Eugenia Lincoln and the Unexpected Package

Tales from Deckawoo Drive #4

by Kate DiCamillo, Chris Van Dusen (Illustrator)

What will it take for a cynical older sister to realize she's a born accordion player -- with music in her heart?

Eugenia Lincoln is a practical person with no time for poetry, gee-gaws, whoop-de-whoops, or frivolity. When an unexpected package containing an accordion arrives at her house, she is determined to have nothing to do with it. But her plans to sell the accordion, destroy the accordion, and give the accordion away all end in frustration. How can Eugenia stop being tormented by this troublesome package? Might she discover that a bit of unforeseen frivolity could be surprisingly . . . joyous?

Genres: Fiction, Childrens, Chapter Books, Humor, Juvenile, Music, Audiobook

104 pages, Library Binding

Published August 1, 2022

About the author

Kate DiCamillo, the newly named National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature for 2014–2015, says about stories, “When we read together, we connect. Together, we see the world. Together, we see one another.” Born in Philadelphia, the author lives in Minneapolis, where she faithfully writes two pages a day, five days a week.

Kate DiCamillo's own journey is something of a dream come true. After moving to Minnesota from Florida in her twenties, homesickness and a bitter winter helped inspire Because of Winn-Dixie - her first published novel, which, remarkably, became a runaway bestseller and snapped up a Newbery Honor. "After the Newbery committee called me, I spent the whole day walking into walls," she says. "I was stunned. And very, very happy."

Her second novel, The Tiger Rising, went on to become a National Book Award Finalist. Since then, the master storyteller has written for a wide range of ages, including two comical early-chapter-book series - Mercy Watson, which stars a "porcine wonder" with an obsession for buttered toast, and Bink & Gollie, which celebrates the tall and short of a marvelous friendship - as well as a luminous holiday picture book, Great Joy.

Her latest novel, Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures, won the 2014 Newbery Medal. It was released in fall 2013 to great acclaim, including five starred reviews, and was an instant New York Times bestseller. Flora & Ulysses is a laugh-out-loud story filled with eccentric, endearing characters and featuring an exciting new format - a novel interspersed with comic-style graphic sequences and full-page illustrations, all rendered in black and white by up-and-coming artist K. G. Campbell. It was a 2013 Parents' Choice Gold Award Winner and was chosen by Amazon, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, and Common Sense Media as a Best Book of the Year.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the words Kate uses in these books. Gee-gaws, frivolity and other things. Kate has a magic way of using words. This book is about opening up Eugenia to a little joy. Eugenia likes control and routine. When she is sent an accordion in the mail, it sends her life into chaos. All kinds of things begin happening out of her control. It turns out that Eugenia is a natural accordion player.

This is one of the most wonderful books in the series. Everyone is a perfect character and it is pure fun to read this book. I don't know if there will be another book in this series or not, but this is such a fantastic book. Kate spins magic out of words and this is a fine example of her craft.

Fantastic book.

[Lizzy Brannan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Working with a playwright to adapt for stage.

[Kaethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eugenia Lincoln and the Unexpected Package: Tales from Deckawoo Drive, Volume Four - Chris Van Dusen,Kate DiCamillo What are the odds on finding affordable housing at the corner of Deckawoo Drive and Sesame Street? I really want to move to a place without racism or any of the other nasty hates that have been so apparent lately. A place where strangers are helpful, and the neighbors share in your good fortune.
DeCamillo makes me feel better about humanity and cheerful. Van Dusen's art is the perfect visual accompaniment. My Offspring are all grown up, but even they are delighted to see such a book arrive.
Go, spend a little time. I'm certain the air is sweet, even when Mercy Watson walks by. You can take a child with you, but you don't have to.
Enjoy.
ARC provided by publisher through GoodReads giveaway. Because joy.
 
  

[La Coccinelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

And so we come to the end of all the Deckawoo Drive books. I'm a little disappointed that I didn't like this one more. But there were a couple of things that marred my enjoyment of the story.

The first (and main) issue I had is with consent. Eugenia Lincoln receives a mysterious accordion from an unknown source. Then an accordion teacher shows up on her doorstep. She's adamant that she doesn't want anything to do with the accordion, but nobody will take "no" for an answer. This culminates in the according teacher putting his arms around her and putting his fingers over hers on the keys, which made me really uncomfortable. Her wishes (and personal space) should've been respected. (The fact that she eventually comes around and the accordion becomes a blessing rather than a curse is beside the point. If we allow people to do things without consent and excuse that behaviour by saying it's good for the victim, it could lead to all sorts of problems.)

