Julia Gillian (And the Art of Knowing)

Julia Gillian Trilogy #1

by AlisonMcGhee, Drazen Kozjan (Illustrator)

Julia Gillian (and the Art of Knowing) <> Paperback <> AlisonMcGhee <> Scholastic

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Childrens, Dogs, Chapter Books, Juvenile, Fiction

281 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2008

Reviews

[Darla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounded up from 3.5. The illustrations in this book were extremely charming and made up for the lack of action. Bigfoot was a spectacular dog companion, too. Julia is likable enough and the supporting characters had potential. Besides Julia and Bigfoot walking around the neighborhood, there just wasn't much going on. This book will appeal to new readers who tend to worry about change. Seeing Julia learn that the only way out is through will be a helpful principle to learn in life.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nine-year-old Julia Gillian's summer has its routine. She spends the days with her dog, visits her hip young neighbor Enzo, and twice a week tries to win the meerkat from the claw machine at the local hardware store. She's also gifted with the art of knowing what will happen and keeps a list of skills she has mastered. Yet she cannot know what will happen to the dog in her green book that she banishes to the fire escape, and she thinks living in fear might just be better than reading that the old dog dies. A dying dog in a story might just mean that her own faithful dog's days are numbered. To make things worse, her parents are spending summer vacation earning master's degrees and fretting over world news headlines. Couldn't they just take her to the park and to the Chinese restaurant for some strawberry bubble tea? Will things ever feel right in Julia Gillian's world again?

Of course they will, and an almost-kindergartener who can't tie her shoelaces, a young chef who likes to juggle, and some paper mache masks help Julia Gillian face her fears and enjoy her summer.

Beautifully written. Although I have to say the character is not going to appeal to every child. She is more introspective than playful. This is a thinker's book, or a reader's story.

[BookKids · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julia Gillian is an only child in love with her huge dog. In fact she loves him so much that when she starts a book about a dog like hers, she’s afraid to finish it in case something bad happens to the dog. This and many other adventures happen to Julia Gillian over the course of one summer as she perfects her skill of knowing things.

I adore this book. Like I said before, it’s a quiet, understated kind of book. Big things don’t happen to Julia Gillian, and the world is not in danger. But in most of our lives, big things don’t happen on a daily basis, and it’s the little things that make our lives what they are. As Julia Gillian expands her art of knowing by learning things about herself, we readers learn a little something to.

I would recommend this book to everyone, everywhere. Well, all right, specifically, I would recommend this as a bedtime read-to to children 5-8, and as a read alone for precocious readers 7 & up, and for regular readers aged 8 & up. It’s truly a magical, magic-less book.

[Yuliana Gallardo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book because it was how she had strong feeling about the ending of a book she read and I really like to read. It was about how Julia was really good at everything like to getting a toy from a claw machine and to finding out what is going to happen next. So she finally read the ending of a book and got support from her dog friends and family. I recommend this book to someone who like books and dogs because it talks how she feels about dogs and books,

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Cat for TeensReadToo.com

Julia Gillian is quite accomplished for a nine-year-old. Thus far she's mastered the art of making papier-mâché masks, spreading her gum evenly across her teeth, and knowing exactly what her dog, Bigfoot, is saying even though he doesn't speak "human."

Though she hasn't yet conquered the claw machine at Bryant Hardware by grabbing the stuffed meerkat, Julia keeps her skills sharp every Friday and Sunday afternoon during her walks around the neighborhood with Bigfoot.

By far and away though, Julia Gillian's greatest skill is the art of knowing. For instance: she knows what her mother's making for breakfast before entering the kitchen, she knows the newspaper is full of nothing but bad news, and thirty-six pages into her new green book from Quinn Booksellers, she *knows* the story isn't going to end well.

Set in Minneapolis, JULIA GILLIAN (AND THE ART OF KNOWING) is a down-to-earth story featuring a precocious young girl's struggle figuring out how to deal with the unsettling realities life (sometimes) presents.

A few people might object to Julia's lack of summertime playmates, especially living in a large city; having grown up an only child, though, I can attest to the challenges of ferreting out peers.

Alison McGhee gives children an intelligent and determined central character dealing with relatable problems in an honest, straightforward narrative. I'm definitely setting this one aside to pass on to my nieces.

[Samantha · Rating 1 out of 5]

Julia Gillian is a girl who everday of the summer walked her dog. She didn't get to do a lot of fun stuff cause her mom and dad went back to college and were so busy studying. She also wants to be a master at everything like using chopsticks, paper masks, and the claw machine.

I thought this book was really boring and dull I kept reading it cause i wanted to count it as a book I read.

I wouldn't recommend this book it was bad and very BORING!!!

[Sam Bloom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Julia Gillian and I want to live in her neighborhood! I want to meet Bigfoot, her dog; I want to eat one of Zap's creations; and I want to go to Quang and have bubble tea! Without question one of the best kids' novels I've read in '08.

[Allison · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the theme of learning to cope with fear, but it was a little heavy-handed. I didn't buy most of the characters, and I felt parts of the book were a little too self-consciously charming. It was a nice read, but I wonder if it would appeal more to grown-ups than kids.

[Jan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't like the reader on the audio book. It sounded a little better in my head. Mostly Julia Gillian is too cute, too self-absorbed and just too much. I wouldn't recommend this book, there are hundreds of better books to read.

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming without being the least bit treacly, loving but not at all mawkish, this is a pure sweet paean to a childhood without evil lurking in the cupboards. Wonderful through and through.

[Ella Rogers · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book "Julia Gillian" by Alison McGhee, is a fictional book and is an easy book to read. There is not very much action in this book, and it a part of a series. Julia Gillian does not just go by Julia, but she has to be called by her last name as well. She is very good at the art of knowing and predicting how things are going to happen. There are a couple main characters in this book. They are Julia Gillian, Enzo, her parents, and her dog, Bigfoot. Enzo and Julia Gillian are next door neighbors, they like to hangout together, even though Enzo is older than Julia Gillian. Her parents spend most of their time reading books and looking through magazines, because they want to be the world's best teachers. Julia Gillian and her dog Bigfoot make a daily walk down to a store kind of similar to a gas station. This store has a really old claw machine, that has a meerkat in it that Julia Gillian has been trying to get for three years now. Each day, she gets two quarters from the cashier to play the game. Until one day, she gets a stuffed bat. I like this author’s writing style because she uses words that I understand, that aren’t too hard to figure out what they mean. Even though this was a good book, I feel like there needed to be more of a problem, and more action, because I thought this was a little bit boring. Even though I feel like this book was kind of boring, I still learned a good lesson from it, and I hope you do too!

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 3 out of 5]

McGhee, Alison Julia Gillian and the Art of Knowing, 288 p. Scholastic, 2008.

Julia Gillian usually adores summer time with her doting parents, but this year Mom and Dad are both pursuing higher degrees, which leaves them very little time for their ten year old daughter. Instead, Julia Gillian is stuck walking a nine block area of downtown Minneapolis with her faithful dog Bigfoot, and feels very alone as she confronts challenges and questions that seem very important for a little girl.

Julia Gillian is very much a typical little girl, not a souped up, over mature pre-teen. Little girls who read well and like thick girly books will like Julia Gillian.

EL - OPTIONAL
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2008/...

[Mamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would have loved reading this when I was in elementary school. The author delves deeply into issues which are really important to kids, such as navigating how to speak the truth to your parents. And I was so moved by how Julia Gillian did not want to read the end of a book because she suspected the conclusion would involve saying goodbye to a pet. Julia Gillian intuitively understood the power of words to transport the reader into sorrow as well as joy and she needed guidance from role models and her parents to find the strength to read. This is a positive, heartfelt, great read. I am always looking for great children's literature to recommend to my students and this book has shot to the top of my list.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Omg, this was a great book. One of my favorites. I honestly loved it so much because it is so relatable. It is dealing with real life and a typical girl. It also is a very good book because it talks about being persistent. I couldn't put it down because it is just so real. The author had a great description. But, I sort of wish it had just a little more action.

[aliah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would be lying if I said this wasn’t the book that got me into reading. It was beautifully written and I loved it. I personally have recommended this to a lot of people and will recommend this in future for anyone else as well.
Have reread it countless times and have never gotten bored of it.❤️

[Gillian Atkinson · Rating 1 out of 5]

It wasn't that good it didn't have much hooks and not that interesting.

[Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t really get the plot. I think it’s too babyish for 5th grade.

[Alyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very deliberate style, but I enjoyed it; see http://www.eatreadandbemommy.com/2020... for details.

[Khushboo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked it. The story seems like it is what we all go through, kids and adults. Recommend it strongly for teens and adults.

[Britt, Book Habitue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written, but to he honest I found Julia annoying and it's kind of a pain to read aloud. Great illustrations and my girls enjoyed it.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 9 yr old read this book in a day. She really enjoyed it and has moved on to the next one.

[bri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in 5th grade and being absolutely in love with it!

[Grace Morocco · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️

[Nell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julia Gillian's summer is a little different than past ones as her parents are taking classes and need to study much of the time. Fortunately she is quite independent and skilled - in making paper maiche masks, for one thing - and she can keep up her daily routines such as walking her big St. Bernard and stopping in on neighbors. She does struggle with some issues however, and a strength of this series is that the adults in Julia's life don't give her unsolicited advice but rather let her work out solutions on her own.

[Shea ☾⚂ · Rating 5 out of 5]

i loved this book when i read it in 6th grade

[Sweet on Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s summer in Minneapolis and nine-year old Julia Gillian is contemplating her talents. Like many kids that age, she’s keeping track of what she’s good at and so far, she feels pretty confident in her abilities. She's perfected the art of the papier mache mask and she seems to have a flair for the "art of knowing" or predicting what will happen. One thing she doesn’t feel so good about is reading so she’s trying to avoid that at all costs. Her parents are busy doing their own thing so Julia spends much of her summer visiting 18-year old Enzo, a girl who lives in the downstairs apartment, or walking around her neighborhood with her dog Bigfoot. Julia starts the story as a happy, cheerful kid but soon finds herself in a bit of a funk. Maybe it's the summer heat or the fact that her parents are studying all the time, but stuff starts to irritate her. She's bothered by the stuck up dog down the street, the illusive stuffed meerkat she's been trying to win for three years in a local "claw machine" game, the bad news she reads in the newspaper, the realization that her parents haven't always been completely honest with her, and the "green book" that she desperately wants to avoid because she's afraid the ending will be sad.

