Our House

by Pam Conrad, Brian Selznick (Illustrator)

Pam Conrad's treasure of a book is lavishly reillustrated by the incomparable Brian Selznick for a new generation of readers.

Pam Conrad takes us into the lives of six kids in six different decades and celebrates the commonality of all our lives. Originally published in 1995, Our House was hailed by critics in starred reviews as "remarkable," "rich," and "comic and poignant." This 10th Anniversary Edition, re-illustrated with stirring and beautiful black-and-white drawings that evoke the intimacy of a family photo album, is a gorgeous tribute to story, place, and memory--and to Pam Conrad herself, a writer who deserves to be memorialized for all time.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Short Stories, Juvenile

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Pam Conrad (1947-1996) was an author for children. Her book Our House: Stories of Levittown was a Newbery Medal finalist.

Ms. Conrad was born in New York City and graduated from the New School for Social Research.

Reviews

[Millie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't specifically dislike the book in any way. I'm a huge fan of Brian Selznick. However, His talents are best showcased in a story of his own writing because that's where he really shines - these elaborate settings from his imagination. All in all it's a sweet little book that utilizes vignettes from the point of view of hypothetical residents of a real life town, whose memories embody its changes spanning several decades. A cute concept that unfortunately mismatches some subject matters, included (e.g. threat of war drafting and tragic accidental death) and its intended audience (its simplicity suggests it would appeal to young children).

[Charray Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made me think about the memories I have of different places I lived growing up. It's a quick, heartfelt read.

[Jackie B. - Death by Tsundoku · Rating 3 out of 5]

Our House: 10th Anniversary Edition;s original printing was nominated for the Newbery Medal. It did not win, but you can easily see why this book was nominated in the 10th Anniversary edition.

A collection of short stories, this book tells the life of a specific house over the course of 6 decades. The first story begins with the establishment of the neighborhood. Each subsequent story tells of a child (or children) who lived in the house. These stories quickly touch on important themes such as love, death, war, education and separation.

My favorite part of this book is how it does not assume that young readers are stupid. There is subtly to these themes which are fully clear to anyone. For example, in one story a boy is coping with his brother being shipped off to Vietnam. He never explicitly says he is afraid his brother will never return, but it is quite obvious. Also, in the closing story, a young boy gets hit by a car and dies. There is no beating around the bush here. The family experiences great sadness, but we also get to see them move on. It makes me so happy when an author honors the intelligence of their audience.

I recommend this to younger readers. While Brian Selznick's pictures are riveting, some of the themes are more mature. If you want to talk to your child about these, by all means, I encourage you to push them to read this. Plus, it's a collection of short stories, making them great for short sittings.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are those books written for the sheer joy of writing, and should be read for that same reason.This book is a short book, a quick read that is written in the viewpoints of many different residents of Levittown NY. This was the original fast tract housing built near the end of World War 2 to give places for returning military to be able to reside. For those who are older it reminds of us life that we knew as young people, some as just returning vets, the way life was in that day and age. It also shows our growth as a people with a culture that was so very young and has continued growing until this day. A book that will mean a lot to every reader.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collection of short stories about different children who grow up in the same house, from the time it was built after WWII to almost the present. Well done, but not necessarily something you may want your younger kids to read or have read to them because there are (SPOILER ALERT) deaths. I am holding off letting my 8yo read it for a few more years -- it's a little too real.

[Connie T. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book offers a glimpse into the history of Levittown, from the potato fields in the 1940s to the 1990s, with each chapter being a story about a child from each decade. My favorites were "Boy Fossil" and "Night Photograph".

[Tamsyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the way this book followed the different families that inhabited the house; each chapter takes place in a different time.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Welcome to Levittown, NY. Each chpater is a different era and differnet child/family. Very short chapters and good historical fiction book for reluctant readers

[Marianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a YA book, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Conrad does an excellent job of telling stories about place.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A series of short stories all set in the same town. A child from each decade narrates a memory that is important to their childhood. Selznick's pictures really add to the book.

[Libbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story, place and memory---what's not to love!

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this to my kids. It had me in tears at the end. Really good.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a perfect read for a 3rd grader. It is so interesting!