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The Wonderful Year
Newbery Medal Honor Title (1947)
The author writes out of her own experiences as a young girl on a Colorado ranch and, though her story dates with the turn of the century, she has somehow given it a highly personal yet timeless quality. There's Daddy Martin, who understands things so well; there's his merry wife and his daughter, Ellen; together they form a staunch, sensitive trio of highly civilized people. This "wonderful year" was one of adjustment to a new life, of living in a tent while the house was built, of planting and watching things grow, of learning to ride a bicycle, of discovering a country -- and of growing. There are gentle, strong values, substantial humor, a pleasant sense of ease, a nostalgic quality of "emotion remembered in tranquility" that is all too rare.
- Kirkus Review
The author writes out of her own experiences as a young girl on a Colorado ranch and, though her story dates with the turn of the century, she has somehow given it a highly personal yet timeless quality. There's Daddy Martin, who understands things so well; there's his merry wife and his daughter, Ellen; together they form a staunch, sensitive trio of highly civilized people. This "wonderful year" was one of adjustment to a new life, of living in a tent while the house was built, of planting and watching things grow, of learning to ride a bicycle, of discovering a country -- and of growing. There are gentle, strong values, substantial humor, a pleasant sense of ease, a nostalgic quality of "emotion remembered in tranquility" that is all too rare.
- Kirkus Review
185 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1946
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
October 7, 2016
Lovely. When I was a child, searching for the next read after the Little House on the Prairie books, I would have been even more enchanted with it than I am now. Newbery Honor discussion in Children's Books, October 2016.
September 16, 2023
"Already she was learning that you must not follow a boy around when he had other things on his mind. If you did, he might get tired of being with you. You must just wait and be ready when he did want you."
—The Wonderful Year, P. 59
This book is filled with good things throughout, including a rare breed of tenderness that seeps out at unexpected moments. My expectations were not huge before I read The Wonderful Year, but I would read it again in a heartbeat. I would probably give it three and a half stars, and in my opinion it easily should have surpassed Miss Hickory for the 1947 Newbery Medal. I love The Wonderful Year.
—The Wonderful Year, P. 59
This book is filled with good things throughout, including a rare breed of tenderness that seeps out at unexpected moments. My expectations were not huge before I read The Wonderful Year, but I would read it again in a heartbeat. I would probably give it three and a half stars, and in my opinion it easily should have surpassed Miss Hickory for the 1947 Newbery Medal. I love The Wonderful Year.
May 27, 2017
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
Ellens father has been ill recently, and the doctor has recommended some time away to regain his strength and mental health. Therefore, Ellen and her parents move west from Kansas to Colorado to start a ranch. Ellen has many wonderful and new experiences: sleeping in a tent while the house is being built, learning to ride a bicycle, getting lost in unfamiliar territory, and most important of all, developing a friendship with a much-older neighbor boy named Ronnie who happily humors Ellens youthfulness and treats her as a pal and an equal. Through the day-to-day trials of planting and growing fruit and laying down roots in a new place, Ellens entire family changes for the better and they finish their wonderful year with a fresh new outlook on life.
For any contemporary reader, the one element of this book that will immediately stand out is the friendship between Ellen and Ronnie. Our culture is so conditioned to believe that males are predators that the thought of an eleven-year-old girl palling around with a teenage boy instantly makes us uncomfortable, even when there is nothing in the text to suggest inappropriateness. Personally, Im glad to see a purely platonic and fully wholesome relationship like this in a childrens book. Its becoming more and more difficult to find books for tweens that dont incorporate crushes and romance in some way, so those of us who wish to avoid introducing a lot of those themes to our children have to seek out these older gems that take a more age-appropriate and innocent approach to boy-girl friendships. There truly isnt anything strange about Ronnies connection to Ellen, and unless someone teaches them to read too much into it, kids wont think anything of it at all.
The other issue many reviewers seem to comment on is sexism. There is a lot in this book about rigidly defined gender roles. Ellen constantly thinks about the behaviors she needs to exhibit to be a worthy companion to Ronnie, and he comments now and then on how beautiful she will be someday. I tend to take these things with a grain of salt, especially with books like this one that were written in the 1940s and set even before that, and I think, as is mentioned in the review of this book from Semicolon, these old-fashioned ideals make great conversation starters for discussing the book with kids.
I enjoyed The Wonderful Year very much. It is similar in style to the Betsy-Tacy books, and in subject matter to books like Miracles on Maple Hill, Strawberry Girl, and The Open Gate. I look forward to sharing it with my girls when they reach the target age range.
