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Junes book of the month was The Year the Swallows Came Early by Kathryn Fitzmaurice.

Do you think it is a future Newbery, or at the very least a good contender?

I finished The Year the Swallows Came Early.

I liked how the story was driven by Groovy's desire to go to cooking school. Her ambition was so sincere that it made her fathers betrayal worse.

I thought it had a really good message about forgiveness. I liked the realistic reactions that showed how angry she was. Small things like the change in her name and not wanting to talk to him on the phone.

In fact I thought the entire story was very realistic. I do have a few friends that have had their parents steal their money or inheritance. Criminal! But the truth is that parents are never perfect.

I would like to have learned more about Groovy's mom. She had that funny paranoia about earthquakes. It reminded me of me and how I am fearful of the ocean having spent so little time around it, since I grew up in the desert.

I also thought the book was a little slow and wondered if it would hold a child’s attention. It was an interesting read, and reminded me a little of Susan Patrons style and The Higher Power of Lucky.

What did you guys think?

I also like Groovy’s interest and determination to be a cook (gastro lit for kids!). I liked the chapter titles, and thought them to be very clever. I like the themes of forgiveness, and friendship that stemmed through the book as well.

I did struggle with this book. I wanted to like it, but found myself often confused, especially when it came to characters. I feel that if I am confused, then younger readers will be also. I thought that Groovy and the other girl, (forgive me, I don’t have a copy, and don’t remember all the characters names, was it Marisol?) were the only clear characters. I struggled with Groovy’s mother, and did not always understand what her motivations were. I also struggled with the mother of Groovy’s friend, I felt that she was presented, but then left hanging.

I had this weird feeling as I was reading the book that the author was writing it for the Newberry committee, and not for children. Being this is my first post to the group, I feel a little bad that I am posting more negatives than positives, I just didn’t care much for this book, and there are so many out there that I am really excited about!

No its ok, I'm so glad you wrote, its fun to get a discussion going. Thank you for your comments. I wanted to know about some of the other characters too. Like her best friends step brother (I don't have a copy with me either now). How did he feel suddenly in charge of a child? I did like Marisol (I think that’s her name). I liked the subtle you can't judge a book by the cover theme with people. She thought she knew her mom, she thought she knew her dad, she thought she knew what Marisol was like and yet she was wrong about them all.

I enjoyed the story and felt it was a quick read. I agree that in some ways, it reminded me of The Higher Power of Lucky. I do believe this is the author's first book but I may be wrong. A great debut.

I was very interested in Groovy's coming to term with the disappointment in her father and then being able to forgive him. I believe this is a theme that many young people may identify with as they grow up.

I loved getting to know the individual traits of each of the characters. For the most part, I felt the characters were well developed, with the exception of the mother of Luis. That part of the story could have been explored further.

Overall, I enjoyed the read. I am not positive it is Newbery worthy but I think it is a notable book and I have already suggested it to a couple of my patrons.

First let me say, I love the title of this book (it screams Newbery to me...)and I thought it was a charming story with interesting characters. However, I don't think my students will find it all that engaging. I agree with the earlier post that it seems to fall into the category of books written for the Newbery Committee.

I did like the parallel story lines of Groovy and Frankie's difficulties with their parents and appreciated how they learned from watching each others reactions to their situations. I think the book has a nice message about forgiveness that I feel appeals to young readers. I'm just not sure Fitzmaurice was able to create enough tension to keep most young readers engaged.

I also would have like to have seen a bit more done with the "swallows." If one of the main characters had been more knowledgeable or passionate about the subject, it might not have come across quite as much as an afterthought or a way to justify the title.

Overall I thought the it was a good book and I am anxious to see how my students feel about it. It certainly has all the traits of a Newbery, so I wouldn't be surprised if it stays on the shortlist.

Melsmith wrote: "First let me say, I love the title of this book (it screams Newbery to me...)and I thought it was a charming story with interesting characters. However, I don't think my students will find it all ..."

Wow. If you get a chance let us know what your students think about it. I am always curious to know what kids think about books. I just read Emmaline and the Bunny by Katherine Hannigan. It didn't really win me over because it was so cutesy, but my daughter was more forgiving.

I will be emailing suggestions to a couple of my students, so I hope to get some feedback. I hope I am pleasantly surprised because I really thought it was a sweet book.

Thank you, everyone, for your insights.