I read this book as part of an assignment on banned books in a Children's Literature class at West Virginia State College. I don't know why it is on some banned lists. I think it is a wonderful story - it is not one that I would keep from my students. It would be great for a yound lady that thinks she is alone and misunderstood to read this book. Jacob Have I Loved is a very heartwarming story.

"Jacob Have I Loved" takes place in the 1940s on a tiny island in the Chesapeake Bay called Rass Island. Sara Louise "Wheeze" Bradshaw is the young teen who narrates the story. She's forever feeling inferior next to her beautiful, talented twin sister, Caroline. And she's conflicted by her "sinful" feelings for the 70+ year-old stranger, Hiram "the Captain" Wallace, who's returned to his hometown half a century later. Without anyone to confide in (even her one and only friend, McCall "Call" Purnell, doesn't understand her), Louise feels as isolated as the island she lives on. Her fate seems to be filled with misery and loneliness compared to her sister's, especially after her religious grandmother spitefully recites a passage from the Bible: "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated". (Jacob and Esau were twins like Louise and Caroline--and like Esau, Louise was the least favorite twin.)

I had a hard time starting this book. The beginning was a little rough, but once I started it, I couldn't put it down. I read half the book in one sitting, until I reached the part where Louise, Cal, and the Captain were preparing to drown more than a dozen cats--which were pets, by the way, not just strays. I was totally turned off by this, but when I read further, the cats were spared and adopted by various families on the island. (Ironically, a storm later wiped a lot of them out.)

The book won the Newbery Medal in 1981 and was later made into a TV movie in 1989. I never saw the movie, but I would definitely recommend this book to 13+ year-old girls who can relate to Louise and/or love the East Coast, particularly the Chesapeake Bay area.

Jacob Have I Loved is an excellent children's story that is loosley based on the biblical account of Jacob and Esau. It is about the turbulent relationship between a pair of twin sisters. Louise, who is the narrator and the character of Esau, is unable to recognize her own talents because she is constantly comparing herself to her beautiful and gifted sister Caroline. Katherine Paterson's book is well written and very understandable. One of its main strengths is that it is written from Louise's perspective. Because Louise is the narrator, the reader is better able to understand why she is so jealous of Caroline. Another strength is that Paterson explores other relationships in Louise's life besides just the one between her and Caroline. The story focuses on how the sisters' parents, grandmother, friends, and neighbors react to Caroline and her sister. These other relationships affect the way Louise views herself and her sister as much as what Caroline says and does.

Every child should read Jacob Have I Loved, especially those who resent their siblings because they think their sisters or brothers are smarter, more attractive or more talented then they are. The story will allow children in that situation to empathize with Louise and better understand that they have talents that they may have not yet recognized. Paterson's book was intended for children, but it would be a good book for parents and teachers to read also. It will help adults to understand children who may have not yet reached their full potential and are jealous of those who have.

This is an excellent historical fiction novel. It takes place in 1855-1856 in Vermont. It is great for teaching about the Underground Railroad and how it worked. It really gives readers a sense of how it must have felt for any young people who traveled by foot afraid of being caught by slavers. This book is very action packed, especially toward the end of the book when he begins his journey to freedom. The book addresses so many conflicts, such as when he finds out he is part African. He also faces a struggle in society, since he is to be sold as a slave now that his identity is discovered. The book is told using Jip's point of view, and this really gives the reader of sense of how he feels. This is truly an educational and exciting book and I reccommend it to many teachers and students.

Middle grade students, especially those in Vermont, need to read this book. It provides an understanding of the problems faced by people with disabilities and of the stuggles of African-Americans in winning freedom from slavery. The book also teaches kindness to animals. I consider this book a classic that ranks with Uncle Tom's Cabin.

Katherine Paterson does a great job in her book, Jip: His Story. Jip is a young boy who does not know how old he is. He has grown up thinking he fell off a gypsy wagon and that the town he lives in took him in. A mysterious man starts hanging around and trying to get information on him for his supposed father. Jip befriends the town lunatic and takes him on as a father figure. The lunatic, Put, helped Jip with his schooling. It is not until the close of the story that Jip finds out he is the son of an African slave and a white owner. His mother intentionally put him out of the wagon in hope that he would have a better life. He goes through a transformation of working on a farm and going to school to a young man running for his life.