Ellens father has been ill recently, and the doctor has recommended some time away to regain his strength and mental health. Therefore, Ellen and her parents move west from Kansas to Colorado to start a ranch. Ellen has many wonderful and new experiences: sleeping in a tent while the house is being built, learning to ride a bicycle, getting lost in unfamiliar territory, and most important of all, developing a friendship with a much-older neighbor boy named Ronnie who happily humors Ellens youthfulness and treats her as a pal and an equal. Through the day-to-day trials of planting and growing fruit and laying down roots in a new place, Ellens entire family changes for the better and they finish their wonderful year with a fresh new outlook on life.
For any contemporary reader, the one element of this book that will immediately stand out is the friendship between Ellen and Ronnie. Our culture is so conditioned to believe that males are predators that the thought of an eleven-year-old girl palling around with a teenage boy instantly makes us uncomfortable, even when there is nothing in the text to suggest inappropriateness. Personally, Im glad to see a purely platonic and fully wholesome relationship like this in a childrens book. Its becoming more and more difficult to find books for tweens that dont incorporate crushes and romance in some way, so those of us who wish to avoid introducing a lot of those themes to our children have to seek out these older gems that take a more age-appropriate and innocent approach to boy-girl friendships. There truly isnt anything strange about Ronnies connection to Ellen, and unless someone teaches them to read too much into it, kids wont think anything of it at all.
The other issue many reviewers seem to comment on is sexism. There is a lot in this book about rigidly defined gender roles. Ellen constantly thinks about the behaviors she needs to exhibit to be a worthy companion to Ronnie, and he comments now and then on how beautiful she will be someday. I tend to take these things with a grain of salt, especially with books like this one that were written in the 1940s and set even before that, and I think, as is mentioned in the review of this book from Semicolon, these old-fashioned ideals make great conversation starters for discussing the book with kids.
I enjoyed The Wonderful Year very much. It is similar in style to the Betsy-Tacy books, and in subject matter to books like Miracles on Maple Hill, Strawberry Girl, and The Open Gate. I look forward to sharing it with my girls when they reach the target age range.
January 1, 2015
This was a sweet, feel good book. My husband is a Colorado native so the book had even greater meaning for me. I recommend it for adults who are young at heart and for young readers alike.
December 8, 2015
I thought that it was a pretty cute little book. It is a variation of the typical coming-of-age story. This time the setting is Colorado. The girl comes from what I would call a 'wanna-be-elitist' family. She learns how different people, children and adults, deal with understanding each other. And she feels by the end that she is beginning to grow up.
A couple of things I didn't like: First, the book seems a little sexist. Not really a surprise though, even from a woman author, for a book written in the 1940s. Second, I'm really not impressed with a neighbor boy flirting with this girl 6 years younger than him. They say in the book they never flirt, but when we find out that this 15-year old was talking to the 11-year old about the house they're going to build and live in together, I get a little grimace on my face.
Anyway, the book was fun and cute, but it just wasn't really for me.
A couple of things I didn't like: First, the book seems a little sexist. Not really a surprise though, even from a woman author, for a book written in the 1940s. Second, I'm really not impressed with a neighbor boy flirting with this girl 6 years younger than him. They say in the book they never flirt, but when we find out that this 15-year old was talking to the 11-year old about the house they're going to build and live in together, I get a little grimace on my face.
Anyway, the book was fun and cute, but it just wasn't really for me.
September 7, 2012
This was such a delightful read! It made me very happy. I laughed so hard one night it brought grandma to my door to ask if I was okay.
January 14, 2022
I’m not sure about this one. It was an easy read and reminded me of the later Betsy-Tracy books. But there was too much introspection. And the parents seemed too good to be true at times.
June 12, 2008
This book is ancient. I bought it from a library sale and, of course, never read it. I quite liked it, though. The main character, an 11 year old girl, was different from most young heroines--very believable, very stubborn, very mulish. I didn't like her at first but then she grew on me. Her friend Ronnie is terrific. So--definitely a keeper for when Miriam is in grade four, or thereabouts.
September 16, 2016
This one is a bit old-fashioned. Like many books from this time period, it has a heavy emphasis on traditional female roles. BUT, it's not as bad as many are. Parts of it are really wonderful. I grew up in a traditional family with some of that push towards traditional female roles. I found the main character to be a relatable introvert.
February 27, 2016
A generally lighthearted story that touches on a number of serious issues, particularly in the last few chapters. Great quote: "Being popular was not like having friends." (p.180) The distinctive illustrations by Kate Seredy are in quite a different style than the one she used for her own books.
April 20, 2019
Another one for my Newbery collection. I'd give it 3.5 stars if possible.
Published in 1946, but set even earlier at the turn into the 20th century, when horse-drawn transportation was still being used, but bicycles were popular, Barnes' novel based on her childhood experiences gives a sweet summer foray with a pre-teen girl in the early Colorado fruit ranch days outside the Grand Junction area. Barne's easy way with prose lets you enjoy the adventures along with Ellen and Bobby, and you get a front-row seat to what is clearly a very special friendship, and surely a budding deep romance for future days. Our young protagonist is real. She's not perfect, and we get to witness her shame over major faux pas as she starts to come into her more mature self. She's definitely a loveable kin to contemporary author Eleanor Estes's The Middle Moffat.
