The Trolls: (National Book Award Finalist)

by Polly Horvath

Overview

Aunt Sally is beyond any of Melissa, Amanda, and Pee Wee's expectations. She has come all the way from Vancouver Island, Canada, to take care of the children while their parents are away, and right from the start, Aunt Sally enchants them with tales of her childhood with their father. Odd characters figure largely in the stories, like Maud, a hunter rumored to have killed eighty cougars; Great-uncle Louis, a health nut who insists everyone should gnaw on sticks for extra fiber; and Fat Little Mean Girl, the star of a cautionary tale involving witchcraft and candy. All of Aunt Sally's reminiscences lead up to a crucial story about trolls, sinister creatures who supposedly lurked along the shore at night. The trolls had the power to change Aunt Sally's life forever, and their legacy may change the lives of the three present-day children as well.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780312384197
Publisher:	Square Fish
Publication date:	09/30/2008
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	7.68(w) x 10.88(h) x 0.42(d)
Lexile:	810L (what's this?)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Polly Horvath is the author of many books for young people, including Everything on a Waffle, The Pepins and Their Problems, and The Canning Season. Her numerous awards include the Newbery Honor, the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor, the Vicky Metcalf Award for Children's Literature, the Mr. Christie Award, the international White Raven, and the Young Adult Canadian Book of the Year. Horvath grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She attended the Canadian College of Dance in Toronto and the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance in New York City. She has taught ballet, waitressed, done temporary typing, and tended babies, but while doing these things she has always also written. Now that her children are in school, she spends the whole day writing, unless she sneaks out to buy groceries, lured away from her desk by the thought of fresh Cheez Whiz. She lives on Vancouver Island with her husband and two daughters.

Editorial Reviews

An unconventional aunt blows in from Vancouver to pinch-hit as babysitter, and offers two sisters and their brother an entrancing view of family history . . . Most sections are . . . hilarious, as is the snappy and perfectly timed dialogue. After the last laugh, Aunt Sally's hard-won understanding of human nature will leave readers with plenty to ponder.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Original and entertaining . . . [A] witty, clever, and involving book.” —Booklist, Starred Review

“Horvath's dry humor runs like a current through the book, sweeping readers along in the breathless anticipation of the next bit of absurdity.” —Publishers Weekly

“Polly Horvath has produced a small gem. She knows just how to twist language to make readers sit up and take notice. . . . She draws her characters with such precision that they peak without ever going over the top.” —New York Times Book Review

From the Publisher

When the baby-sitter cancels at the last minute, Aunt Sally fills in and shares plenty of tall tales in this National Book Award finalist, about which PW said, "Horvath's dry humor runs like a current through the book, sweeping readers along in the breathless anticipation of the next bit of absurdity." Ages 8-12. (Apr.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

An unconventional aunt blows in from Vancouver to pinch-hit as a babysitter, and offers two sisters and their brother an entrancing view of family history. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson have nonrefundable tickets for a trip to Paris, but their babysitter has canceled on short notice. When all other options fail, mysterious Aunt Sally arrives to spend a week with ten-year-old Melissa, eight-year-old Amanda, and six-year-old Frank, unkindly referred to by his sisters as Pee Wee. With platform shoes that lace up to her knees, and eyes full of mischief, Aunt Sally is unlike anyone they've ever met, and has never been discussed by their father-her brother. Her stories are full of colorful characters, such as a beautiful man who coaxes one relative out of mourning; Mrs. Gunderson, the dog next door; and, of course, their father, Robbie, who was the baby of the family. The stories build on each other, made suspenseful by Aunt Sally's maddening habit of leaving parts of them untold. Some of the stories are downright spooky, especially the ones about the trolls; Robbie was left on the beach with them one night and his and Sally's relationship was never the same. Most sections are also hilarious, as is the snappy and perfectly timed dialogue. Melissa's succinct definitions of entries in Aunt Sally's large vocabulary provide a thread of humor throughout, as does Aunt Sally's faithful regard for Pee Wee despite his dismissive older sisters. After the last laugh, Aunt Sally's hard-won understanding of human nature will leave readers with plenty to ponder. (Fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews