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Getting Near to Baby
A Southern charmer for fans of Newbery Honor book Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage
Audrey Couloumbis's masterful debut novel brings to mind Karen Hesse, Katherine Paterson, and Betsy Byars's The Summer of the Swans—it is a story you will never forget.
Willa Jo and Little Sister are up on the roof at Aunt Patty’s house. Willa Jo went up to watch the sunrise, and Little Sister followed, like she always does. But by mid-morning, they are still up on that roof, and soon it’s clear it wasn’t just the sunrise that brought them there.
The trouble is, coming down would mean they’d have to explain, and they just can’t find the words.
This is a funny, sometimes heartbreaking, story about sisters, about grief, and about healing. Two girls must come to terms with the death of their baby sister, their mother’s unshakable depression, and the ridiculously controlling aunt who takes them in and means well but just doesn’t understand children. Willa Jo has to try and make things right in their new home, but she and Aunt Patty keep butting heads. Until the morning the two girls climb up to the roof of her house. Aunt Patty tries everything she can think of to get them down, but in the end, the solution is miraculously simple.
A Newbery Honor Book
An ALA Notable Book
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
Audrey Couloumbis's masterful debut novel brings to mind Karen Hesse, Katherine Paterson, and Betsy Byars's The Summer of the Swans—it is a story you will never forget.
Willa Jo and Little Sister are up on the roof at Aunt Patty’s house. Willa Jo went up to watch the sunrise, and Little Sister followed, like she always does. But by mid-morning, they are still up on that roof, and soon it’s clear it wasn’t just the sunrise that brought them there.
The trouble is, coming down would mean they’d have to explain, and they just can’t find the words.
This is a funny, sometimes heartbreaking, story about sisters, about grief, and about healing. Two girls must come to terms with the death of their baby sister, their mother’s unshakable depression, and the ridiculously controlling aunt who takes them in and means well but just doesn’t understand children. Willa Jo has to try and make things right in their new home, but she and Aunt Patty keep butting heads. Until the morning the two girls climb up to the roof of her house. Aunt Patty tries everything she can think of to get them down, but in the end, the solution is miraculously simple.
A Newbery Honor Book
An ALA Notable Book
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
224 pages, Paperback
First published September 13, 1999
37 people are currently reading
2,488 people want to read
About the author
Audrey Couloumbis
22books74followersAudrey is a recently transplanted (yet again) New Yorker (by choice), now in Bunker Hill, West Virginia (also by choice), where Civil War ghosts scare the dogs at night, where a CSX train track runs behind the house and the romantic sound of a faraway train can be heard three or four times a day, where she is starting a new garden of rambling roses and assorted deer-resistant flowering shrubs and renovating an old house.
Leisure time, what little there is of it, is spent watching how-to acrylic painting videos on youtube and occasionally getting out the paints to play.
New books are on the way: If Wishes Were Princes, Life and Death at the Warwick Arms, and Anthony Was Here. Stay tuned.
Leisure time, what little there is of it, is spent watching how-to acrylic painting videos on youtube and occasionally getting out the paints to play.
New books are on the way: If Wishes Were Princes, Life and Death at the Warwick Arms, and Anthony Was Here. Stay tuned.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 205 reviews
April 5, 2025
السن المستهدف: من ١٢-١٥ سنة
النوع الأدبي: أدب واقعي
A flashback was running throughout my mind. I remembered feeling with estrangement every time i had to be separated from my mother when I was a child. Like Willa Jo, my home wasn't the perfect example of a happy childhood sanctuary. But without being next to my mom, no fairyland i would trade it then with my (not-very-happy) home.
I can relate to "aunt Patty." The strict woman thought she could easily get her sister's life back to normal. Her trails were pathetic yet funny.
Nothing is beautiful in death. But the departure of Baby was beautifully portrayed. The whole chapter was the best part of the novel.
النوع الأدبي: أدب واقعي
A flashback was running throughout my mind. I remembered feeling with estrangement every time i had to be separated from my mother when I was a child. Like Willa Jo, my home wasn't the perfect example of a happy childhood sanctuary. But without being next to my mom, no fairyland i would trade it then with my (not-very-happy) home.
I can relate to "aunt Patty." The strict woman thought she could easily get her sister's life back to normal. Her trails were pathetic yet funny.
Nothing is beautiful in death. But the departure of Baby was beautifully portrayed. The whole chapter was the best part of the novel.
May 20, 2017
I actually read this several years ago, before I married or had children and thought it was deeply moving. Now that I have experienced the loss of a child, I would like to go back and re-read, particularly for the perspective of what it is like for an older sibling to grieve.
February 4, 2011
Come watch the sunrise on Aunt Patty and Uncle Hob's roof with thirteen year old Willa Jo and her seven-year old grief stricken, mute "Little Sister."
It is hot and steep and dangerous, but the view allows a vista different from what is happening inside the grieving souls of two lonely, heart-broken little girls who recently lost their baby sister.
Once you are up there, why leave? In fact, why not stay throughout the day as neighbors gawk and Aunt Patty vigorously plys her guilt in an attempt to bring you down. In fact, it is Aunt Patty's take charge attitude, lack of understanding and extreme rules that drove you up there in the first place.
This poignant and profoundly sensitive 1990 Newbery Honor book is a gentle look at a family broken apart and uprooted by a series of unexpected events which yield heartbreaking sadness.
The original family of five becomes four when the unemployed father leaves; then they become three when sadly the baby of the family dies. Little Sister retreats inward and refuses to speak while Willa Jo is left to temporarily fend for the family.
While the loving, artistic mother mourns her losses, she valiantly attempts to hold on, but the enormity of her sadness leaves little room for the nurturing of the remaining children, who now become a family of two as they are taken away to live with their mother's sister and her husband.
Well intentioned, childless Aunt Patty is trying her best, but she misses the mark when coping with the two sad little girls who desperately miss their mother and struggle to understand loss and the change it brings.
Walk gently and quietly sit on the roof as dusk approaches and watch as loving, understanding Uncle Hobs is there beside the girls.