The value of Jip: His Story is wonderfully accurate. Jip was homeless and needed to work for a room over his head and food on his plate. The town lunatic, Put, had to be kept in a cage instead of sent elsewhere because of the cost. Our society has evolved from back in the 1800's. In America, there is no more slavery and the mentally troubled get help in hospitals. Katherine Paterson stays true to the speech of the past. A reader can tell the difference between the "normal" person living in Vermont and a Quaker. The two have been differentiated very well. The transition between speakers is done very smoothly. The reader can find himself imagining the past very well. The imagery in Jip: His Story helps bring the story together.

It is very apparent that Katherine Patterson took some time in writing her book. The historical value could only come from someone who knew about what she was speaking. It is a good thing to have the historical point of view of those that were considered disadvantaged, so everyone can see that the past was not all easy. Katherine Patterson is a great writer and young adults and adults alike can enjoy this book.

I thought this was a pretty interesting book. In the beginning, it's about a preteen girl named Takiko who's father dies in a battle. Her mother decides to remarry to an ugly country potter. This story takes place in Japan during the Gempei War of 1180 - 1185.

While in the countryside with her mother and her new father, Goro, a merchant comes and decides to take Takiko to the imperial Japanese court to see if she can serve there. She is, and she meets a new friend, Mieko. Mieko goes almost everywhere with her and they trust each other very much.

During the war, Takiko waits for her love, Hideo, to return to her, but it always takes him a while and he doesn't exactly do what he says he is going to, only sometimes. She doesn't know if she should betray him by being loyal to the Heike or just keep it a secret. The war is between the Heike and the Genji who are fighting for control of Japan. It is a really gruesome war and a lot of blood and death is involved even though this story doesn't talk much about it.

My main point is that it is really interesting, and that you should read this book if you haven't already!

Of Nightingales that Weep is fiction woven into history. The Genji Wars, Yoritomo, sea battles for dominance of Japan are all real events. And Takiko is swept up into the middle of it all living in the court of the exiled boy emperor. On top if it all she is in love with an enemy spy. The lessons she learns about family and true love, and about the vanity of court make this book a valuable read, more profound than most teen literature.

A lot of books that I read that are by Katherine Paterson, this was one of the most touching book of all. A lot of books by Katherine Paterson are about Japanese people. Like this one, Of Nightingales That Weep. During the war time, a young girl is a daughter of a samurai. A samurai is a warrior, in case you don't know what it means. The young girl's name is Takiko. She is such a beautiful child, but she would have to make a really hard decision about loving. Would she be thinking of loving her father more, or a young boy... But it isn't just any young boys, it is an enemy. It is an enemy from the other side of Takiko's father.

For her choice between her father and her lover, there are a lot of suffering with Takiko. She must make a choice, if she chooses her father, her romance would die. But would she choose her love over her father? My opinion is that Takiko should choose her father than her love, because she would never have another father ever again. It won't be the same to not have a real father that is hers own. A love can be again, but I would miss my father more. Takiko is kind of a between, if her father knows about it... Why in the beginning that I would want to read this book? It is because the cover was attractive, I really would want to read about a book that looks interest and IS interest.

The Great Gilly Hopkins is a really good book. It's full of adventure, sadness and humor. It's a touching story about a young orphan girl named Gilly who struggles with her foster parents. Her goal is to find her mother in California. It takes Gilly a while for her to realize that you need to be careful of what you wish for. The end is very happy, but to know it you'll have to read the book. So read The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson. Happy Reading!

