Junonia

By Kevin Henkes; Kevin Henkes (Illustrator)
(Greenwillow Books, Hardcover, 9780061964176, 192pp.)

Publication Date: June 2011

Other Editions of This Title: Paperback

Categories: Girls & Women, Family - General

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Selected by Indie Booksellers for the Summer 2011 Kids' Next List
“What is it about the sea that makes so many things clear? In Junonia, Henkes' words and illustrations tell the beautiful story of Alice Rice and her broadening horizons. Alice always looks forward to her trip to the beach in Florida. The same people arrive each year and are almost like a family. This year, however, many of the regulars can't make it, and Alice feels like the vacation is ruined. When her 'Aunt' Kate arrives with her new boyfriend and his six-year-old daughter, who is adjusting to a few changes herself, Alice realizes that maybe her problems are worth putting aside to help out someone else. This is a beautiful pitch-perfect story.”
-- Emily Grossenbacher, Lemuria Bookstore, Jackson, MS


Description

Returning to the beach cottage—a cottage named Scallop—where she has always celebrated her birthday is a special occasion for Alice Rice.

Who will see the first dolphin this time? The first pelican? What will have changed? Stayed the same? And will this be the year she finally finds a junonia shell?

Alice's friends are all returning, too. And she's certain her parents have the best party planned for her. Alice can't wait. If Alice is lucky, everything will be absolutely perfect. Will Alice be lucky?




About the Author

Kevin Henkes is the author of Sun & Spoon, Bird Lake Moon, and the Newbery Honor Book Olive's Ocean. He also writes and illustrates picture books, and among his many titles are the national bestsellers My Garden, Old Bear, A Good Day, and Kitten's First Full Moon, for which he was awarded the Caldecott Medal. Mr. Henkes is also the creator of a series of books starring mouse characters, including Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, Lilly's Big Day, Wemberly Worried, Chrysanthemum, and Owen, for which he was awarded a Caldecott Honor.

Kevin Henkes lives with his family in Madison, Wisconsin.




Praise For Junonia

“Henkes knows that Alice, like many girls her age, carries plenty of things in her mind—and her heart—that she seldom speaks of. She mulls them over privately, and in Henkes’s hands, eloquently.”
-New York Times

“Very few writers have such a keen understanding of the emotional lives of children; here Henkes is at the top of his game.”
-Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Alice balances between familiarity and novelty, coziness and independence, self-centeredness and altruism—the balance beam of turning ten. . . . A fully realized, respectful portrait of a childhood milestone.”
-The Horn Book

“In this introspective story about a child’s search for a rare shell, Henkes again displays his ability to find profound meaning in ordinary events. . . . Readers will empathize with Alice’s frustrations and relish her moments of joy.”
-Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“With tender observations and sensory details, Henkes creates a memorable young individual whose arcadian growing up is authentic and pitch-perfect.”
-Booklist (starred review)

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