Earlier he not only climbed out, but he is now dancing while lending a helping hand and open heart as we slowly understand that Aunt Patty isn't evil, that mother truly does love her children, and if we look high enough, we will indeed find baby.
Highly recommended.
It is hot and steep and dangerous, but the view allows a vista different from what is happening inside the grieving souls of two lonely, heart-broken little girls who recently lost their baby sister.
Once you are up there, why leave? In fact, why not stay throughout the day as neighbors gawk and Aunt Patty vigorously plys her guilt in an attempt to bring you down. In fact, it is Aunt Patty's take charge attitude, lack of understanding and extreme rules that drove you up there in the first place.
This poignant and profoundly sensitive 1990 Newbery Honor book is a gentle look at a family broken apart and uprooted by a series of unexpected events which yield heartbreaking sadness.
The original family of five becomes four when the unemployed father leaves; then they become three when sadly the baby of the family dies. Little Sister retreats inward and refuses to speak while Willa Jo is left to temporarily fend for the family.
While the loving, artistic mother mourns her losses, she valiantly attempts to hold on, but the enormity of her sadness leaves little room for the nurturing of the remaining children, who now become a family of two as they are taken away to live with their mother's sister and her husband.
Well intentioned, childless Aunt Patty is trying her best, but she misses the mark when coping with the two sad little girls who desperately miss their mother and struggle to understand loss and the change it brings.
Walk gently and quietly sit on the roof as dusk approaches and watch as loving, understanding Uncle Hobs is there beside the girls.
Earlier he not only climbed out, but he is now dancing while lending a helping hand and open heart as we slowly understand that Aunt Patty isn't evil, that mother truly does love her children, and if we look high enough, we will indeed find baby.
Highly recommended.
September 11, 2018
"Getting Near to Baby" is a tragic story about two unique sisters who have lost everything due to a dead family member. The younger lost her ability to speak, and the older lost her true identity; causing her to hide behind this image of "prim and proper", as her aunt describes their hideous looking skirts and "fancy" gowns they're forced to wear. I loved the strong word choice and beautiful descriptions, because it truly painted a portrait in my mind making me imagine that I was there with the two sisters; on the roof of their aunts building, breathing the same air, staring at the same sky and watching the same sunset. This book is one of the best I've read so far, and I suggest you'd give it a read as well.
October 22, 2021
It takes much time and effort for these children to get near to baby. Poor, poor baby. And I thought when I got my braces off it was emotional enough! This book made me cry a lot! Every page was heartbreaking. After finishing, I was so sad. However, as months passed by, I found my confidence and motivation once again. Only read this if you have too bubbly of a personality and need to be brought back to the surface of the Earth every now and then.
April 24, 2021
It took me an eternity to finish this one! I’m not really sure why. It wasn’t awful or anything, I just didn’t feel any pressing need to keep reading.
The story is about Willa Jo and Little Sister (it drove me nuts that they called her that) trying to heal from the death of their baby sister, who they called Baby. (🙄) Right now they are living with their aunt while their mom also tries to heal. The story switches from past to present. In the present Willa Jo and Little Sister are on the roof and refuse to come in. While on the roof, Willa Jo ponders all the circumstances that led her to this roof.
I liked Willa Jo’s voice. She felt real to me and I enjoyed her hint of sass.
I wouldn’t really recommend this to anyone but for the Newbery list it was definitely on the better half.
The story is about Willa Jo and Little Sister (it drove me nuts that they called her that) trying to heal from the death of their baby sister, who they called Baby. (🙄) Right now they are living with their aunt while their mom also tries to heal. The story switches from past to present. In the present Willa Jo and Little Sister are on the roof and refuse to come in. While on the roof, Willa Jo ponders all the circumstances that led her to this roof.
I liked Willa Jo’s voice. She felt real to me and I enjoyed her hint of sass.
I wouldn’t really recommend this to anyone but for the Newbery list it was definitely on the better half.
December 31, 2016
This review and more published on
I have not read a more moving book. Without a shadow of a doubt, this book is emotionally scarring. This is a profound, heartbreaking, and sometimes witty story that deserves the Newberry Honor it received. I am not sure there is much I hated about this book. I have never said this before but I believe this book might have no flaws.
Now for some backstory. I was wondering aimlessly around my favorite bookstore in my favorite little town and saw this book. I actually thought it would be a cute fun little read. I didn't read the description on the back cover, it was two dollars. I started reading it in the car, I was crying almost instantly. This children's early chapter book had such depth and maturity.
The depth of this book is so grand, author Audrey Couloumbis is able to bring difficult subjects that even adults can't talk about and bring it to a children's level. This is no ordinary book, this is a masterpiece.
The story begins with little Willa Jo and little sister. I love that the characters are so sweet, likable, and innocent. I am unsure you could hate them at all. They are sitting on top of their Aunt Patty's house. They are quiet and just watching the sun. They haven't even determined why they are there. Right now they are just existing.
They have given their Aunt Patty a heart attack almost. She is not a happy camper, although she never really is. She is trying to get them to come down. She is failing. At this point, it's becoming a sight in the neighborhood which has her fuming. She brings her husband, Uncle Hob, to help retrieve them.
These little girls are grieving something no child their age should have to do, their baby sister died. They are crippled with sadness. They will need to lean on each other if they want to get over this hurdle. I am not really sure why Wilma Jo went out on the roof, and little sister joined. Perhaps it was to think and get away.
Getting near to baby is told in a super unique way. The present, the past and the future.
It starts out in the present. With Willa jo on the roof, and explaining why the girls are living with their aunt temporarily. The beginning chapters paint a small picture as to why Willa Jo might feel the need to escape onto the roof, poor girl. This part of the book just makes you want to hug the girls.
The next moment we are learning of the tragic story that made these girls be in this situation in the first place. The unexpected death of a sibling. The shattered life of their mother, grieving the loss of a new baby. Them losing a sister they thought they had. The retreated inward. Living in darkness, battling demons and depression, rarely eating. Their mother was spiraling out of control and it was affecting them. Then the moment Aunt Patty stepped in to help.
There are also flashbacks to baby sisters death. This is the hardest part of the book. Even typing out this review has me choking up a bit. This is the source of the books at times haunting emotion. The descriptions of the paintings and baby sisters with angels will be something I will never forget. This is the most moving literary pictures of grief I have ever read. As the wonderful, wise beyond her years Wilma jo put it, it stings something fierce. The way the author was able to bottle up the emotion will be something I will never forget.
I won't tell you how it ends, or if Willa Jo ever comes down from that roof. I will say the tangle of emotions that this book wraps up don't change. This book shows you that tragedy is just that tragedy. It doesn't feel good, it hits you with wave after wave of sadness. You have to put back together the crumbling pieces.
I haven't done this book justice. There isn't really a way to really review Getting near to baby. The emotions of this book will leave you stunned. The beauty of the story will warm your heart. You won't be able to read this book without tears in your eyes. This book will take you on a journey of pain, teach you about the gift of life, and will change your life.
I have not read a more moving book. Without a shadow of a doubt, this book is emotionally scarring. This is a profound, heartbreaking, and sometimes witty story that deserves the Newberry Honor it received. I am not sure there is much I hated about this book. I have never said this before but I believe this book might have no flaws.
Now for some backstory. I was wondering aimlessly around my favorite bookstore in my favorite little town and saw this book. I actually thought it would be a cute fun little read. I didn't read the description on the back cover, it was two dollars. I started reading it in the car, I was crying almost instantly. This children's early chapter book had such depth and maturity.
The depth of this book is so grand, author Audrey Couloumbis is able to bring difficult subjects that even adults can't talk about and bring it to a children's level. This is no ordinary book, this is a masterpiece.
The story begins with little Willa Jo and little sister. I love that the characters are so sweet, likable, and innocent. I am unsure you could hate them at all. They are sitting on top of their Aunt Patty's house. They are quiet and just watching the sun. They haven't even determined why they are there. Right now they are just existing.
They have given their Aunt Patty a heart attack almost. She is not a happy camper, although she never really is. She is trying to get them to come down. She is failing. At this point, it's becoming a sight in the neighborhood which has her fuming. She brings her husband, Uncle Hob, to help retrieve them.
These little girls are grieving something no child their age should have to do, their baby sister died. They are crippled with sadness. They will need to lean on each other if they want to get over this hurdle. I am not really sure why Wilma Jo went out on the roof, and little sister joined. Perhaps it was to think and get away.
Getting near to baby is told in a super unique way. The present, the past and the future.
It starts out in the present. With Willa jo on the roof, and explaining why the girls are living with their aunt temporarily. The beginning chapters paint a small picture as to why Willa Jo might feel the need to escape onto the roof, poor girl. This part of the book just makes you want to hug the girls.
The next moment we are learning of the tragic story that made these girls be in this situation in the first place. The unexpected death of a sibling. The shattered life of their mother, grieving the loss of a new baby. Them losing a sister they thought they had. The retreated inward. Living in darkness, battling demons and depression, rarely eating. Their mother was spiraling out of control and it was affecting them. Then the moment Aunt Patty stepped in to help.
There are also flashbacks to baby sisters death. This is the hardest part of the book. Even typing out this review has me choking up a bit. This is the source of the books at times haunting emotion. The descriptions of the paintings and baby sisters with angels will be something I will never forget. This is the most moving literary pictures of grief I have ever read. As the wonderful, wise beyond her years Wilma jo put it, it stings something fierce. The way the author was able to bottle up the emotion will be something I will never forget.
I won't tell you how it ends, or if Willa Jo ever comes down from that roof. I will say the tangle of emotions that this book wraps up don't change. This book shows you that tragedy is just that tragedy. It doesn't feel good, it hits you with wave after wave of sadness. You have to put back together the crumbling pieces.
I haven't done this book justice. There isn't really a way to really review Getting near to baby. The emotions of this book will leave you stunned. The beauty of the story will warm your heart. You won't be able to read this book without tears in your eyes. This book will take you on a journey of pain, teach you about the gift of life, and will change your life.
February 8, 2017
This is a beautifully written and poignant story that, like many of the greats in children's literature, reveals the observations, insights and perspectives that children have about the adults in their lives.
April 21, 2024
3.5 to 4 stars.
Enjoyed this one a lot, I just didn’t get super into it. Still very enjoyable. I was interested to learn that this story is based on events in the author’s life from when she was young. It was also interesting to see the grief aspects of the story from the perspective of a young child.
Enjoyed this one a lot, I just didn’t get super into it. Still very enjoyable. I was interested to learn that this story is based on events in the author’s life from when she was young. It was also interesting to see the grief aspects of the story from the perspective of a young child.
June 7, 2016
I gave this book a 5/5 because I liked that it had lots of descriptions and also because it was interesting for me. This book was about two girls one named Little Sister and the other one named Willa Jo, they spent the summer with their aunt, Aunt Patty. When Little Sister's And Willa Jo's baby sister died Little Sister wouldn't speak she would just nod and say yes or no with her hands, as months past Willa Jo, Aunt Patty, and her mother tried to make her talk again but they couldn't.I would recommend this book to Natalie because I think that maybe she might seem interested in it and might enjoy reading it.
February 7, 2017
This is one of the best stories about grief and loss I've ever read. It makes me happy and frustrated that it is a "children's book." Happy because kids need and deserve books this well written (this is the caliber bridge to terabithia and on my honor WISH they were) and frustrated because adults won't read it even though they should. Books in this genre can sometimes feel manipulative, easy tear-jerking without enough substance. That doesn't happen here. You should read this book. Imagine it's a short story in the New Yorker if the whole children's book thing bothers you. It's a quick read and it'll help your yearly book count. Please. This book deserves to be read.
April 7, 2010
Reminiscent of Dicey's Song, in terms of young people dealing with tragedy and being uprooted and somewhat betrayed by their parents, as well as in the narrative voice.