My other quibble is minor, but it was still disappointing. This book, unlike all the others, doesn't end with the eating of hot buttered toast! What the...?!

Overall, this is an okay book, but definitely not my favourite of the series. That honour belongs to Where Are You Going, Baby Lincoln? While I do like the fact that this book helped develop Eugenia Lincoln's character a little more, I don't like that it had to be at the expense of her own autonomy. She's pretty much manipulated throughout the book, and while that could be viewed as her getting her just deserts (she really is an overbearing woman), it also kind of rubbed me the wrong way.

[Tessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was really cute! I read it because of the accordion and the accordion did not disappoint. It has about as much depth as you would expect from a book of a hundred pages, but I would not hesitate to give this to early readers.

[The Reading Countess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wouldn't it be a dream living on Deckawoo Drive? Eugenia Lincoln and her sister, Baby, are polar opposites. Eugenia runs a tight ship and is no frills, while her sister is the fun-loving, adventurous one. What happens when the doorbell rings one day and you receive a gift you weren't expecting? Leaning into life and going with the flow might be in Eugenia's future, but not before meeting some of our beloved characters (or is that neighbors) like Mercy Watson and Stella Endicott.

Let's face it. Kate DiCamillo is divine. The way she crafts her characters: quirky, yet likable, feeds a second grader's soul. And that vocabulary? She doesn't softball any words. No sir. Understanding words in context is being served as an appetizer, main course and even dessert.

What's not to love? I'm hopping in the car and heading to Deckawoo Drive myself.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is very close to a perfect book. Kate DiCamillo is a genius and I hope to meet her one day. Her word choice and Chris Van Dusen’s illustrations show such skill and evoke such emotion. I love how she does not talk down to her young readers. “Great joy can be found in the accordion” and this wonderful book. Also, #IamEugeniaandsheisme

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Without fail, at the end of every Kate DiCamillo book I end up letting out a huge sigh of satisfaction and happiness. I adore the Codas in these books, and how much my heart bursts for all of her characters, even the crankiest Lincoln sister. =)

----
She was happy.
It was the most astonishing thing.

[Michele Knott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Lincoln sisters and I think this may be my favorite in the Deckawoo Drive series!

[Robert Kent · Rating 5 out of 5]

First Paragraph: Eugenia Lincoln was a practical person, a sensible person. She did not have time for poetry, geegaws, whoop-de-whoops, or frivolity.

I try to read widely to expose myself to a lot of authors and a lot of styles, which means I don't always get to go as deep into an author's catalog as I might like. Like any lover of middle grade, I love Because of Winn-Dixie and The Tale of Despereaux, and naturally I carved out time for Flora and Ulysses (who doesn't want to read about a super-heroic squirrel?). But then I got busy with another middle grade review for this blog and yadda, yadda, don't you judge me, Esteemed Reader, I doubt Kate DiCamillo has read three of my books...

Anyway, mores the pity, because there's a whole shared DiCamillo universe I've been missing out on. But I'll be catching up with a quickness. Eugenia Lincoln and the Unexpected Package is the fourth in the Tales from Deckawoo Drive series that is connected to the Mercy Watson series, which is also illustrated by Chris Van Dusen, who deserves his own separate review as his illustrations add so much to this story. Each book in the series tells the tale of a character from a group of related characters that pop into each other's books like the superheroes in Lisa Yee's Batgirl at Superhero High. This is a whole lot of fun and means almost every character introduced on Deckawoo Drive is fully realized enough to be the star of their own future story.

This is the story of Eugenia Lincoln (obviously) who is a very fun character indeed:

She had never been so frustrated in her life.
Actually, this was not true.
Eugenia spent a large portion of her life being frustrated. It was hard not to be frustrated. The world was just so... frustrating.

And also:

Eugenia Lincoln was very fond of lists.
They helped her think. Lists calmed her.
They made the world seem orderly and reasonable and manageable, even though the world was none of these things.

Eugenia Lincoln is an older woman, or so I assume from Chris Van Dusen's illustrations, and extremely curmudgeonly. She lives with her younger sister, Baby, and the two of them are about to...