As Julia is a really thoughtful character, most of the book is spent on her moods, feelings, opinions and ideas. She actually doesn’t do much in the 288 pages except walk around her neighborhood and visit, mostly with adults. When she interacts with the one other child mentioned in the book, she spends that time acting like she's an adult. She spends her time thinking about herself, her family and her community. Contrary to most characters in this genre of books, Julia doesn’t seem to think at all about her peers. In fact, it is unclear as to whether or not she has any friends her own age. While it is, on the one hand refreshing not to read about cliques and popularity, it is somewhat disconcerting not to hear mention of any friends at all. Maybe it is because of this lack of social interaction that Julia seems so comfortable being her own, quirky self. She likes acting like a grown up, trying out unconventional phrases like "indeed it is" and "at will" and wearing masks to help her cope with her feelings. She does seem to learn some coping methods and matures throughout the story, going from feeling like everything is unfair to learning to have a more positive outlook on life. Lastly, the illustrations, done in a similar style to Marla Frazee's in Clementine, are expressive and entertaining, and definitely add to the enjoyment of the story.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Several years ago, I read the Julia Gillian series. The first book in the series is Julia Gillian And the Art of Knowing. The book introduces us to a lovely little heroine, Julia Gillian, who is something. She is not really like other children her age (she's about 10) and she's not really like other adults either. She is individual, unique, special. While I did not see myself in each and every bit of Julia Gillian, there was one thing in particular we share. (Or should I say shared.) Julia Gillian is afraid of books with sad endings. Julia Gillian has recently bought a book, a green book, I believe, with a dog on the cover. (As a child, I would have known to avoid it.) When she started the book, all was well. A few chapters in, and Julia has become WORRIED, very WORRIED about the dog in the story. She's afraid that the dog might...dare she say it...DIE in the end. The second she begins to worry, she stops reading. She puts the book aside. But. Julia Gillian can't stop thinking about the book, about the characters. Though she's not spending time with the book anymore, it's still haunting her. Her parents guess this, as do some of her older friends, and for some reason they make her finish the book. (The reason why sounded a bit unbelievable to me.) Can Julia Gillian survive reading a sad book, a sad dog-dying book?

Julia Gillian lives life. She is very, very, very close to her dog, Bigfoot. Her dog is her best, best friend. So it's understandable why she has such a hard time reading the book. Her fear is, in a way, not so much that the fictional dog will die as it is that HER beloved dog will die.

There are several little stories going on in Julia Gillian and the Art of Knowing. I liked how Julia reaches out to a neighborhood girl who is about to start kindergarten. They have two conversations, I believe, but in them we see Julia Gillian at her best.

I definitely enjoyed rereading this one.

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few notes:
-The illustrations are darling black and white sketches that made me smile everytime a new one appeared.
-I don't know that Julia is that relatable for most kids. She's constantly worried about something while also using certain phrases and language in a way that a lot of my students would be confused by. Certain kids would find her charming, but I truly think that is a small minority of children. I just never loved her very much and couldn't stand how she was constantly anxious.
-I wish this book had been full of short stories instead of one longer one. I think this had the potential of a new Bink and Gollie but without the nice quick stories that you can read one at a time it was hard to keep going and enjoy it.
-I (as an adult) loved how a lot of this was written. For example, "Enzo was not a good student in general, but she knew and loved her books. Julia Gillian, on the other hand, did not. This was an ongoing concern to her parents, both of whom believed there was no finer sight than a child with her legs draped over an easy chair, reading a good book." OR "You are an incorrigible child, Julia Gillian," said her mother. "And you shirk your early morning duties with that dog far too often. But, given that you are in most other ways a marvel of a girl, I shall just this once forgive you." Not sure that kids would smile at these types of things as much as grown ups would, but I enjoyed them.

[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.

[Audry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julia is a 9 year old girl, only child of her parents, and her dog, a Saint Bernard, is her best friend. She is allowed to go a 9 square block by herself as long as she takes her dog, Bigfoot. There are neighbors, Enzo and Zap, downstairs in her apartment building she is friends with, and who occasionally babysit Julia for her parents. When her parents can't watch her, because they are studying for their own classes, even though they are teachers themselves, Enzo and her brother Zap, watch her. Julia's parents want her to read, but there are no books she likes. She finally finds one for one dollar and her parents are happy. As Julia begins to read the book, she likes it. As she get deeper into the book, which is about an old dog, she begins to worry about the dog dying, so she stops reading it. She puts her ponytail holders around it and puts it outside on the firescape to avoid it. It begins to hang over her head, and she becomes more fearful of it and the things she puts in front of the window so she can't see it outside. She finally talks to Enzo who gives her some good advice. She begins to see part of what it means to be getting older. In helping someone else, she comes to terms with her own fears.