Penny From Heaven By Jennifer L. Holm

1.  Bibliography
Holm, Jennifer L.  2006.  PENNY FROM HEAVEN.  New York:  Random House.  ISBN 037583687

2.  Plot Summary
It is summer of 1953.  Penny is bored out of her mind.  She lives with her grandparents and mother.  Her Dad has  passed away and no one will talk about it.  Her fathers Italian family and her mothers family do not socialize.  Penny is not allowed to do anything fun because her mother is afraid she will get sick.  She gets a summer job delivering groceries with her cousin for one of her Italian uncles. Problems begin to arise in the heat of the summer.   Her Mom starts to date the milkman.  This worries Penny she doesn't understand why her mother would want to be with this man?  Next, Penny has her arm stuck in a laundry wringer and the doctor is not sure if it well ever work properly.  The families are brought together by the tragedy and Penny begins to learn the truth of what happened between the two families. 

3.  Critical Analysis
The story is told from the perspective of an eleven year old girl. The characters of the story fit the time period with the way they speak, their clothing, and material items they possess.  "Uncle Dominic is sitting in his car."  "It's a 1940 Plymouth Roadking."  The Italian customs of the family are brought to life by the way they speak and their lively personalities.   "Frankie says, "She's pazza."  The plot of the story is believable and readers can compare the story to the adventures they have had in the summer or problems that occur within families.    The story reflects the problems of the time period.  Penny discovers that her father died due to being imprisoned because he was Italian.  Due to World War II some citizens even though they were American were considered the enemy.  The author brings the issues of the time period to life with her unique style and voice that intrigues the reader to see how a family can resolve its problems when something horrible happens to one of their loved ones.  At the end of a book their is an authors note.  This part of the book includes pictures from the time period and the  reader learns that this book was written partially from tales from the author's Italian family. 

4.  Review Excerpts
NEWBERRY HONOR BOOK
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, "Penny and her world are clearly drawn and eminently believable, made up of seamlessly interwoven details from everyday life. The period is lovingly re-created, from the fear of catching polio to Penny's use of the word swell."
BOOKLIST, "Holm impressively wraps pathos with comedy in this coming-of-age story, populated by a cast of vivid characters (a burping, farting grandpa; an eccentric uncle who lives in his car--"not exactly normal for people in New Jersey").

5.  Connections
Suggested reading age 9-12.
This book could be used for discussion to help children understand the relationships of different types of families.   Some American citizens were considered spies during this time period due to the war.
Other books with war settings:
Giff, Patricia Reilly.  LILYS CROSSING.  ISBN 978044041537
Vanderpool, Clare.  MOON OVER MANIFEST.  ISBN 9780385738835