You know what, let's go back to the first paragraph at the top of this review, because Kate DiCamillo does something quite extraordinary with the opening of this book that you can really only get away with in a middle grade work, which is one of the reasons I love this genre so much. Remember, this novel is aimed primarily at children 6-9 years old.

DiCamillo starts off this book by telling us exactly who our main character is and what her relationship is with her sister. Granted, most readers will have just completed the third book in this series, which is focused on Baby Lincoln, but still, this ordinarily something I'd harp on my critique partners for. But if the YA Cannibals wrote for a much earlier reader, I'd be dead wrong (happens a lot).

Pay attention to how DiCamillo shows us the truth of these characters through her word choice even as she's telling us the entire set up of the novel. Remember, that Eugenia would tell her sister these things shows us the sort of character she is and all the things Baby doesn't say shows us the character she is:

She believed in attending to the task at hand.
Eugenia Lincoln believed in Getting Things Done.
Baby Lincoln, Eugenia's younger sister, loved poetry, geegaws, and whoop-de-whoops of evey sort and variety.
She was especially fond of frivolity.
"We are diametrically opposed," said Eugenia to Baby. "You are woefully impractical. I am supremely practical."
"Yes, Sister," said Baby.
"You are soft, and I am sharpened to a very fine point, indeed," said Eugenia.
"Well, yes," said Baby. "That's true, I suppose."
"Suppose nothing," said Eugenia. "Believe me when I say that your head is in the clouds, and my feet are planted firmly on the terra firma."
"If you say so, Sister," said Baby.
"I say so," said Eugenia.
And that is how it as with Eugenia Lincoln and Baby Lincoln.
Until the day the unexpected package arrived.

Spoiler, the unexpected package is an accordion. Actually, this is a story that is mostly impervious to spoilers. The official description of the novel pretty much lays out the whole plot. The tagline is: "What will it take for a cynical older sister to realize she's a born accordion player—with music in her heart?" I mean, maybe there's a chance Eugenia won't learn to play the music of her heart, but I'd bet all the money in my wallet she will.

This leaves us with one mystery:

"Miss Lincoln," said Frank. "Don't you want to know who sent you the accordion?"
Eugenia felt a small ping of uncertainty. It was the ping of the unknown, the unexplainable. Eugenia did not care for such pings.
"I do not want to know," said Eugenia.

I'm not going to tell you who sent the accordion as that remains a mystery to the end of the novel, but it's not a shocking reveal. I suspect most readers will know who the sender was before it's revealed because there's really only one character with motive, but it's a kind motive, and adds to the charm of this story.

You see, Esteemed Reader, this isn't one of your big time mysteries with lots of false leads, nor is is an overly-complex narrative. At 112 pages (many of which have pictures), it's short and sweet and it will put a smile on the reader's face, because that is its reason for being. This is a warm and safe sort of story filled with mostly pleasant happenings despite its curmudgeonly lead character. As a man who spends a lot of time in the realm of horror, I appreciate such a story where there's no chance of a sewer clown. No doubt younger readers, who face horrors of their own, will appreciate the respite as well.

We know Kate DiCamillo can tackle more complex stories and darker themes as we've seen her accomplish both, but this is a different sort of book, every bit as essential to a child's love of reading. A child could devour this story in an afternoon and still have more books available. They would laugh and smile and look forward to the next tale of Deckawoo Drive, which would mean the book accomplished fully its intended purpose. This is as noble a pursuit for an author as an epic tale, such as the one of Despereaux.

That pretty much concludes the review portion of this review: this book was good. I liked it. You will like it too.

Now, let's talk about technique, because there's a lot of it on display here. The thing to watch for is DiCamillo's economy of words. Remember, she's got 112 pages with sparse words and a lot of illustrations, so every sentence counts. She can't spend 800 words describing any one character and their backstory unless it's Eugenia, and even she doesn't get that many words of description in a row.

What DiCamillo does is pick out a few evocative details to suggest the full character. That effect combined with defining dialogue (no two characters speak the same way, however sparse the dialogue may be) creates multiple characters the reader can clearly see and identify with and look forward to revisiting in future tales. I'd also be curious to know what notes she gave to her illustrator, as he accomplishes a lot of the description, but certainly not all.