Barnes' book is interesting from a feminist point of view. We have a young girl who enjoys much more freedom behaviorally and intellectually than you'd expect from upstanding books of this era, but every once in a while you do get outdated behavior "advice" sneaking in that bolsters the concept that women's feelings/expectations should be subordinated to men's pride and sense of relationship. It doesn't happen enough to ruin the book, but you definitely get a couple "yep- there it is" moments.
Published in 1946, but set even earlier at the turn into the 20th century, when horse-drawn transportation was still being used, but bicycles were popular, Barnes' novel based on her childhood experiences gives a sweet summer foray with a pre-teen girl in the early Colorado fruit ranch days outside the Grand Junction area. Barne's easy way with prose lets you enjoy the adventures along with Ellen and Bobby, and you get a front-row seat to what is clearly a very special friendship, and surely a budding deep romance for future days. Our young protagonist is real. She's not perfect, and we get to witness her shame over major faux pas as she starts to come into her more mature self. She's definitely a loveable kin to contemporary author Eleanor Estes's The Middle Moffat.
Barnes' book is interesting from a feminist point of view. We have a young girl who enjoys much more freedom behaviorally and intellectually than you'd expect from upstanding books of this era, but every once in a while you do get outdated behavior "advice" sneaking in that bolsters the concept that women's feelings/expectations should be subordinated to men's pride and sense of relationship. It doesn't happen enough to ruin the book, but you definitely get a couple "yep- there it is" moments.
August 13, 2019
3 stars. Started out well, ended less so. The parents put me in mind of those from the 1950s movie Cheaper by the Dozen in the way that they dealt with one another and talked to children. Ellen is 11, somewhat sheltered daughter of a well to do (dad's a lawyer) family in early 1900s Kansas. For dad's health (lawyering is hard) the family is goes to Colorado to spend the summer and plant fruit trees. They live in a tent while they build a house, then plant the trees, and they have a grand old time and then it's fall and they should move backm- the timeline feels a bit rushed. Ellen is a prissy tomboy if that's a thing. She doesn't want to go, then she doesn't want to move and critically she wants a bicycle which mother (never could ride) is adamant about no, and father is generally negative but then reverses course because of course Ellen can ride since he never had a problem. There is also a neighboring English family with a youngish 15 yr old son whom Ellen follows around like a puppy. I had few issues with the story until the end and the move into town when Ellen becomes very odd. I read this for my 2019 Reading Challenge and my Newbery Challenge (Honor 1947).
January 30, 2019
11-year-old Ellen Martin is moving with her parents from Kansas to the pioneer mountains of Colorado. She spends a summer adjusting to 'country life,' learning to ride her new bike, and developing a crush on the teenaged British neighbor boy, who sees her as a little kid who is also a fun tomboy type. When Ellen's family move into town in the fall for her schooling, she needs to adjust again, but this time isn't as easy and she falls into a depression from not making new friends and missing her crush, who has went away to school on the east coast.
It started out sweet and mostly harmless, but the story took a weird turn with Ellen's near-obsession with the teen boy, and gets even weirder toward the end when the boy starts seeing the beginnings of a 'pretty girl' in the now-12-year-old Ellen. It's all a little icky, to be honest.
It started out sweet and mostly harmless, but the story took a weird turn with Ellen's near-obsession with the teen boy, and gets even weirder toward the end when the boy starts seeing the beginnings of a 'pretty girl' in the now-12-year-old Ellen. It's all a little icky, to be honest.
December 22, 2023
I have to preempt my review to say that this was it! The last Newbery Honor book on my list! I've read them all!
This was not the best of the bunch, however. It was a fine middle grade novel, but I found the main character whiny, and the characters found the fact that they were taking over land previously occupied by Native Americans who were now in Indian schools laughable.
This was not the best of the bunch, however. It was a fine middle grade novel, but I found the main character whiny, and the characters found the fact that they were taking over land previously occupied by Native Americans who were now in Indian schools laughable.
Want to Read
June 14, 20251947 Newbery honor book
October 27, 2023
Ellen moves with her mother and father from Kansas to Colorado. They live on a ranch all summer, and Ellen gets to be friends with the neighbor boy, Ronnie. They have a lot of adventures together. Ellen has a hard time adjusting and making friends when she moves to the city and Ronnie is going away for school. The ending seemed incomplete to me, but I loved this. I can relate to the thoughts Ellen would have in her head about how she was supposed to be around Ronnie. It's so hard being a girl sometimes! Being who you think everyone wants you to be instead of just being who you are, because you don't want to drive anyone away. I get that.
December 14, 2014
Growing up from an introvert's perspective.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews