This book was an interesting view of the lives 4 teen girls. The story covers one summer in the lives of 4 best friends and we get to experience their thoughts and emotions. One girl has to deal with finding out her dad is getting re-married and will have stepchildren. Another has to deal with the death of a new friend. A third has to learn who she is and how to do the right thing, while the first girl deals with extreme depression after falling for an older boy. These things are realistic. Teens make mistakes, they die, they deal with divorce. They have theses epiphanies that help them mature and personally, I think it is probably better to learn from the mistakes of others.
Impression
I think part of the beauty behind realistic fiction is the author's ability to create a life we can step into and out of whenever we want. They are helping young readers become empathetic. While some subjects can be very sensitive, that does not make them less realistic. It would probably fall into the category of young 'chick-lit' and I don't know a boy that would sit down and read a book about these 15 year old girls and their dramatic lives.
Review
From Kirkus Review
Master novelist Konigsburg hones her sense of irony to a razor edge in this exploration of the backstory behind one of Silent to the Bone’s secondary characters: Connor’s older half-sister Margaret. Margaret, 12, has just been rescued from her authoritarian summer camp by her eccentric great-uncles. She is delighted to leave the tender offices of her vicious bunk-mates and the camp director’s insistence on lockstep enjoyment of all camp activities; she is monumentally alarmed to discover that her beloved uncles’ backyard Tower Garden, a fantasy of steel and glass, is slated for demolition, a victim of historical zoning. Determined to save the towers, Margaret begins a campaign informed by civil disobedience (in which camp has made her proficient: “I prefer not to,” says she) and civic involvement. This story condescends not one whit to its audience, passionately confronting readers with the critical importance of history, art, beauty, community, love, and, above all, the necessity to invest oneself in meaningful action. This it does with every word in place, occasionally indulging in dizzying linguistic riffs, always conscious of the ironies inherent in the acts of living and growing up. (Fiction. 10+)
In Class
This book would be really good to use in a small group setting with junior high aged girls. In the small group setting, the girls could be led in discussion of the events the characters are going through and how they parallel the lives of the members of the group. Since the book is so girl-oriented, I don't think it would be well received by male students.
Summary-Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place
Margaret Rose, not Margaret or Maggie or Rose, Margaret Rose is sent to summer camp for the summer and it does not go well. When asked if she will participate in anything, she simply says, "I prefer not to." The matriarch of the camp is at her wits end and calls her Uncle to come discuss her behavior. She doesn't anticipate that he has come to take Margaret Rose home, however. Margaret Rose and her Uncle and his little dog, Tartufo, leave the camp and slowly begin Margaret Rose's summer of civil disobedience. When Margaret Rose finds out that her Uncles have not just been avoiding the installation of their new art tower, Margaret Rose takes a stand.
Impressions
I enjoy Margaret Rose's personality and the characters that have been created. However, I found the book quite slow and had trouble getting into the book. I think there is a place for it in the library and that some students will enjoy it, I just don't think it is the book for me. Margaret Rose is a smart, only child and I think there will be student that relate to her personality and her struggle to see that sometimes things don't go as we want them to.
Review
Master novelist Konigsburg hones her sense of irony to a razor edge in this exploration of the backstory behind one of Silent to the Bone’s secondary characters: Connor’s older half-sister Margaret. Margaret, 12, has just been rescued from her authoritarian summer camp by her eccentric great-uncles. She is delighted to leave the tender offices of her vicious bunk-mates and the camp director’s insistence on lockstep enjoyment of all camp activities; she is monumentally alarmed to discover that her beloved uncles’ backyard Tower Garden, a fantasy of steel and glass, is slated for demolition, a victim of historical zoning. Determined to save the towers, Margaret begins a campaign informed by civil disobedience (in which camp has made her proficient: “I prefer not to,” says she) and civic involvement. This story condescends not one whit to its audience, passionately confronting readers with the critical importance of history, art, beauty, community, love, and, above all, the necessity to invest oneself in meaningful action. This it does with every word in place, occasionally indulging in dizzying linguistic riffs, always conscious of the ironies inherent in the acts of living and growing up. (Fiction. 10+)
In Class
This would be excellent for use with middle school students that are learning about community involvement and civic responsibilities and rights. They can learn from Margaret Rose's trips to the City Hall records department and about requisitions and permits. The students could then use what they learn to plan a community art project.
Citations
Konigsburg, E. L. (2004). The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place. New York: Atheneum.
Brashares, A. (2001). Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. New York: Delacorte.
Unknown. (2001, August 1). Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Review. Retrieved May 8, 2011, from Kirkus Reviews: http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/childrens-books/ann-brashares/the-sisterhood-of-the-traveling-pants/?spdy=2001
Unknown. (2003, December 15). The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place Review. Retrieved May 8, 2011, from Kirkus Reviews: http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/childrens-books/el-konigsburg/the-outcasts-of-19-schuyler-place/?spdy=2004
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