After receiving her accordion, Eugenia attempts to sell it to a man named Gaston LaTreaux, who instead insists on giving her accordion lessons. It's a running joke that he has on his person a business card for every conceivable occupation that comes up through the story. But witness how DiCamillo creates this man with three extremely distinct details:

Eugenia opened it and discovered a small, round man. The man was wearing a green velvet suit and a green velvet hat. The hat resembled a moldy mushroom.

The man smelled like lilacs and musty curtains and butter.

This third detail is even more expertly employed because not only does it tell us about Gaston, but it reveals a great deal about Eugenia's character as well:

The man had a large number of teeth. More teeth than the average person, it seemed. Eugenia felt it would be dangerous to trust such an excessively toothy person. But still, she had an accordion to sell. She couldn't afford to be overly particular.

And that's were we'll leave it for today, Esteemed Reader. As always, I'll leave you with some of my favorite passages from Eugenia Lincoln and the Unexpected Package:

Life was too annoying and unpredictable and pig-filled to be borne, sometimes.

She went into the living room and saw that the pig from next door had invited itself into the house and was now sitting on the couch and staring into space as if it were thinking, which it most certainly was not.

In the morning, Eugenia rose from her bed and went out to the kitchen and found that it was in severe disarray: chairs were overturned, crumbs were on the counter, unwashed plates were piled in the sink. There was an entire fruitcake in the center of the kitchen table. A fly was hovering over it, buzzing happily.

"Bah," said Eugenia to the sun.

What are you learning from the encyclopedia?" she said.
"This and that," said Frank. (this one you have to read the full book to appreciate, but it's pretty awesome when you're in the know)

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that equation of poetry with other forms of frivolity. Too many of you-all seem intimidated by poetry, as if it's something to study seriously. I feel awful for you, for the experiences you must have had in school (I assume) that scared you off like that. DiCamillo is right that there's a lot of poetry that's a lot of fun!

So anyway. I chose to read this because it's a story for young children about older adults who are not grandparent, teachers, aunties, but people in their own right, known as neighbors and friends. Also because I, like Miss Lincoln, am practical, sensible, fond of lists, and not automatically fond of surprise packages. Of course I'm a little bit frivolous like Miss Baby, too... this early chapter book isn't as nuanced as real life. But I thought it might be a fun story, even if it is by an author I consider highly overrated.

All righty then. It is a fun story. Nothing amazing, but fine for what it is. The extra star is for the mini quest that Eugenia goes on to try to dispose of the accordion.... I won't tell you more; I'll just tell you that if you like children's stories you should find out for yourself, and if you don't, you wouldn't appreciate it anyway.

[James Biser · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first thing a reader needs to know about Eugenia is her identity. It is found in the quote: "Eugenia Lincoln is a practical person with no time for poetry, gee-gaws, whoop-de-whoops, or frivolity."
One day, an unknown company sends her an accordion. She immediately, tries to return the instrument, but they refuse. She puts an advertisement in the paper to sell the accordion. The response is a man who comes to teach her to play the instrument. This begins a series of surprises that end up being pleasant.

[Mohsen M.B · Rating 4 out of 5]

در مقایسه با کتاب‌های قبلی، به‌ویژه کتاب سوم، کمی افت داشت اما پایانش فوق‌العاده‌ بود
مفاهیم و نمادسازی‌ها هم مثل همیشه عالی بودن

[Valerie Guntli · Rating 1 out of 5]

I started reading this book to my 5, 7 and 9 year old children and had to stop after finishing chapter 5. The author, illustrator, and publisher of this book may not have intended to, but they are teaching their young audience a very dangerous life lesson with this story. Please do not buy this book. Do not let your impressionable children read it. Eugenia Lincoln and the Unexpected Package should be recalled and pulled from every shelf by Candlewick Press. It teaches that it is okay for someone to come into your house uninvited and touch you without your consent, insisting that you'll like it if you just try. Trust a stranger, even if your gut instinct is telling you otherwise. It is okay for a stranger to touch you, even if you don't want them to, because they know better. Believe the stranger when he tells you to do something you don't want to do, because he says you'll like it. 

The story begins with Eugenia receiving a package containing an accordion. She did not order it and did not want it, so she decided to sell it. The day after putting an ad in the newspaper, a man named Gaston arrives on her doorstep insisting that she shouldn't sell the accordion. He will teach her how to play it and it will bring her joy. 

Here are some selected quotes from the book to show you what I mean..."I do not want accordion lessons," she said. "Ho, ho, ho," said Gaston, as if Eugenia had just told him a very funny joke. And then, somehow, the little man made his way through the door and into the Lincoln Sisters' house. How, exactly, this was allowed to happen was a mystery to Eugenia. "I refuse," said Eugenia. He took the accordion from around his neck and slipped the strap over Eugenia's head. Suddenly she was wearing an accordion. Eugenia felt her face getting red. "I will show you," said Gaston. "You will squeeze and depress the key." "I will not squeeze or depress the key," said Eugenia. "Ho, ho, ho," laughed Gaston. He bent toward her. He put his hands over her hands. The man smelled like lilacs and musty curtains and butter. Eugenia felt another wave of dizziness roll over her. Gaston's fingers pushed her fingers down upon the keys. A small, heartbroken sound came out of the accordion. Eugenia could feel it reverberating somewhere deep inside of her. Her heart quivered. "You see?" said Gaston. "I do not see," said Eugenia. "Let us try again," said Gaston. He wrapped his arms around Eugenia and pushed down on her fingers gently, and the song exited the accordion and entered the room. Eugenia felt as if someone had poked her with something hot and sharp, right in the heart. "I will not participate. I refuse to participate." 

At this point in the story, Eugenia goes to her room and hides under the covers with her cat.  The illustration broke my heart. Another quote from the book...Eugenia could still feel Gaston's fingers on top of her fingers. She could still feel the note from the accordion reverberating in her body. It was a strange feeling. But was it necessarily a bad feeling?

She falls asleep and the next morning she wakes and finds Gaston (the uninvited stranger) sleeping on her couch and says, "Surely this is a nightmare."She takes the accordion outside, determined to destroy it somehow, when the adorable side character, Stella, inadvertently gets her to try the accordion on her own. Eugenia discovers she actually does like playing the accordion. She goes back to her house and Gaston says, "Of course" "I will teach you what I know" "We will do great things together".

I was extremely disappointed in this book. And I know it sounds harsh, but this story reads too much like a tool a child molester would use to groom a potential victim.

[Erica Cizek-Vogen · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great story! By far my favorite thus far of the Tales from Deckawoo Drive. 🥰

[Jaina Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is also available on my blog, Read Till Dawn.

I've read many of DiCamillo's books over the years (Because of Winn-Dixie, The Tale of Despereaux, The Magician's Elephant, etc.), and have enjoyed all of them. I loved Because of Winn-Dixie so much that I actually opted to read a translated version of it in Spanish class a couple years ago! I knew that she'd written some books for younger kids, and had actually picked up the first Mercy Watson book at some point but decided it was a little too young for my normal reading tastes. When I was offered the opportunity to review an early copy of DiCamillo's upcoming release Eugenia Lincoln and the Unexpected Package, though, I simply couldn't refuse on the basis of its target age group.

Every few months, I find myself holding onto a kids' book that I've somehow decided to review. Each time, I discover something new about the unfamiliar genre–whether it's that the stories can be way more complicated than I'd expected or that the "kiddy" illustrations often actually really enhance the reading experience. This time, I wasn't blown away by the story's complexity (though I did like the way so many eclectic characters are thrown into Eugenia's life!). The illustrations were quite nice. I enjoyed the simple little story about Eugenia's annoyance about the accordion and her attempts to free herself from it, though the very cynical part of me argues that her sister and neighbors were really being pests by continually trying to make her play the instrument she clearly wasn't comfortable with. Does privacy and personal autonomy not really exist in children's books?

Anyway, younger readers of the Mercy Watson books will be happy to know that Mercy (who, just so everyone else knows, is a sentient pig) is featured in Eugenia Lincoln. There's a range of characters in it, and I honestly have no idea how many other ones are also from the other children's books DiCamillo has written. Regardless, though, it's a cute story that's well told and I'm sure many kids will snap it up.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Christina Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

While Eugenia Lincoln and the Unexpected Package is book number four, it is, in fact, the first book in the Tales from Deckawoo Drive series that I have had the pleasure of reading. Eugenia is the sort who likes order. Her lists and plans give her comfort. She absolutely, positively, has no interest in frivolous behavior of any kind. When an unexpected package arrives, Eugenia tries her best to get rid of it but this unanticipated gift might just be what she needed to unlock the song that's hiding in her heart.

