966, given its lively yet totally down-to-earth writing style, and the loving warmth that the characters never fail to generate, without the presence of a single schmaltzy sentence. I have no doubt that this book will be special to me for a very long time.
July 28, 2020
I really really liked this book. Following multiple points of view worked really well here, as all of the people in the book have their own sorrows and their own worries, and we get to see all of it from the inside. No one really knows what's going on inside each other's heads, but we get to see it all, and see how different it is from the perceptions we might make from the outside. I think Longfellow says it best; “Every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not; and often times we call a man cold when he is only sad.” I think that having the reader take turns walking in various characters' shoes becomes a good exercise in empathy and "don't judge a book by its cover" as well as being a good story.
And things work out in the end, for the noonday friends, and also for their family members who are struggling, either financially or just struggling to hold on to hope. I can't seem to use my own words today, but several of my favorite quotes describe exactly what this book makes me feel:
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” ― Winston Churchill
“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.” ― Anais Nin
It does indeed. And sometimes courage entails sacrifice for a good cause. Franny's father believes in gestures. I hadn't thought about that before, but now I think I believe in gestures too; of doing something good even when that act has a cost and there's no personal gain in it. If I may add one more, Voltaire said “Life is a shipwreck, but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats.” I don't see that as "count your blessings" so much as "do what you can to make life a little better for those who are with you." In the Noonday Friends, Mr Davis' gesture is noticed, and leads to their rescue, and it's a more beautiful thing for having happened that way. Of course, in real life there's never any guarantee that things will work out, and gestures are best done for their own sake. Sometimes what we do for each other makes all the difference, regardless of how things turn out.
And things work out in the end, for the noonday friends, and also for their family members who are struggling, either financially or just struggling to hold on to hope. I can't seem to use my own words today, but several of my favorite quotes describe exactly what this book makes me feel:
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” ― Winston Churchill
“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.” ― Anais Nin
It does indeed. And sometimes courage entails sacrifice for a good cause. Franny's father believes in gestures. I hadn't thought about that before, but now I think I believe in gestures too; of doing something good even when that act has a cost and there's no personal gain in it. If I may add one more, Voltaire said “Life is a shipwreck, but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats.” I don't see that as "count your blessings" so much as "do what you can to make life a little better for those who are with you." In the Noonday Friends, Mr Davis' gesture is noticed, and leads to their rescue, and it's a more beautiful thing for having happened that way. Of course, in real life there's never any guarantee that things will work out, and gestures are best done for their own sake. Sometimes what we do for each other makes all the difference, regardless of how things turn out.
March 12, 2016
With a copyright date of 1965, this had to be one of the first almost-teenage-girl-with-family-troubles books. This is now an out-and-out genre; I can’t tell you how many of these I saw at the library conference last week. Franny’s problems seem small compared to those of girls nowadays: Franny is worried that her friend won’t like her best and that her dad can’t keep a job (not because he has deeper problems like anger issues or drinking on the job issues…he’s just a bit dreamy). Because of the copyright, I felt pretty confident going in that everything would work out in the end and, of course, everything did. It’s a good solid story, with good solid characters. I wonder what contemporary readers would think of this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2021
I believe this book suffers from a poor title and outdated cover. It has a friendship story, but at it's core it's really a family tale. It follows three close knit siblings and their worries because their father can't seem to hold a job. Out of the fourteen chapters there are only three that center on the relationship with Franny and her "noonday friend" Simone. Franny is worried that Simone won't like her as much because they don't have money and Franny is only able to spend time with Simone during the lunch hour at school due to her being needed to help out at home.
Overall this book felt dated, however some of the themes, such as worry over finances, sibling relationships, and friendship rivalries were timeless.
Overall this book felt dated, however some of the themes, such as worry over finances, sibling relationships, and friendship rivalries were timeless.
January 4, 2013
A classic older story offering a well-rounded look into a poor working class family through the eyes of the 11-year-old girl.
February 22, 2023
I read this book to continue my impossible task of reading every Newbery book. As i work my way through the Newbery list I often find hidden gems that I've never heard of. This was not one of those.
As I read more of these books from the past, I am more convinced that there were not many books written for kids. That is the only explanation for why this book was one of the best written on its respective year.
Nothing very big happened in this story and it is set in time over 60 years ago. This type of story can work when it is set in nature, but the story took place in NYC.
It was hard to relate to much of this story and was a task to finish.
As I read more of these books from the past, I am more convinced that there were not many books written for kids. That is the only explanation for why this book was one of the best written on its respective year.
Nothing very big happened in this story and it is set in time over 60 years ago. This type of story can work when it is set in nature, but the story took place in NYC.
It was hard to relate to much of this story and was a task to finish.
July 29, 2019
This Newbery Honor winner has aged well. Strong child appeal. Well delineated characters. Reminded me of simpler times.
September 16, 2014
2.5 stars, to be precise. The little brother in this book reminds me a little of Sam in Lois Lowry’s book “All About Sam”. Not a particularly memorable book but the author does write relationship dynamics well.
“Marshall liked Mrs. Mundy. But not very much. Not all of the time. She was long and thin and stiff. Marshall, looking up at her from his low height, sometimes thought she looked like a telephone pole with a face.”
“His wife, once an Irish beauty, had grown thin and sharp-featured, and still the beauty was there. As if the same woman had been painted by Renoir and then by Kollwitz. His children seemed all eyes and knobbly bones. He felt there was nothing, nothing he couldn’t, wouldn’t, do to make their lives brighter and better.”
“I hate not talking with people. Like…I hate how you and Papa don’t talk to each other when—when something goes wrong…People who don’t talk to each other—I think it’s worse than yelling.”
“The thing about Simone…is she wants everything to be beautiful all the time. Well, everything isn’t beautiful all the time. Some things aren’t beautiful any of the time, and scabs aren’t. But they’re there, and people get them, and what are you supposed to do, throw yourself down a well while they go away?”
Such a sweet no-cost gift idea for a child who has always wanted to stay up all night—a ticket that says “One way, Friday evening to Saturday morning. Davis Travel Bureau, Itinerary for Marshall Davis. That’s at the top. Then it says, Tour includes walk in Greenwich Village streets and avenues after bedtime. Also two guides for term of ticket. Reasonable requests granted. Bearer entitled to 15 cents worth of refreshments.”
“Marshall liked Mrs. Mundy. But not very much. Not all of the time. She was long and thin and stiff. Marshall, looking up at her from his low height, sometimes thought she looked like a telephone pole with a face.”
“His wife, once an Irish beauty, had grown thin and sharp-featured, and still the beauty was there. As if the same woman had been painted by Renoir and then by Kollwitz. His children seemed all eyes and knobbly bones. He felt there was nothing, nothing he couldn’t, wouldn’t, do to make their lives brighter and better.”
“I hate not talking with people. Like…I hate how you and Papa don’t talk to each other when—when something goes wrong…People who don’t talk to each other—I think it’s worse than yelling.”
“The thing about Simone…is she wants everything to be beautiful all the time. Well, everything isn’t beautiful all the time. Some things aren’t beautiful any of the time, and scabs aren’t. But they’re there, and people get them, and what are you supposed to do, throw yourself down a well while they go away?”
Such a sweet no-cost gift idea for a child who has always wanted to stay up all night—a ticket that says “One way, Friday evening to Saturday morning. Davis Travel Bureau, Itinerary for Marshall Davis. That’s at the top. Then it says, Tour includes walk in Greenwich Village streets and avenues after bedtime. Also two guides for term of ticket. Reasonable requests granted. Bearer entitled to 15 cents worth of refreshments.”
February 27, 2012
There is a lot to like about this 1966 Newbery Honor book. It is a simple tale of youth seen through the eyes of 11 year old Franny Davis.