October 15, 2018
This novel was fascinating, especially towards the conclusion, as unanswered questions were revealed. "Getting Near to Baby" by Audrey Couloumbis features a unique yet strange relationship between a girl, her younger sister, and the situations they were forced into. It displays the struggles of a family as a loved one has departed, while acknowledging the changes that occur in each and every character's personalities as the story proceeds.
July 30, 2012
I must say I was a little apprehensive about starting this book given the subject matter. Audrey Couloumbis writes of life after the heart-breaking loss of a child from the point of view of an older sister, but the amazing thing is her ability to describe the experience with an honest voice without drowning the reader in sadness. Not an easy task. I'm glad she added an 'About the Author' section at the back which explains that she was around Willa Jo's age when her Aunt's child died, and another child died in her community from drinking contaminated water. It's nice to have a window into the author's experience.
"My heart feels like there is a string tied around it, with something heavy hanging from the string. I don't like it. But the sky has broken pink and is stretching pale lavender fingers toward heaven. So I make up my mind to watch those fingers fade to nothing, to be burned away by the sunrise."
"Don't be embarrassed by honest feelings"
"After Baby died, times were hard. Funerals cost a lot of money. And they make you feel tired, real tired, for weeks after. What it comes down to in the end, you stop doing everything but what you have to do. We didn't bother about making the bed or doing the laundry. We didn't wash dishes until there wasn't one left in the cupboard. We ate from the garden, whatever picked quick, and something in a can from the pantry. Tuna fish or Vienna sausages. Eggs from our chickens. We didn't worry about breakfast, lunch, or dinner. We ate whenever we were hungry." Yeah, thing about this description is that I'm already THERE, and Holly hasn't left us yet. What happens then?
"Uncle Hob doesn't say a word as he looks up at us. He doesn't look mad, he doesn't even look sad. He looks at us the way he looks at a crossword puzzle when he doesn't know the answer."
Learned something new: "Uncle Hob shows Little Sister and me this grip he learned in the Navy. You open your hand between the index finger and the middle finger and grip somebody around the wrist while they do the same thing and grip you around your wrist. It looks like shaking hands but what happens is the fingers get a good grip under the wrist bones and it's more like you've tied a knot than like holding hands."
"It's a funny thing how I don't much notice gravity when I walk around. It is only when i lie flat in the grass that I have any sense of the earth spinning around and around, carrying me with it. It is only when I am flat to the earth that I feel the looseness of the grip in which we are held. Any one of us, at any moment, might be floating free."
""No matter what she'd done, you have to say..." My own words choked me. "You have to say, 'It wouldn't have made a bit of difference.'" And I knew right then that it wouldn't. There were no right words for Aunt Patty to say. Words are not enough."
"The house was so full of people and we were so sad and tired that we were either visiting or sleeping the next few days. We were simply without Baby; we didn't have time to miss her. And the single time that Mom took us to look upon her in her little bed, it was more like looking at a pretty doll--the kind no one will ever let you touch--than looking for a last time at Baby. The only way I knew for sure it was her, her name, Joy Ellen Dean, was on a little brass plate on top of her bed. Even now, the memory of it doesn't seem real."
"Fresh out of sleep, I could see Mom and Baby together in my mind's eye. I had already had a few scary moments in the middle of the day when I couldn't bring Baby's face to mind and hold it there to be looked upon. And it was awful early; things can come out different before a person's full awake."
"Light fell in straight lines through the clouds and spread like a fan. There were these wispy clouds--pink, they were, because the sun cast a rosy color over them--clouds that looked like watery drawings of two figures reaching for each other. As Mom and I watched over the next two or three minutes, the clouds touched. the smaller cloud was gathered in by the larger cloud; it seemed to fade away. I knew they were just clouds, but something made my throat clot up so bad I had to lean against Mom in the rocker."
"when Mom could not be shaped up so easily as the house or the garden, I began to lose faith in Aunt Patty's methods. she would not stay forever, and when she went, I was afraid we would go back to our slipshod ways."
"No one had given much thought to how much I missed my gramma. What really happened was we both let things go together...We sat around singing funny, sad songs and telling sadder stories...We didn't wash or cut our hair. Grandpa didn't shave. We ate peanuts and hard-boiled eggs when we got hungry. He let me drink beer. When they came to get me before the start of the school year, our hair had grown to our shoulders."
"It must have been terrible,"I say.
..."Uncle Hob looks like he is waking up. "No," he says. "I only this minute remembered. It wasn't terrible at all."
"Knowing that time is short is important. Knowing to make the best use of it you can, that's important. Letting those around you know you love them. Because you never know when you'll have to say good-bye."
"My heart feels like there is a string tied around it, with something heavy hanging from the string. I don't like it. But the sky has broken pink and is stretching pale lavender fingers toward heaven. So I make up my mind to watch those fingers fade to nothing, to be burned away by the sunrise."
"Don't be embarrassed by honest feelings"
"After Baby died, times were hard. Funerals cost a lot of money. And they make you feel tired, real tired, for weeks after. What it comes down to in the end, you stop doing everything but what you have to do. We didn't bother about making the bed or doing the laundry. We didn't wash dishes until there wasn't one left in the cupboard. We ate from the garden, whatever picked quick, and something in a can from the pantry. Tuna fish or Vienna sausages. Eggs from our chickens. We didn't worry about breakfast, lunch, or dinner. We ate whenever we were hungry." Yeah, thing about this description is that I'm already THERE, and Holly hasn't left us yet. What happens then?
"Uncle Hob doesn't say a word as he looks up at us. He doesn't look mad, he doesn't even look sad. He looks at us the way he looks at a crossword puzzle when he doesn't know the answer."
Learned something new: "Uncle Hob shows Little Sister and me this grip he learned in the Navy. You open your hand between the index finger and the middle finger and grip somebody around the wrist while they do the same thing and grip you around your wrist. It looks like shaking hands but what happens is the fingers get a good grip under the wrist bones and it's more like you've tied a knot than like holding hands."