Kate DiCamillo is an author my students love. Books like Because of Winn Dixie, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, and The Tale of Despereaux are continuously checked out from our library. Her Mercy Watson series is a favorite with our kids as well and I would venture to say that they would also enjoy the Deckawoo Drive books just the same.

Chris Van Dusen's illustrations that are peppered throughout the book are wonderful and highly engaging. I really enjoyed the moods conveyed in the faces of each character, especially Eugenia. Equally pleasing to my eyes was the use of the Mrs. Eaves typeface. It's a beautiful font and I particularly liked the question marks (maybe this is a weird thing to note but I thought they were pretty neat). The text size and line spacing were spot on for my young readers. It also has a healthy dose of big words (palpitations, taxidermy, etc.). Keep the big words coming. It challenges our students and expands their vocabulary. Having read this book, I think I will plan to add this series to our library for my students to enjoy.

Eugenia Lincoln and the Unexpected Package

Kate DiCamillo

[Luann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm loving this series, except I miss the color illustrations from the Mercy Watson books. The characters really shine through, though.

[BiblioBickie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Eugenia Lincoln, the practical, get-it-done, and somewhat dour sister to the whimsical, happy-go-lucky, and somewhat spacey Baby Lincoln, receives a mysterious package. Eugenia does not like surprises or mysteries or anything else that upsets her predictable life, but she eventually opens it to find an accordion. She tries unsuccessfully to return it and finally advertises it for sale, prompting a man with too many teeth dressed in a green velvet suit and a green hat to arrive on her doorstep. He is not there to purchase the accordion, but to teach her to play it. This is where what could be another delightful installment in the Mercy Watson spin-off series, Tales from Deckawoo Drive, goes wrong. Mr. Gaston LaTreaux does not respect Eugenia's protests, going so far as to put his arms around her from behind, placing his hands on hers to show her how to play the accordion. Disturbed by the stirrings in her heart (from the accordion music), Eugenia retreats to her room for the evening and is dismayed to find Mr. LaTreaux asleep on the couch when she wakes up. Mr. LaTreaux is creepy, and the message that Eugenia just needs to lighten up a little, stop listening to herself, and join the crowd in order to feel the "joy of the accordion" is wildly inappropriate, particularly in light of the #metoo movement.

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A big package arrives for Eugenia Lincoln exciting everyone on Deckawoo Drive, especially her sister Baby Lincoln. Neighborhood friends and main characters in the 3 prequels Tales from Deckawoo Drive; Mrs. Watson, Frank, Stella, and Mercy Watson the pig arrive to witness the delivery of a mysterious package. Everyone is excited except for the recipient Eugenia, who states, "I refuse to accept delivery....." Speculation continues as Mrs. Watson predicts it contains a fruit basket and Mercy excitingly oinks and snuffles in agreement. This is a favorite title in the series with its suspense filled mystery about the contents of the package, and the introduction of a new mysterious character Gaston La Treux, with his many talents. I love all of the well rounded characters in this story, especially Eugenia with her no-nonsense "getting-things-done" attitude, ever kind Baby Lincoln with her "fondness for frivolity" and Mercy Watson always eager for a tasty treat. Kate DiCamillo uses wondrous words such as proprietor, truffles, taxidermy, and palpitations. What a delightful read, growing readers with exciting vocabulary, and characters.

[Chazzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eugenia Lincoln is an extremely practical person. Her sister, Baby Lincoln is the complete opposite. When an unexpected, large box is delivered to their house, Eugenia wants to refuse it, but the delivery man tells her it can't be done. She is not happy about the unexpected delivery and is even more unhappy to find it contains an accordion! She has no use for it and is determined to get rid of it some how. Meanwhile her neighbours are delighted with the surprise delivery and think she should keep it as it could add some fun and joy to her life.

I have read "Because of Winn-Dixie", The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" and "The Tale of Dsepereraux", all by Kate DiCamillo and thoroughly enjoyed them. I enjoyed this one also. It is written for lower elementary school grade readers, it was a quick read and quite simple yet there was enjoyable descriptions about Eugenia and her dislike of change, sister Baby and the neighbours and their excitement over surprises. The story moved along smoothly, without dragging. The drawings were black and white (this is a proof copy) but enjoyable and added to the story telling.

I received this through the Early Reviewers Group.

[Jana · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Tales From Deckawoo Drive series’ books are such a treat, I devoured this latest story in one sitting. The Lincoln sisters are such different characters. In Where Are You Going, Baby Lincoln? Baby Lincoln took a necessary journey of self discovery. Now it’s Eugenia’s turn. A large, unexpected package is delivered to Eugenia one day, and rather than enjoying the surprise of it, she’s very annoyed by the intrusion into her neat and orderly world. When it turns out to be an accordion, she’s even more appalled. Unable to return it, readers will have a delightful time finding out how she deals with it. There is such a great opportunity to discuss growth mindset goals as the message of stepping outside of our comfort zones and finding the joy that lives in the hearts of every person is revealed in this fun tale.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Candlewick Press, I had the privilege of reading this new story about grumpy (usually) Eugenia Lincoln. Wait till you see what happens! Eugenia tries very hard to deny that this “unexpected package” is something she will keep. Although her words say “no, no, no”, her actions show different feelings, as Kate DiCamillo subtly conveys. A mysterious, and unexpected, box appears and while Eugenia also tries to refuse it even before opening it, somehow it does get opened and there inside is an accordion. Through the story, step by step, Eugenia changes her tune (no pun intended). Kids will love the changes that happen, and a visit from Mr. and Mrs. Watson and their popular pig among others adds another fun component to this sweet story about Eugenia. Chris van Dusen adds his own ideas about the characters. The changes in Eugenia’s facial expressions are beautifully done.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eugenia Lincoln does not approve of the unexpected, the frivolous, or flights of fancy. So while most people would be excited by a mysterious package delivered for them, Eugenia goes into a funk and tries to figure out how to get rid of the unexpected surprise.

Ahhh, it's about time someone worked on cracking that crusty heart of Eugenia's. It came through the most unexpected medium, but it was definitely entertaining along the way. I love the splendid vocabulary used in this. Kids will learn all sorts of delicious words while laughing at Eugenia's strange problems and watching her heart melt just a teensy bit.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eugenia Lincoln, who does not like frivolity of any kind, is annoyed that she has received an accordion in the mail from a mysterious benefactor. She does not want to have anything to do with it, but the company will not take it back so she advertises its sale. The next day a man arrives at her doorstep to teach her to play, much to her even greater annoyance. With the help of Stella, Eugenia just might find that there's room in her life for a little fun after all. This is another great addition to the Mercy Watson cannon: with short chapters, great illustrations, and a small mystery.

[Ruthe Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Silly things happen on Deckawoo Drive. That's all young readers need to know. They don't need to know that reading this series of books will improve their reading and vocabulary skills AND help with more important skills, such as how empathy towards others and accepting people around you who may be different than you. Miss Eugenia Lincoln is not necessarily a lovable person. Then she receives an accordion in the mail. Talk about silly! What can an old grouch like her do with an accordion? More importantly, what can an accordion do for an old grouch like her!

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never read the Mercy Watson series, but I found the curmudgeonly Eugenia quite amusing.

Eugenia felt it would be dangerous to trust such an excessively toothy person.

Eugenia is a very practical person and doesn't like any sort of nonsense. She is very disturbed when she receives a mysterious package containing a very unpractical gift - an accordion! She wants to burn it, bury it and toss it in the sea, especially when a toothy accordion instructor shows up.

Just a silly, happy little story that takes no time at all to read.

[Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Mercy Watson and Tales from Deckawoo Drive is such a wonderful series! Starting the Mercy Watson books when my son was first starting to enjoy longer books was perfect since they're beautifully illustrated with colored pictures on every page telling a good deal of the story. Once we loved those, it was an easy transition to books with much fewer illustrations without color in the Tales of Deckawoo Drive because he loved the characters so much already. They're all also hilarious!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great early chapter book from one of my favorite children's authors! Wonderful commentary on letting go of things in this life that you can't control and trying to live life to its fullest - even when it doesn't go the way you expected. Eugenia is a funny character and kids will enjoy her difficult, partial transformation from rule follower and grumpy woman to a person who discovers another side of life.

[Beth Kopine · Rating 4 out of 5]

We've read all the DiCamillo books in the Deckawoo Drive and Mercy Watson series - A eats them up. He's always been engaged when we've read them aloud. They're harmless, amusingly simple but engaging stories. It was refreshing to see a crack in the stony veneer of Eugenia.

My only complaint is that these books are as white bread as they come when it comes to the characters/community depicted.