Are you searching for a good story book to read???You don't need to continue to find,because you have found it,¡¨The Great Gilly Hopkins¡¨.It is a very good story book.
"The Great Gilly Hopkins"was written by Katherine Paterson.The type of book is fiction.Why did I choose this book to read???The reason is the cover of this book.The cover attracts me to read it.On the cover,a girl was sitting in the floor and looking at a photo.She looks like very unhappy.I also feel her has many secrets.On that time,I think this book is very good,because she might have a touching story.I want to know the story of this girl.
In this book,the main character is Gilly Hopkins who is the girl on the book cover.She is eleven years old and a foster kid.She is in foster system all her life.She moves into her third foster home in less than three years.She wants to find her mother in Califormia.She also has a delusion that one day her real mother will live with her.Mrs Trotter,a fat countrywomen.She is a foster mother of Gilly.She also takes care about a metally slow foster child,is called Willian Ernest.
What is the ending of this story book???Finally ,Gilly with her mother and grandmother live.On that time,she wishes she is back living with Mrs Trotter.You want to know what happened before the ending,READ THIS BOOK~~!!
I like this book very much because it is very attractive.If you start to read this book,you will not want to stop it.You will continue to read and want to know what happened on the story.You will want to know whether Gilly find her mother at the end.Can she live with her mother??In this book,the discruption of characters and places are very detail.The editor describes the place are very detail to the readers because the editor wants the readers fuse into the story.This book is very easy to follow and the content is also very easy to understand.I have learnt what the thinking of the foster child have.They always feel alone and unpleasant.Their parents left these child,so they can't live with their parents and no one take care about them.They always think the reasons of parents left them are caused by them.We need to more take care about these foster child.
I recommend this book,¡¨The Great Gilly Hopkins¡¨ to all of you~~!!You don¡¨t need to continue to find another story book,you have found the best one~!!

Once again, Katherine Paterson shows us why she is one of the best children's writers of the 20th century! This book, released in 1979, followed Paterson's beloved 1977 novel Bridge To Terabithia, and is just as realistic, funny, and heartbreaking as Bridge. 11-year-old Gilly Hopkins has spent her whole life being shuffled from foster home to foster home, and is fed up. Her new goal in life is to make life a living hell for all her future foster parents. Things take a strange turn when Gilly's new foster mother turns out to be an eccentric, barely literate widow named Maime Trotter, whose heart is as big as her 300-pound frame. She already takes care of 7-year-old William Ernest, a timid little boy with learning disabilities. Gilly finds herself becoming attached to Trotter, W.E., and their friend Mr. Randolph, but, like most foster children, she lives under the delusion that one day her real mother will come for her. When Gilly is finally reunited with her mother and grandmother, her image of Mom is shattered forever, and she wishes she were back living with Trotter. Katherine Paterson based this novel on her own experiences as a foster mother. It's a tough, uncompromising portrait of a troubled young girl, and yes, there is some coarse language, but as Katherine said in an interview, "A child like Gilly does not say 'fiddlesticks' when she is angry or frustrated." Share this wonderful book with your child today!

Allow your children to read these stories with parental discretion. Current day authors like the ones mentioned in the review are liberals with an agenda that is both immoral and anti-traditional family. I can't vouch for all the stories listed because I have not read them. However, I have read works by quite of few of the authors listed and they do not support conservative ideology. "Scout's Honor" by Avi is in my child's 6th grade "literature" textbook. The so-called comedy is about three arrogant Boy Scouts that earn a badge by lying, cheating and stealing. This story not only depicts the Boy Scouts in a bad light - has anyone heard about their pro-traditional family stand which they took recently - but it promotes the path of the ends justifying the means.

The original tales presented in this book are actual memories of childhood penned by notable children's book authors. Although most of the stories have 8-10 year-olds as their protagnonists, they deal with emotions and predicaments more easily understood, I think, by slightly older children.

Pre-teenage can be such an awkward time; these tales can be healing/instructive to those in this time of life. The authors all have written beautiful stories which really should not be missed. And, as an extra special "gift" to the reader, each story is followed by a one-page explanation/note written by the tale's author. It's a relief to realize that each author not only survived growing up, but also flourished. And I loved being allowed to share private memories of these marvelous authors.

As a great fan of Katherine Paterson, I was especially touched by her story, which involved her older, prettier sister. Perhaps even more revealing, however, is the note she wrote to accompany this story. I am sure that the feelings here expressed were the souce of her poignantly beautiful novel "Jacob Have I Loved." (Great for girls age 12 and up.)

This book also provided an introduction (at least for me) to several authors with whom I was not familiar; I look forward to reading more by them.

I am a 40-something, well-educated mom. I bought this book for my own family, but I will be purchasing more copies to give as gifts. And I look forward to the sequel to this book, already in print!

I thought this was a good story but there were some things about it I didn't like. For example, the godmother puts a spell on the princess at the begining of the book that prevents her from sleeping. However, in the middle of the book, the princess falls asleep after working with the peasants. I liked the begining of the book when the people were sleeping and the priness was awake. I was expecting the story to develop more around that theme but then it just jumped into different circumstances here and there. I liked the illustrations. The expressions on the characters' faces were done very well.