Julia Gillian and the Quest for Joy

Julia Gillian Trilogy #2

by Alison McGhee, Drazen Kozjan (Illustrator)

Where is the joy? Julia Gillian is sure to find it! This is the second story in an extraordinary series by a New York Times bestselling author.

So far, fifth grade at Lake Harriet Elementary School is not exactly a thing of joy. Julia Gillian's best friend, Bonwit Keller, is keeping a secret from her. Trumpet lessons with Mr. Mixler, her favorite teacher, are much harder than expected. And most upsetting of all, the kind lunch lady has been replaced by a tyrant known as the Dumpling Man. Where is the joy? Amidst all this, Julia Gillian starts keeping secrets of her own--secrets that feel an awful lot like lies. To set things right, she will have to learn a little bit about friendship and honesty.

Genres: Middle Grade, Childrens, Realistic Fiction, Music, Chapter Books, Friendship, Family

320 pages, Hardcover

First published April 15, 2009

About the author

Alison McGhee writes novels, picture books, poems, and essays for all ages, including the just-published THE OPPOSITE OF FATE, a novel, and the #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestseller SOMEDAY, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds. Her work has been translated into more than 20 languages. She lives in Minneapolis and California.

Reviews

[Sam Bloom · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Julia Gillian books (which consist of this one and the first book, Julia Gillian and the Art of Knowing) are a bit of an enigma. Why do I love them so much? Nothing much happens; Julia worries alot, so she spends a lot of time ruminating while taking walks with her dog, Bigfoot. I think the real joy (pun intended) of these books is in the way McGhee writes her characters. Yes, Julia may not be searching for 39 Clues or going to Camp Halfblood, but she is more interesting to me than the kids in those books (and I like those books, btw). We may not see Enzo doing much besides sitting in a pretzel position, but she's still one of the best role models going in children's books. And Julia's parents aren't flamboyant like a Lucius Malfoy or Grandpa Joe, but they interact with Julia in a wonderful, realistic way. When you put it all together, you get truly memorable, beautiful books.

This one wasn't quite as good as the first, but still tons better than most. Julia is at school now with her best friend, Bonwit, but things quickly go south when the beloved lunch lady is hurt. Soon "Dumpling Man" (so named because of a shirt he wears) arrives, leaving terror - and baby carrots - in his wake. Plus, Bonwit is keeping a secret, Julia Gillian can't figure how to make a sound on her trumpet, and finally Julia starts layering lie upon lie (and feeling guilty). The reasoning behind all of the secrets makes sense (sometimes in surprising ways) and Julia eventually does, indeed, find joy.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Kira M for TeensReadToo.com

As the new school year begins, Julia feels that it isn't starting off very well.

Learning to play the trumpet is harder than she expected. Her best friend, Bonwit Keller, seems to be avoiding her and never wants to spend time together. An eccentric lunch monitor seems to love to terrorize her.

When Julia starts telling lies to cover for her shortfalls, she ends up getting tangled up. With everything happening and her world falling down around her, Julia wonders where she can find joy. Will she ever find a happy medium in her life? Will Julia figure out what's eating at her best friend, or will she lose him forever?

JULIA GILLIAN (AND THE QUEST FOR JOY) is a great book. The characters are well-developed, memorable, and humorous. The plot moves along at a good pace and holds the reader's interest. The illustrations interspersed throughout the book complement the text well and add a unique element to the story.

Readers who like realistic fiction and friendship stories will all enjoy this book.

[babyhippoface · Rating 4 out of 5]

School has started again, and this year Julia Gillian is excited about learning to play the trumpet with her best friend, Bonwit, who has been away all summer. But her plans for a great year fall apart all too soon. She can't make a single sound come out of her trumpet, and Bonwit doesn't want Julia Gillian to come over to his house after school anymore. On top of that, he's begun making his own lunches for school, so Julia Gillian feels pressured to begin making her own lunches as well. She doesn't want to look like a baby, after all. And what begins as one little lie turns into big feelings of guilt for Julia Gillian, as she tries to make sense of her changing world.

Julia Gillian is completely likeable, as are all the main characters. She's a real girl in a real world, who tries to keep her head up, do what's right, and work through the "tangled web" she has woven. I really like this series. (I hope Alison McGhee is writing more of them.)

[Miz Lizzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The incomparable Julia Gillian is back! Going into 5th grade Julia Gillian is looking forward to finally learning to play the trumpet. Her quest for joy takes some unexpected detours, however, when she suddenly becomes unfortunately skilled in the art of lying. This second book in the series can be read on its own but once you meet Julia Gillian you’re going to want to catch up on all her adventures. A great series for 8-10 year olds.

[Eva Mitnick · Rating 3 out of 5]

In which Julia Gillian reluctantly lies and keeps secrets. This has the same charming tone as the first book, and it takes place in Minneapolis, a city dear to my heart. It did feel a bit as if McGhee was searching hard for a plot - the whole bit about Bonwit's "sick" mom didn't ring true, for instance. But that's just a quibble - these books are light, fun, and quirky, with expressive illustrations scattered throughout.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book seems like an easier reading level and approach than 5th grade, but tells a nice story about a girl who has wonderful parents, a good group of friends, a dog she loves, and supportive adults in her life. Even so, she falls into a problem about being honest. The problem has a realistic and gratifying conclusion.

[Hailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julia Gillian is a girl that has many adventures with her dog named,Bigfoot.
Charactor Trait:She is very nice but shy,she spends most of her time with her dog.
Important Event:When Julia Gillian finds out about the new lunch persons past.
I think this would be a good book for all girls.Especially the ones who like dogs.

[Caralyn]

I read this book on a sunny Saturday afternoon, and I even took it to Quang Restaurant to keep reading it while sipping on strawberry bubble tea. Ms. McGhee has created a charmning set of characters, and it is a treat to read about Julia Gillian's foibles and growth.

[Jenn Estepp · Rating 3 out of 5]

not quite as strong as the first volume, but still a very solid and enjoyable mg novel. slightly predictable, but that's me-as-an-adult talking and i don't think it would detract if i were the core audience.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love these charming books, and I suspect kids would like them, too. One of my favorite things: Julia's best friend's name is Bonwit Keller.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun characters with realistic situations. However the tone/style is a quite formal which makes it hard to get into and really connect with the characters.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I need a bit a cheer I pick up Julia Gillian. What a fun read for middle grade girl readers. This is a great book to read aloud to young readers with great illustrations and dialogue.

[Rosie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the everyday narration to be repetitive and the plot to be very slow moving. I just couldn't get into the story and finally gave up after 200 pages.

[Gillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book cause it has my name in it!

[Mia H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I dont think I liked this book as I much as I did a few years ago :( I think i am starting to need more mature books.

[Rina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book review: Julia Gillian (And the quest for joy)

This book is my favourite book so far in my entire life, the book's title is Julia Gillian( and the Quest for joy), and the author is Alison McGhee. This book is the second book of the Julia Gillian series. The story has impressed me so much because I had a similar experience like Julia Gillian. The series has made me to always challenge and find my way by fixing all the problems one by one. This story is about a girl called Julia Gillian who knows everything about her neighbours. The only thing that she does not know is about the ending of the story she is reading. I was astonished when Julia found her way out of all the problems by solving one by one at a time. She found out that sometimes you need to face the fear and work through it.

The author expressed all the different issues by not getting the story confusing. I think this book is a amazing book because I wanted to know how this story will end, so when I started reading I couldn't stop until I finished the book. And I still love this book and I read it more then 3 times. This book has intrigued me so much. I will recommend this book who love dogs and who has many problems to solve but you don't know how. I didn't have any suggestions to this author or else I wouldn't put a five star to the book. I have no words to explain how this book changed my life and, this book might change your life too.

[Nell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fifth grade is not what Julia thought it would be. Her music class is stressful, not joyful, as she can't seem to learn even the basics of trumpet playing. Her best friend Bonwit has become distant and she doesn't understand why. Without thinking about it she tells a few small lies which she can't find her way out of for a while. This reader was surprised at what really was going on with Bonwit, and surprised by how Julia's trumpet teacher responds to Julia's problem. Things ultimately do become joyful, and as with the other Julia Gillian books, the ending is especially good.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julie has started a new grade and is excited about learning to play the trumpet. However, not everything is going her way with a new lunch room monitor, problems with a friend, and she has trouble with the trumpet. She has some friends that help her along the way, and she finds that isn't always easy to judge people when you don't know all of the details.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, with good lessons. Things are not always as they seem.

[Addison Children's Services · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another second in a series, but that didn't bother me, in fact I didn't notice until just now when I looked up the book to get the author. What bothered me was the name, Julia Gillian. Is Gillian her middle or last name? Is it pronounced with a hard or soft "G"�? Nowhere in the book was she referred to as just Julia, nowhere! This really slowed down my reading. I haven't had this much trouble with a name since Hermione in the first 2-3 Harry Potters. Otherwise the book was a fine girl book for 4-5th grades. She has some problems and works through them.

[Maria Fernanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a lot of conflict with her friends and family. It is about a girl that since she was born she has her big fluffy dog with her. She goes walking to school with her best friend and her super intelligent dog. She has a problem with her friend because he is acting weird and she wants to know what is happening. I really liked this book and read it like three times because it is really good.

[Delaney Mchenry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book because it was very loving and it had a lot of forgiveness. I also liked the characters because they had a lot of honesty and they were very nice to a girl named Julia who had some problems. I am glad I got this interesting book.

[Taney Hennick · Rating 1 out of 5]

i thought this book was not the best but i did learn to be honest or else you will pay the consequences for what you were unhonest for.

[Samyu Yenamandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super good

[Francesca Zola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great lesson for kids!

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

No review.

[Shortyrules00 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book for young readers like me

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julia gives me JOY!

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ella says, "100 stars!"

[Caitie]

BL: 5.3 - AR Pts: 5.0