"The Year The Gypsies Came" by Linzi Glass

[Estonian Dancer]

I just got this book out of my local library (which also happens to be the library I work in!)
I am not sure.........this book will probably be more of a Printz nomination rather than a Newbery (I make this decision purely on what I have read in reviews about it). Also, the author originally was a South African citizen, and has moved to the USA. I am not sure that she's eligable to win the Newbery-- Something to research, I suppose. I just looked on the WWW, and Glass does have contact details on her own webpage. I suppose a person could drop her a line and ask what country issues her passport.

I will write more once I have read this book completely in the next week or so.
Has anyone else read it?

[Mary]

Thanks for suggesting this book. I found it on the shelf in our Young Adults' department and will check it out. The jacket flap makes it sound quite interesting.

As far as eligibility of the author, the official terms of the Newbery Award state "The Award is restricted to authors who are citizens or residents of the United States." Since Glass lives in Los Angeles, it sounds like the book would be eligible for consideration.

[rach]

Hi! Just finished reading The Year the Gypsies Came and it is definitely a Printz, not a Newbery. It deals with some mature themes (abuse, rape, divorce, adultery, death) and is at times very intense. Most reviews are stating it as a high school book.
However, it was well-written and my only qualm was that the setting as far as the time period was never concretely said and you had to figure out from the context that it was not current day South Africa. Students not familiar with South African history might not realize that Nelson Mandala is no longer in jail. Otherwise, pretty good for a first time novelist.

[Estonian Dancer]

I just finished this book yesterday, as I am off on a great trip tomorrow night to a country starting with the letter T.

This book really had me wondering....just what theme is the author (Linzi Glass) trying to make important???
She doesn't seem to focus readers onto one character or one theme--instead she toys with apartheid, parental adultery, murder, martial breakdown but never really gets anywhere with these topics.
There are South African writers who are brilliant (I am thinking of Beverly Naidoo in particular, who is an amazing writer for children and teens). Linzi Glass is not Beverly Naidoo.
Glass' writing style is so Doris-Lessing-stream-of conscience-may-I-have-another-bowl-of soup and she's is dangling these unhappy, powerless (if not miserable) children in front of us........and patronizing! In the author's notes at the end of the book, Glass writes something like "I would like to dedicate this book to the wonderful black people of South Africa who gave so much of themselves to us white children in the 1960's"......gag!
Apartheid (from what I have read about the subject) was certainly not about giving.

UGHH! AUGH!

Did I mention that I off on a holiday tomorrow to a wonderful country starting with the letter T?

[Mary]

Turkey? Togo? Tunisia? Thailand? Tanzania? Have a safe and enjoyable trip. We'll all look forward to more comments from you when you return.