December Stillness
December Stillness
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Perma-Bound Edition ©1988--
Paperback ©1990--
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Avon Book Division
Annotation: Thirteen-year-old Kelly tries to befriend Mr. Weems, a disturbed, homeless Vietnam veteran who spends his days in the library, though he makes it clear he wants to be left alone.
 
Reviews: 3
Catalog Number: #71505
Format: Perma-Bound Edition
Copyright Date: 1988
Edition Date: 1990 Release Date: 09/01/90
Pages: 181 pages
ISBN: Publisher: 0-380-70764-0 Perma-Bound: 0-8000-6495-X
ISBN 13: Publisher: 978-0-380-70764-5 Perma-Bound: 978-0-8000-6495-2
Dewey: Fic
LCCN: 88002572
Dimensions: 18 cm.
Language: English
Reviews:
School Library Journal

Gr 6-9 There are two climactic scenes in Hahn's new novel: one in which a homeless man is killed in a traffic accident after being barred from the library; and a powerful, moving, and convincing chapter set at the Vietnam War Memorial, in which the protagonist's father finally comes to grips with his war experiences. Yet there is no clear focus to the novel, and no direction to any of the myriad other issues that Hahn tackles: adolescent angst, individuality and conformity, the homeless, Vietnam veterans, library policies on vagrants, and more. None get the treatment that they deserve, and the story suffers as it meanders. An underachieving, show-off type high-school freshman who is trying to carve a niche for herself among her friends and her family, Kelly is concerned for a homeless, possibly deranged man whose troubles are a result of his experiences in Vietnam. This teen, who does well in an honors English class but almost fails other academic subjects and finds refuge in the children's section of the library, who abhors the shallowness of her friends' interests but acts smart alecky to gain their approval, comes across as being more inconsistent than three dimensional. The moments of great writing here serve only to underscore those too-abundant plot elements that do not work. David Gale, ``School Library Journal''

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

A 15-year-old's desire to help a homeless Vietnam vet teaches her about the devastating impact of the war. Ages 12-up. (Sept.)

Reviewing Agencies: - Find Other Reviewed Titles
Wilson's Children's Catalog
School Library Journal
Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)
Word Count: 42,215
Reading Level: 5.1
Interest Level: 5-9
Accelerated Reader: reading level: 5.1 / points: 6.0 / quiz: 560 / grade: Middle Grades
Reading Counts!: reading level:5.9 / points:9.0 / quiz:Q02968
Lexile: 860L

QUESTIONS

Sensitive and idealistic fifteen-year-old Kelly McAllisterfeels at odds with everyone around her. Her best friendhas suddenly turned boy crazy. Her talented mothercreates greeting card designs instead of real art, andher father never talks to her about anything exceptworking hard and getting ahead.

That's why Kelly becomes so involved in the plight of ahomeless Vietnam vet who takes refuge in the libraryeach day. Interviewing him began as a Social Studiesproject, but it takes on new meaning after her offers offood and friendship backfire into a real disaster.What had the war done to destroy this man? And whathad it done to her own father, who had been to thesame war ... and refuses to speak of it?


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