This is a book of values. A child of poverty, living in a tiny apartment in Greenich Village, New York, Franny has keen insights into her family. Her father is loving, but not the bread winner he needs to be. He is a fast talking, amiable artist who loves his family, but cannot hold a job.
Her mother has dreams of an education, but toils long hours as a laborer. Her twin brother is a wonderful soul who is angry and walking down a slow path where choices are shaky and troublesome. Her precocious baby brother is five and wise enough to know that the family is hurting and struggling.
Her noon day friendship is confined to small amounts of time during lunch. Through this relationship and that of her family, Franny learns that while money for every day necessities would be great, the true value is in those whom you love and love you right back.
This is a book of values. A child of poverty, living in a tiny apartment in Greenich Village, New York, Franny has keen insights into her family. Her father is loving, but not the bread winner he needs to be. He is a fast talking, amiable artist who loves his family, but cannot hold a job.
Her mother has dreams of an education, but toils long hours as a laborer. Her twin brother is a wonderful soul who is angry and walking down a slow path where choices are shaky and troublesome. Her precocious baby brother is five and wise enough to know that the family is hurting and struggling.
Her noon day friendship is confined to small amounts of time during lunch. Through this relationship and that of her family, Franny learns that while money for every day necessities would be great, the true value is in those whom you love and love you right back.
June 16, 2008
"They looked at each other with that rising hope that human beings, no matter what the past has been, can always bring to fresh occasions."
I thought this was going to focus solely on the Franny/Simone relationship, but was happy to discover that it beautifully covers so much more. The Greenwich Village "poor" neighborhood setting is some of Manhattan's most expensive real estate now, but the hardships of the working poor are still all too real.
I thought this was going to focus solely on the Franny/Simone relationship, but was happy to discover that it beautifully covers so much more. The Greenwich Village "poor" neighborhood setting is some of Manhattan's most expensive real estate now, but the hardships of the working poor are still all too real.
February 1, 2011
I loved this book as a child and still remember adoring the character of Marshall. I remember he threw a temper tantrum in the store and later for his birthday the elderly neighbor gave him a huge bag of cereal box toys.
September 16, 2011
One of the things that most impressed me when I first read this was Marshall's major haul of cereal-box prizes! Thirty years later, I think about the impossibility of raising three children on one salary in the Village. Sweet portrait of a lost way of life.
September 25, 2007
My favorite book as a girl.
May 23, 2022
A childhood favorite of mine.
May 30, 2025
This book gets four stars because, once upon a time, a fourteen-year old girl was browsing her small, rural, southern Utah public library in 1988 or so when she came across this curious book on the YA shelf. In the years that followed, she found herself coming back to re-visit this simple realistic fiction story that almost seemed a fairy tale. Where grown-ups act like real adults and kids are allowed to be kids.
Imagine a world where parents did not get divorced just because the mom made more than the perpetually unemployed dad. A world where siblings age eleven to five look out for each other and have each other's backs. A world where the village these children lived in all took a small part in raising and advising them on life's tough lessons because in 1965 "Sesame Street" and "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood" hadn't been invented yet. These kids don't even WATCH television let alone spend all their free time looking at screens. They go out knocking on doors tricking foolish grown ups into giving them a few coins, babysitting little brothers or babies in preparation for a future life as a parent, cutting out magazine pictures for scrapbooks, helping mom make dinner or playing with a few simple toys.
It makes me wonder what kind of realistic fiction book might be written today if these characters with their 1965 problems were suddenly yanked into the 21st "Woke" Century. One main example is how the main character, Franny, is ashamed of her poor socio-economic status. The public (not charter though Franny's dad would love the luxury of sending his kids to a "private school" but doesn't expect the government or the society he lives in to give him that golden ticket handout. His wife works in a laundry by the way) school she attends with her friend Simone would definitely be categorized as a "Title I" school. Franny does not feel entitled to her humble free/reduced price lunch discount meal but is ashamed and yearns for a lunch box packed at home by mom that she can open here at the lunch table and take pride in eating in front of her peers.
The only people of color in this story are the Orgella family, mom and dad immigrated from Puerto Rico years ago and all their children, including Simone, were born in NYC. Oddly enough this book takes place, not in Washington Heights, but Greenwich Village. Franny is our Irish/Caucasian main character and the story is told entirely in third person omniscient which means POV narration jumps around and we get to experience the story from inside the heads of several of the characters, mostly males like Franny's twin brother Jim, little brother Marshall and Mr. Davis. Franny and Simone are the only two female character POV we get to see, never Mrs. Davis or even Mrs. Mundy who babysits Marshall because, remember, this is 1965 and there is no daycare, Head Start, or any kind of Child Care Vouchers. Single parent households headed by a single, working mother simply do not exist in this world.
The main plot complications that feel real and natural, shape the story, and keep the reader turning pages are: Franny and Simone had a little argument and Franny is worried they may never be friends again, Mr. Davis can't hold a job, even a minimum wage job and his family is POOR as a result which means little Marshall may not get anything for his upcoming 5th birthday.
Mrs. Davis, the wife, described only as an "Irish beauty" (I imagine Franny inherited her blonde hair from her. Other than that, we have no idea what anyone in the Davis family looks like but we get a detailed description of what Simone looks like on page 4) who works outside the home is giving her husband the silent treatment right now. This frustrates Franny as she hates it when people don't communicate, yet she refuses to take the first step in making up with Simone.
Because this is a Newberry Honor Award book, everything works out in the end making this a nice, gentle read with nothing offensive, mainly due to the fact it was written in 1965. Re-visiting this book many many years later since the last time I read it as a young adult was very refreshing and enjoyable. I highly recommend this book, a wonderful time-capsule of what many people today would call an "ideal family" whose only problem in life is that they are poor.
Some people have all the luck.
Imagine a world where parents did not get divorced just because the mom made more than the perpetually unemployed dad. A world where siblings age eleven to five look out for each other and have each other's backs. A world where the village these children lived in all took a small part in raising and advising them on life's tough lessons because in 1965 "Sesame Street" and "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood" hadn't been invented yet. These kids don't even WATCH television let alone spend all their free time looking at screens. They go out knocking on doors tricking foolish grown ups into giving them a few coins, babysitting little brothers or babies in preparation for a future life as a parent, cutting out magazine pictures for scrapbooks, helping mom make dinner or playing with a few simple toys.
It makes me wonder what kind of realistic fiction book might be written today if these characters with their 1965 problems were suddenly yanked into the 21st "Woke" Century. One main example is how the main character, Franny, is ashamed of her poor socio-economic status. The public (not charter though Franny's dad would love the luxury of sending his kids to a "private school" but doesn't expect the government or the society he lives in to give him that golden ticket handout. His wife works in a laundry by the way) school she attends with her friend Simone would definitely be categorized as a "Title I" school. Franny does not feel entitled to her humble free/reduced price lunch discount meal but is ashamed and yearns for a lunch box packed at home by mom that she can open here at the lunch table and take pride in eating in front of her peers.
The only people of color in this story are the Orgella family, mom and dad immigrated from Puerto Rico years ago and all their children, including Simone, were born in NYC. Oddly enough this book takes place, not in Washington Heights, but Greenwich Village. Franny is our Irish/Caucasian main character and the story is told entirely in third person omniscient which means POV narration jumps around and we get to experience the story from inside the heads of several of the characters, mostly males like Franny's twin brother Jim, little brother Marshall and Mr. Davis. Franny and Simone are the only two female character POV we get to see, never Mrs. Davis or even Mrs. Mundy who babysits Marshall because, remember, this is 1965 and there is no daycare, Head Start, or any kind of Child Care Vouchers. Single parent households headed by a single, working mother simply do not exist in this world.
The main plot complications that feel real and natural, shape the story, and keep the reader turning pages are: Franny and Simone had a little argument and Franny is worried they may never be friends again, Mr. Davis can't hold a job, even a minimum wage job and his family is POOR as a result which means little Marshall may not get anything for his upcoming 5th birthday.
Mrs. Davis, the wife, described only as an "Irish beauty" (I imagine Franny inherited her blonde hair from her. Other than that, we have no idea what anyone in the Davis family looks like but we get a detailed description of what Simone looks like on page 4) who works outside the home is giving her husband the silent treatment right now. This frustrates Franny as she hates it when people don't communicate, yet she refuses to take the first step in making up with Simone.
Because this is a Newberry Honor Award book, everything works out in the end making this a nice, gentle read with nothing offensive, mainly due to the fact it was written in 1965. Re-visiting this book many many years later since the last time I read it as a young adult was very refreshing and enjoyable. I highly recommend this book, a wonderful time-capsule of what many people today would call an "ideal family" whose only problem in life is that they are poor.
Some people have all the luck.
May 15, 2024
Suggested age: 10+
The Noonday Friends is a "slice of life" sort of book that would have been realistic contemporary fiction when it was written, but reads a bit more like historical fiction now. (Can you believe that 1965 was nearly 60 years ago?!?! This would be comparable in time frame to my middle school self reading a book set in the early years of the Great Depression!).
Franny Davis is an 11 year old from a poor family in the Greenwich village neighborhood of New York City. Her main wish in life is to have more time for friends outside of school, but instead she has to take care of her 5 year old little brother Marshall every day after school is over. Her family is struggling financially - while her mom holds a steady but presumably low-paid job, her dad struggles to keep regular jobs and aspires to be an artist.
Her on-again-off-again best friend Simone comes from a big, noisy family (very different than Franny's mostly quiet family). Simone is also friends with the possibly-rich Lila - but not always. Similar to Franny, Simone often has to take care of a baby brother, and while the girls try to spend time together when they can, they also take their frustrations out on each other and spend a lot of time in the book being frustrated with each other after minor squabbles.
The book follows several characters and plot threads. Though the main character is clearly Franny, we also see the perspectives of Franny's father as he tries his hand at a job he clearly not suited to, of Franny's twin brother Jim as he tries to get a bit of extra money, of younger brother Marshall as he spends time with an older neighbor and considers throwing a fit at the grocery store, and of Simone as she considers her friendship with Lila and wonders how her cousin who is new to the city can get a job.
While the story doesn't have a strong story arc, there is a bit of building plot as the story nears closer to Marshall's sixth birthday. Marshall wants nothing more than a real birthday party, but this doesn't seem very likely given the family's financial situation.
I think it's likely that readers of the day (especially kids in an urban setting like the families in the story) would have related to the struggles of Fanny and those around her, though this may be less of the case for most readers now. Young readers interested in 20th century urban life might still find this book to be interesting - but in general I don't think this title will be a "hit" for many.
While a heart-warming ending with characters learning some life lessons helped me feel a bit more positive toward the book, I think the cluttered plot with many characters and lack of strong story arc leads me to only rate this 3.5 stars.
Content Considerations:
Economic stress : Franny and her family struggle to make ends meet due to her fathers frequent job losses
Illness: In the recent past, Franny's father suffered a serious illness and was hospitalized for a lengthy time. Franny is scared of her parents dying and is nervous when she hears sirens.
Name calling: Kids call each other "dumb", "stupid" and other similar insults.
Sibling conflict: Siblings from Franny and Simone's families argue/bicker with one another
Mild deception: Franny's brother Jim and his friends ask neighbors for bottles to be returned for the deposit so the money can go to "a fund for poor kids" but THEY are the "poor kids" who will receive the money.
Punishment: There is the implication a couple of times that a child deserves a spanking, but none are given
The Noonday Friends is a "slice of life" sort of book that would have been realistic contemporary fiction when it was written, but reads a bit more like historical fiction now. (Can you believe that 1965 was nearly 60 years ago?!?! This would be comparable in time frame to my middle school self reading a book set in the early years of the Great Depression!).
Franny Davis is an 11 year old from a poor family in the Greenwich village neighborhood of New York City. Her main wish in life is to have more time for friends outside of school, but instead she has to take care of her 5 year old little brother Marshall every day after school is over. Her family is struggling financially - while her mom holds a steady but presumably low-paid job, her dad struggles to keep regular jobs and aspires to be an artist.
Her on-again-off-again best friend Simone comes from a big, noisy family (very different than Franny's mostly quiet family). Simone is also friends with the possibly-rich Lila - but not always. Similar to Franny, Simone often has to take care of a baby brother, and while the girls try to spend time together when they can, they also take their frustrations out on each other and spend a lot of time in the book being frustrated with each other after minor squabbles.
The book follows several characters and plot threads. Though the main character is clearly Franny, we also see the perspectives of Franny's father as he tries his hand at a job he clearly not suited to, of Franny's twin brother Jim as he tries to get a bit of extra money, of younger brother Marshall as he spends time with an older neighbor and considers throwing a fit at the grocery store, and of Simone as she considers her friendship with Lila and wonders how her cousin who is new to the city can get a job.
While the story doesn't have a strong story arc, there is a bit of building plot as the story nears closer to Marshall's sixth birthday. Marshall wants nothing more than a real birthday party, but this doesn't seem very likely given the family's financial situation.
I think it's likely that readers of the day (especially kids in an urban setting like the families in the story) would have related to the struggles of Fanny and those around her, though this may be less of the case for most readers now. Young readers interested in 20th century urban life might still find this book to be interesting - but in general I don't think this title will be a "hit" for many.
While a heart-warming ending with characters learning some life lessons helped me feel a bit more positive toward the book, I think the cluttered plot with many characters and lack of strong story arc leads me to only rate this 3.5 stars.
Content Considerations:
Economic stress : Franny and her family struggle to make ends meet due to her fathers frequent job losses
Illness: In the recent past, Franny's father suffered a serious illness and was hospitalized for a lengthy time. Franny is scared of her parents dying and is nervous when she hears sirens.
Name calling: Kids call each other "dumb", "stupid" and other similar insults.
Sibling conflict: Siblings from Franny and Simone's families argue/bicker with one another
Mild deception: Franny's brother Jim and his friends ask neighbors for bottles to be returned for the deposit so the money can go to "a fund for poor kids" but THEY are the "poor kids" who will receive the money.
Punishment: There is the implication a couple of times that a child deserves a spanking, but none are given
June 14, 2017
There are many lessons to be gleaned from The Noonday Friends...some of which are:
Simple Pleasures are the best.
Good Things come to those who wait.
Kindness is always appropriate.
Birthdays are for cake, presents, and family celebrations.
Franny and her family live in Greenwich Village, New York. They are poor, but as happy as any family could be, struggling to make ends meet with a father who constantly loses his job and a mother who must work full time to bring food to the table. Franny must watch her younger brother, Marshall, and has little time to get-together with her school friends as a result.
Yet, Franny knows that her parents love her and her siblings. And so, because of kindness and thoughtfulness, good things do come to the family. All along, though, she has always had everything she could possible want or need to feel loved.
The Noonday Friends, a Newbery Honor book of 1966, takes me back to my childhood, when TV was not a babysitter, material possessions were not the end-all-and-be all, and friendships were golden. I don't see this book resonating with today's kids...they'd probably just be shaking their heads at the perceived silliness of it all.
Simple Pleasures are the best.
Good Things come to those who wait.
Kindness is always appropriate.
Birthdays are for cake, presents, and family celebrations.
Franny and her family live in Greenwich Village, New York. They are poor, but as happy as any family could be, struggling to make ends meet with a father who constantly loses his job and a mother who must work full time to bring food to the table. Franny must watch her younger brother, Marshall, and has little time to get-together with her school friends as a result.
Yet, Franny knows that her parents love her and her siblings. And so, because of kindness and thoughtfulness, good things do come to the family. All along, though, she has always had everything she could possible want or need to feel loved.
The Noonday Friends, a Newbery Honor book of 1966, takes me back to my childhood, when TV was not a babysitter, material possessions were not the end-all-and-be all, and friendships were golden. I don't see this book resonating with today's kids...they'd probably just be shaking their heads at the perceived silliness of it all.
November 9, 2020
This book was good, it was not life changing but it did make me stop to think how lucky I am. It was about the Davis family and their friends, each person of the family (except the mother) had at least one chapter about them and their life. The book starts off and ends with Franny and her friends putting a nice end to the story. I will say there was no definite problem or solution it was more of a book of short stories about this family, if I had to say I think the biggest problem was the Dad finding a job unlike what the back cover states.
I got this book from my school library, they had run out of room on the selfs and were giving books away freely I collected a lot of book but read very little of them for most of them were more then 20 years old.
I got this book from my school library, they had run out of room on the selfs and were giving books away freely I collected a lot of book but read very little of them for most of them were more then 20 years old.
June 3, 2020
This is a story about the Davis family. They live in Greenwich Village. Franny, Jim, and Marshall are siblings. Franny, 12, just wants her parents to be happy, to be a ballerina, and keep her best friend, Simone. Franny's parents struggle to run a household and keep a job. Franny learns some life advice from the people in her life. This book was very enjoyable, and had a lot of timeless wisdom. I don't understand how poignant books like this stay out of print.
November 11, 2024
Franny Davis, even-tempered girl, enjoys school, her family, and her friendship with Simone Orgella, among many other things. However, she is slightly bothered by the fact that they never seem to have enough money. When her father loses his job, and she loses her friend, her world seems ready to fall apart.
Warm-hearted story about people who are very real, set in New York City.
Modern fiction. Ages 9-11.
Warm-hearted story about people who are very real, set in New York City.
Modern fiction. Ages 9-11.
February 22, 2021
Greenwich Village, early '60s
the art is original to the '60s, which is good (i.e., it has not been redrawn and updated)
Firmly based in reality, Stolz explores the dynamics within a family and between friends. Life on the edge of poverty. Racism.
As a child, I'm sure I would have read this book several times.
Mr. Davis wonders why the boys in the neighborhood were always so ready to fight. He thinks television may be the problem. p 92
In television, the sides—good and evil—were clearly demarcated, but the solution for all problems, for both sides, was identical. Fight it out. I'm good, bam, I shoot you. I'm bad, bam, they got me. ...
the art is original to the '60s, which is good (i.e., it has not been redrawn and updated)
Firmly based in reality, Stolz explores the dynamics within a family and between friends. Life on the edge of poverty. Racism.
As a child, I'm sure I would have read this book several times.
Mr. Davis wonders why the boys in the neighborhood were always so ready to fight. He thinks television may be the problem. p 92
In television, the sides—good and evil—were clearly demarcated, but the solution for all problems, for both sides, was identical. Fight it out. I'm good, bam, I shoot you. I'm bad, bam, they got me. ...
April 19, 2024
A fairly realistic recounting of life in the 30's in New York city when your Mom works & your Dad works until he loses focus on the job being of an artistic & philosophical/questioning mindset. Written from the perspective of the 3 children in the family it covers the reality of tough times, the beauty of true family and so much more.
July 6, 2025
This is a Newbery Honor book that I mostly listened to. It is the story of a family that has three children. The oldest sister is struggling with the family not having a lot, difficulties with friends, dad losing his job, etc. It has a positive ending. However, I suspect most kids wouldn't be too interested in reading it today.
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