"It's a funny thing how I don't much notice gravity when I walk around. It is only when i lie flat in the grass that I have any sense of the earth spinning around and around, carrying me with it. It is only when I am flat to the earth that I feel the looseness of the grip in which we are held. Any one of us, at any moment, might be floating free."
""No matter what she'd done, you have to say..." My own words choked me. "You have to say, 'It wouldn't have made a bit of difference.'" And I knew right then that it wouldn't. There were no right words for Aunt Patty to say. Words are not enough."
"The house was so full of people and we were so sad and tired that we were either visiting or sleeping the next few days. We were simply without Baby; we didn't have time to miss her. And the single time that Mom took us to look upon her in her little bed, it was more like looking at a pretty doll--the kind no one will ever let you touch--than looking for a last time at Baby. The only way I knew for sure it was her, her name, Joy Ellen Dean, was on a little brass plate on top of her bed. Even now, the memory of it doesn't seem real."
"Fresh out of sleep, I could see Mom and Baby together in my mind's eye. I had already had a few scary moments in the middle of the day when I couldn't bring Baby's face to mind and hold it there to be looked upon. And it was awful early; things can come out different before a person's full awake."
"Light fell in straight lines through the clouds and spread like a fan. There were these wispy clouds--pink, they were, because the sun cast a rosy color over them--clouds that looked like watery drawings of two figures reaching for each other. As Mom and I watched over the next two or three minutes, the clouds touched. the smaller cloud was gathered in by the larger cloud; it seemed to fade away. I knew they were just clouds, but something made my throat clot up so bad I had to lean against Mom in the rocker."
"when Mom could not be shaped up so easily as the house or the garden, I began to lose faith in Aunt Patty's methods. she would not stay forever, and when she went, I was afraid we would go back to our slipshod ways."
"No one had given much thought to how much I missed my gramma. What really happened was we both let things go together...We sat around singing funny, sad songs and telling sadder stories...We didn't wash or cut our hair. Grandpa didn't shave. We ate peanuts and hard-boiled eggs when we got hungry. He let me drink beer. When they came to get me before the start of the school year, our hair had grown to our shoulders."
"It must have been terrible,"I say.
..."Uncle Hob looks like he is waking up. "No," he says. "I only this minute remembered. It wasn't terrible at all."
"Knowing that time is short is important. Knowing to make the best use of it you can, that's important. Letting those around you know you love them. Because you never know when you'll have to say good-bye."
April 19, 2018
4.5 stars. I've noticed that my favorite 2018 so far reads all seem to be about daughters. Fitting, as I've been exploring in real life how it felt to be a daughter throughout childhood and what makes for healthy parent-child relationships. I loved this book even though (because?) it made me cry. It's now one of my favorite Newbery award books, as well.
June 10, 2024
I got this book as a Scholastic Book Order book when I was a kid. It really holds up. I think a lot of these Newberry Award Winners are really worth revisiting as adults. They're written from childrens POV and in a vocabulary kids can understand but they really have a lot to offer adults too.
June 27, 2019
This and other reviews can be found on
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
Short and Simple Review
This is a fairly quick read that touches on how the death of a little sibling, and the grief of their mother, affects two young girls. The narration was strong and very apt for the age of the main character. The movement of the story was interesting as it has the frame story of the MC, Willa Jo, and Little Sister sitting on the roof of their aunt's and for some reason, they don't want to get down. Willa Jo then jumps through time to show the reader what happened before they got onto the roof. This was very powerful and can be difficult to read at points, but is, unfortunately, an experience that people go through. It is written very well and it is certainly a Newberry title worth reading.
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
Short and Simple Review
This is a fairly quick read that touches on how the death of a little sibling, and the grief of their mother, affects two young girls. The narration was strong and very apt for the age of the main character. The movement of the story was interesting as it has the frame story of the MC, Willa Jo, and Little Sister sitting on the roof of their aunt's and for some reason, they don't want to get down. Willa Jo then jumps through time to show the reader what happened before they got onto the roof. This was very powerful and can be difficult to read at points, but is, unfortunately, an experience that people go through. It is written very well and it is certainly a Newberry title worth reading.
January 21, 2022
Excellent read, I could not put this book down!
March 5, 2022
This book was so good.
March 22, 2011
Without a doubt, Getting near to baby is one of the most emotionally affecting books that I've read in quite a while. Everything about its sometimes sad, sometimes silly, continually profound story commends it for the Newbery Honor that it received. As a whole, it is near-flawless.
The writing of author Audrey Couloumbis is sweetened with a depth of poignancy that suggests from the start that this is no ordinary book. The narrative begins with young Willa Jo and Little Sister out on the roof of their aunt Patty's house, sitting quietly and watching as the sun rises. We're not sure yet why they're out on the roof, but Aunt Patty isn't happy about it; she immediately is trying to get her two nieces to come down, and enlisting the aid of Uncle Hob to help her retrieve them.
As for her part, I don't know if Willa Jo really knows why she's up there. She certainly hadn't planned to take Little Sister along, but her presence was sort of a package deal after the sadness that they have faced together recently. I can't blame Little Sister a bit for not wanting to be alone; if my baby sister had died, I would feel the same way.
Getting near to baby is told as three smaller stories in one: Willa Jo and Little Sister sitting in silence on Aunt Patty's roof (the present), the incidents that the siblings have faced since being temporarily relocated to Aunt Patty's house that have made Willa Jo feel the need to retreat to her lofty perch (flashbacks), and the tragic story of why they had to be there in the first place, as the sudden and stunning death of Baby shattered their lives and the life of their mother, causing the three of them them to hole up in the safety of veritable darkness before Aunt Patty came and retrieved the two sisters (this part is also told via flashbacks). The recounting of Baby's death is more than a little bit hard to bear, and certainly is the source of most of the story's haunting emotion. The descriptions of the paintings of Baby with the angels that are painted by Willa Jo's mother are some of the clearest literary pictures of trying to find hope while being swallowed by the turgid waters of grief that I can ever remember, and it really stings "something fierce", as Willa Jo might say. If you know the feeling of missing someone with such internal torque that you're sure your body cannot hold out under the strain for another day (or maybe you just hope it can't, since that's better than having to face twenty-four more hours of it), then you can't help but be dramatically affected by these passages of the story.
