| Pieces of Georgia |
|
(middle-grade novel)
written by Jen Bryant
Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2006
ISBN 978-0375832598 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-0440420552 (paperback) |
|
| Like her mother, Georgia McCoy is an artist, but her dad looks away whenever he sees her with a sketchbook. Sometimes it’s hard to remember what it was like when her mother was still alive … when they were a family … when they were happy. But then a few days after her 13th birthday, Georgia receives an unexpected gift—a strange, formal letter, all typed up and signed anonymously—granting her free admission to the Brandywine River Museum for a whole year. And things begin to change. |
|
| An accessible novel in poems, Pieces of Georgia offers an endearing protagonist—an aspiring artist, a grieving daughter, a struggling student, a genuine friend—and the poignant story of a broken family coming together. |
|
| Resources |
|
| Combining literacy and visual arts through Pieces of Georgia |
|
| Pieces of Georgia discussion guide |
|
| Honors and Recognition |
|
Book Sense 76 Summer 2006 List
Iowa Children’s Choice Award list 2008-2009
IRA Young Adult Choices List 2008
Notable Trade Books for Social Studies, 2006
Publishers Weekly, starred review
Texas Lone Star Reading list 2008
Utah Beehive Award List 2008
VOYA Top Shelf Pick for Middle Grades, 2006 |
|
| Reviews |
|
| “I liked this book a LOT!” (Jamie Wyeth) |
|
 |
|
| This is a remarkable book … The finely drawn characters come to life … Their story is a universal one of love, friendship, and loss and will be appreciated by a wide audience. (School Library Journal) |
|
|
|
| A free membership to the Brandywine River Museum. That’s the perfect gift for a grieving 13-year-old with artistic talent and a need to remove the “at risk” label from her permanent school record. It is also a passport for Georgia McCoy, an avenue out of her shyness, into the art world of her deceased mother, and toward an understanding of her struggling father. Georgia's free-verse journal entries describe her lonely existence, her grief at losing not just her mother but also her father, and her perceptive insights into the art of three generations of the Wyeth family. It’s a lovely, quiet novel, a study in a child’s struggle for survival and the adults who recognize her pain and decide to help. Readers will be able to go to the Brandywine River Museum Web site and see the paintings Georgia describes, an interesting art extension that adds depth to an involving story, suitable for both recreational reading and reading and discussing in class. (Booklist) |
|
|
|
| Jen Bryant, author of nearly a dozen biographical picture books and now two young adult novels, joins the ranks of such talented artists as Sharon Creech, Robert Cormier, Nikki Grimes, and Karen Hesse with her novel in verse, Pieces of Georgia … A smoothly crafted story with authentic voice and genuine emotions that is easily accessible to young readers. (Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literature) |
|
|
|
| The moment in which [Georgia] finds out who gave her the museum membership is moving and lovely and is the perfect signature on this affecting work of art. (Kirkus Reviews) |
|
|
|
| The told-in-verse style pushes the book along seamlessly with a harmonious rhythm that almost calls out to be read aloud … (The Philadelphia Inquirer) |