While Willa Jo sits on the hot shingles of her aunt's roofs and tries somehow to sort through the tangle of emotions wrapped up in her tired mind, the facts of her family's pain don't change, but other things do. A tragedy is a tragedy and there's no way around the pain and regrets that hit like wave after wave after wave after wave, but if one must move forward with something resembling one's life before the loss, then the best way is by holding on to the hands of those around oneself—those also most deeply affected by the tragedy—and walking forward alongside them, with a firm resolution to stand together and face all of the pain as one.
There's just no way that I can adequately describe Getting near to baby on paper. I can only say that its emotional pull is very strong, and it's impossible for a thoughtful reader to escape without tears, and without a deepening of his or her understanding about the profundity of pain, and what it means to be cheated of the life of a loved one almost before his or her time on earth had even begun. I would give three and a half stars to Getting near to baby.
The writing of author Audrey Couloumbis is sweetened with a depth of poignancy that suggests from the start that this is no ordinary book. The narrative begins with young Willa Jo and Little Sister out on the roof of their aunt Patty's house, sitting quietly and watching as the sun rises. We're not sure yet why they're out on the roof, but Aunt Patty isn't happy about it; she immediately is trying to get her two nieces to come down, and enlisting the aid of Uncle Hob to help her retrieve them.
As for her part, I don't know if Willa Jo really knows why she's up there. She certainly hadn't planned to take Little Sister along, but her presence was sort of a package deal after the sadness that they have faced together recently. I can't blame Little Sister a bit for not wanting to be alone; if my baby sister had died, I would feel the same way.
Getting near to baby is told as three smaller stories in one: Willa Jo and Little Sister sitting in silence on Aunt Patty's roof (the present), the incidents that the siblings have faced since being temporarily relocated to Aunt Patty's house that have made Willa Jo feel the need to retreat to her lofty perch (flashbacks), and the tragic story of why they had to be there in the first place, as the sudden and stunning death of Baby shattered their lives and the life of their mother, causing the three of them them to hole up in the safety of veritable darkness before Aunt Patty came and retrieved the two sisters (this part is also told via flashbacks). The recounting of Baby's death is more than a little bit hard to bear, and certainly is the source of most of the story's haunting emotion. The descriptions of the paintings of Baby with the angels that are painted by Willa Jo's mother are some of the clearest literary pictures of trying to find hope while being swallowed by the turgid waters of grief that I can ever remember, and it really stings "something fierce", as Willa Jo might say. If you know the feeling of missing someone with such internal torque that you're sure your body cannot hold out under the strain for another day (or maybe you just hope it can't, since that's better than having to face twenty-four more hours of it), then you can't help but be dramatically affected by these passages of the story.
While Willa Jo sits on the hot shingles of her aunt's roofs and tries somehow to sort through the tangle of emotions wrapped up in her tired mind, the facts of her family's pain don't change, but other things do. A tragedy is a tragedy and there's no way around the pain and regrets that hit like wave after wave after wave after wave, but if one must move forward with something resembling one's life before the loss, then the best way is by holding on to the hands of those around oneself—those also most deeply affected by the tragedy—and walking forward alongside them, with a firm resolution to stand together and face all of the pain as one.
There's just no way that I can adequately describe Getting near to baby on paper. I can only say that its emotional pull is very strong, and it's impossible for a thoughtful reader to escape without tears, and without a deepening of his or her understanding about the profundity of pain, and what it means to be cheated of the life of a loved one almost before his or her time on earth had even begun. I would give three and a half stars to Getting near to baby.
Read
May 10, 2017Bk-15 Getting near to baby: this books starts off with Willa Jo living a normal life but soon things start to change her dad starts to rarely be present. And HSR baby sister gets really sick all night and dies the next morning. Willa Jo's younger sister stops talking amongst her greif and things start to change the house gets messy no one eats right and everyone in her family falls in deep despair so eventually the girls get sent to live with their aunt which Willa Jo does not like one bit her aunt is very strict and sassy. The girls mostly spend their time with the "fingers" family. One day Willa Jo is so paranoid so she goes on top of the roof to watch the sun rise and they see baby in the clouds when their aunt is so mad at them for being up their little sister says " we are getting to near to baby" watching the sunset realived them of their pain and loss.
Their was a lot of figurative language such as when Willa Jo is watching the cars to by she says " like they aren't going anywhere but are glued to a wheel going round and round in a distance like a ferris wheel" she describes it like the cars look like they keep on coming back. " the sun is behind us ready to drop out of sight " she describes the sun as dropping out of the sky but bit is actually a very gradually process " brightly colored ribbons stretch across to meet" this is when Willa is describing watching the sunset. " nobody in town will play with that snake Cynthia" after aunt patty invited Cynthia over to play she was not very happy as how it went. " you look like you've been through a dust storm" after Willa Jo hung out with her freeing she was very dirty this is a hyperbole because it was very exaggerated.
I loved this bookni felt like j could connect with it really well although it was really sad😥�
Their was a lot of figurative language such as when Willa Jo is watching the cars to by she says " like they aren't going anywhere but are glued to a wheel going round and round in a distance like a ferris wheel" she describes it like the cars look like they keep on coming back. " the sun is behind us ready to drop out of sight " she describes the sun as dropping out of the sky but bit is actually a very gradually process " brightly colored ribbons stretch across to meet" this is when Willa is describing watching the sunset. " nobody in town will play with that snake Cynthia" after aunt patty invited Cynthia over to play she was not very happy as how it went. " you look like you've been through a dust storm" after Willa Jo hung out with her freeing she was very dirty this is a hyperbole because it was very exaggerated.
I loved this bookni felt like j could connect with it really well although it was really sad😥�
November 4, 2019
The whole point of the book seems to be to help kids understand that adults are “real people� and have feelings too. However, the girls have been through unspeakable trauma and they really do need the adults to be adults. Patty takes them away from their mother and then makes everything all about her. I can relate to this, certainly. This is how I remember most adults being as I was growing up. But I don’t agree with the idea that kids should have to see them with understanding and compassion. The adults are supposed to behave like adults, not the kids!
We’re meant to believe that Willa Jo and Aunt Patty are alike but Willa Jo is actually more mature. Even though her aunt behaves terribly she says, “…it doesn’t seem right to tell Uncle Hob that Aunt Patty is a problem�.� She has more insight and self-control than we ever see in Aunt Patty.
Perhaps Aunt Patty means well, but again, I don’t see it so the author has failed. I see a petulant woman whose feelings are hurt when these deeply traumatized children don’t appreciate her for taking them away from their home and mother to make them live shallow lives in her vapid world. And, of course she always knows best and never listens to Willa Jo.
In the “About the author� blurb we’re told that her writing was influenced by the relationships she had with adults when growing up. Of course it was. We all had those adults in our lives. Almost all of the adults were like that. Reading this book brought back all the fury and powerlessness, and at the same time placed the responsibility on the child to be compassionate. I don’t like it!
The ending is tender and poignant and it made me cry but that didn’t make the rest of the book worth it.
We’re meant to believe that Willa Jo and Aunt Patty are alike but Willa Jo is actually more mature. Even though her aunt behaves terribly she says, “…it doesn’t seem right to tell Uncle Hob that Aunt Patty is a problem�.� She has more insight and self-control than we ever see in Aunt Patty.
Perhaps Aunt Patty means well, but again, I don’t see it so the author has failed. I see a petulant woman whose feelings are hurt when these deeply traumatized children don’t appreciate her for taking them away from their home and mother to make them live shallow lives in her vapid world. And, of course she always knows best and never listens to Willa Jo.
In the “About the author� blurb we’re told that her writing was influenced by the relationships she had with adults when growing up. Of course it was. We all had those adults in our lives. Almost all of the adults were like that. Reading this book brought back all the fury and powerlessness, and at the same time placed the responsibility on the child to be compassionate. I don’t like it!
The ending is tender and poignant and it made me cry but that didn’t make the rest of the book worth it.
June 9, 2019
This didn't make me feel anything too much for the characters, or their relationships. I liked that the protagonist, Willa Jo, questioned authority and held her ground while also growing to see other people's feelings were valid too. But I didn't feel that I was "inside" the book - it's not made clear what region or time period it's set in, and while there is some description of the landscape, I wasn't pulled into the book with local or quirky mannerisms, dialects, regional traditions, etc. I didn't feel tied to it with a particular shocking or moving event. Yes there is a death, but so is there in a lot of books. I didn't feel that there was anything unique about this one. There's just Willa Jo's conflict with her aunt, and making friends like all kids do, not put in a particularly engaging or unique way. It seemed as though sad events happened, and because they were sad I was expected to feel moved by them. It's not that there aren't serious themes, but a lot of children's books contain those. I don't see what set this apart from tons of other books, and certainly not enough to win a Newbery Medal.
It wasn't bad; just not stand-out, in my opinion. I think I was especially disappointed because of the Newbery.
It wasn't bad; just not stand-out, in my opinion. I think I was especially disappointed because of the Newbery.
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January 17, 2020Over the break, I read “Getting near to baby.� by Audrey Couloumbis. I discovered this book by going to a thrift store and they were throwing out books, so I decided to get a few. I decided to read this book because the book started off that their baby sister had died, and that immediately grabbed my attention.
This book was great because there was so much emotion going on, it is as if you can feel what the character is feeling. The book is very detailed like a poem. The book has so much detail that you can imagine yourself in the character’s position and feel exactly what they feel as if that was you, the book makes you walk a mile in their shoes. The book is about family, I read mainly for example, “Stephen king� books, and this book was a good break and although they are very different books and authors; they had similar emotions. “Getting near to baby� had a lot of sadness and sometimes feel hatred but it is about family, Stephen king books have hatred and sadness but they are also in deadly situations.
This book could be better if there was less flashbacks. Yes, the flashbacks were good, but too many. The flashbacks would happen at the wrong time. You would learn their backstory and it would have random characters that appear with no context to why they are. They come out randomly and then later on know who they are.
I think that the kind of people who should read this are people who enjoy books about family. I think people who like books about family because the book has a lot of family and unity through the fact that they lost a young loved one, very young loved one. This book has many friendships that blossom, and they become close like family.
July 3, 2021
After their baby sister dies, Willa Jo and Little Sister are staying with their fussy aunt and bemused uncle for the summer while their mother tries to put her life back together. There is much friction in the arrangement, as Willa Jo resists her aunt's demands that everyone follow her strict regime, including never straying from the plastic runners on the carpet and never playing with the not-respectable children (read: they dare to play outside in such a way that gets their clothes dirty) across the street. And for her part, Aunt Patty can't understand why her nieces aren't grateful for all the help she's offering them and their mother. It's a mess that culminates in the sisters climbing up onto the roof early one morning to watch the sunset and then refusing to come down.
Not all middle grade books that take on the subject of death in childhood succeed, but this one does a pretty good job. It's a serious and sad topic, but it's handled fairly gently here and the young characters are given believable reactions to it. In fact, all of the characters are nicely drawn; the aunt is just the right amount of annoying without being irredeemable, the neighbor kiddos are a delight, and the uncle is the perfect laid-back foil to his uptight wife. I also like the choice to frame the entire narrative with the detail of the girls hosting an inadvertent sit-in on the roof. The only part that irks me is a small section in which the mother talks to Willa Jo about how the baby is now in heaven with the angels and will possibly get wings herself. Blech. The saving grace there is that it seems clear it's the character spouting these notions and not the author.
Not all middle grade books that take on the subject of death in childhood succeed, but this one does a pretty good job. It's a serious and sad topic, but it's handled fairly gently here and the young characters are given believable reactions to it. In fact, all of the characters are nicely drawn; the aunt is just the right amount of annoying without being irredeemable, the neighbor kiddos are a delight, and the uncle is the perfect laid-back foil to his uptight wife. I also like the choice to frame the entire narrative with the detail of the girls hosting an inadvertent sit-in on the roof. The only part that irks me is a small section in which the mother talks to Willa Jo about how the baby is now in heaven with the angels and will possibly get wings herself. Blech. The saving grace there is that it seems clear it's the character spouting these notions and not the author.
February 9, 2024
When Willa Jo's baby sister dies suddenly and her beloved mother becomes lost in grief, strong-willed Aunt Patty arrives to sweep Willa Jo and Little Sister away to her town house. Although the girls make good friends in the neighbor children, they miss their mother and resent Aunt Patty’s micromanaging. Aunt Patty is desperate to get the girls to make friends and adjust to their new reality, but all her efforts only result in more frustration and hurt feelings. Finally pushed past their limit, Willa Jo and Little Sister climb up to the roof and refuse to come down, and are finally faced with the reality of their grief.
What a near-perfect little book on loss, grief, and family separation. I'm not a fan of melodramatic, depressing stories, and this book isn't one. Willa Jo's voice is whimsical and honest, and she is supported by a colorful cast of characters in Aunt Patty's little southern town. Sweet, a quick read, and perfect for children coping with grief, adults caring for grieving children, or a read aloud to build empathy and understanding.
What a near-perfect little book on loss, grief, and family separation. I'm not a fan of melodramatic, depressing stories, and this book isn't one. Willa Jo's voice is whimsical and honest, and she is supported by a colorful cast of characters in Aunt Patty's little southern town. Sweet, a quick read, and perfect for children coping with grief, adults caring for grieving children, or a read aloud to build empathy and understanding.
September 9, 2018
Getting Near to Baby / by Audrey Couloumbis (1999) SUMMARY: Although, 13-year-old Willa Jo and her Aunt Patty seem to be constantly at odds, staying with her and Uncle Hob helps Willa Jo and her younger sister come to terms with the death of their family's baby. COMMENT: This is a very sad story with some happy occasions thrown in. An extended family is dealing with the death of Baby in their own ways. But it takes Willa Jo climbing out on the roof closely followed by Little Sister to cause the family to talk about their sadness. The story is told from Willa Jo's point of view as she reflects back to how they came to be at their aunt and uncle's house, the unfortunate events that take place during their visit that puts a stain on their relationship with their ever bossy aunt. The characters are real and likable. The plot rolls out and you can tell that the ending is sad but do not want to leave Willa Jo and Little Sister until the story is complete.
February 3, 2020
This book has been on my (wife's) bookshelf for about 20 years now. She doesn't remember reading it when she was in 3rd or 4th grade, though I'm sure she did. I was not really looking forward to reading it like so many other books on my list; in fact, I only read it to fill the gap until I could get back to War and Peace.
I have to say, though, this book really shook me. It has heartily earned its Newberry and I enjoyed Couloumbis's voice and narrative more than I would have imagined. Her telling of the story through Willa Jo and the heartbreak and redemption that comes through so clear rang true for me as a father. I felt like I was reading portions of To Kill A Mockingbird at times because her ability to write as a child narrator is so pure. I really did enjoy this brief interlude and if you need a quick read to fill in a day or two between books on your list, I highly recommend this one!
I have to say, though, this book really shook me. It has heartily earned its Newberry and I enjoyed Couloumbis's voice and narrative more than I would have imagined. Her telling of the story through Willa Jo and the heartbreak and redemption that comes through so clear rang true for me as a father. I felt like I was reading portions of To Kill A Mockingbird at times because her ability to write as a child narrator is so pure. I really did enjoy this brief interlude and if you need a quick read to fill in a day or two between books on your list, I highly recommend this one!
January 23, 2024
This has a lot going for it, but kid appeal? Maybe kids will want to understand why the sisters are on the roof, and if/how they ever come down?
The 'readers will also enjoy' includes two by and the other three are by authors I know, two of whom have been recognized by Newbery committees. So, maybe the niche of young readers who do like it can find more, or vice versa.
The bits I liked best are near the end:
First Uncle Hob says:
"I might never have learned to cry. Which means I might never have known really what it is to pray or to laugh right down deep into my belly or to tell your aunt Patty how much I love her."
Then there's lyrics (to a familiar tune about a teapot that I hope you all know) that the girls' mother made up: "I'm a little rain cloud, dark and wet. Squeeze me tight and ring me out."
The 'readers will also enjoy' includes two by and the other three are by authors I know, two of whom have been recognized by Newbery committees. So, maybe the niche of young readers who do like it can find more, or vice versa.
The bits I liked best are near the end:
First Uncle Hob says:
"I might never have learned to cry. Which means I might never have known really what it is to pray or to laugh right down deep into my belly or to tell your aunt Patty how much I love her."
Then there's lyrics (to a familiar tune about a teapot that I hope you all know) that the girls' mother made up: "I'm a little rain cloud, dark and wet. Squeeze me tight and ring me out."
March 30, 2018
This is such a charming book! It tells the story of 13 year old Willa Jo who is trying to make sense of life after her baby sister, known simply as Baby, dies unexpectedly. Her mother slowly falls apart, unable to clean or cook meals; her father left long ago and her younger sister, known as Little Sister, no longer speaks. Willa Jo's aunt comes to visit after Baby's death and, seeing what disarray the girls are living in, makes up her mind to take them to live with her for the summer. But Aunt Patty is not much of a mother substitute. Her inability to understand what Willa Jo and Little Sister are going through makes for some funny moments and, as we find out later, the entire story is a flashback told by Willa Jo while she and Little Sister are sitting on the roof of the house.
This book is sad and funny and utterly delightful. I highly recommend it.
This book is sad and funny and utterly delightful. I highly recommend it.
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