Penny from Heaven

One of my New Favorites!!

I absolutely LOVED this book!! It was so good! It was an easy book to read yet it was very descriptive and very easy to understand. This book made me laugh and it even made me cry in some parts! (which for me is very hard to do) And most important it was very educational. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone from an Italian family, and even if you are not Italian, I think you would still LOVE this book like I did.

6 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

This Is A GREAT Book!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I loved this book!!! I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.

5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

AMAZING

This book is really good! I am currently reading it and I am at the end! It gets better and better as you get farther into the book! The author perfectly expresses the different emotions of each character. As I was reading, I could hear the Italian accents in my head!

4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

I would recommend this book to any of my friends.

In this book, a girl named Penny lives with her maternal grandparents, her mother, and an un-housebroken poodle named Scarlet O'Hara in 1953.Penny's father died when she was very young. Although her father died, she still visits her father's Italian family. Penny has a hard time dealing with her father's death. Her mother is very protective over Penny.Over the summer,Penny really wants to go to the pool,but her mother is afraid she will get polio.Penny has always wondered why her father died, and in the book, her curiosity grows, especially because the two families cannot get along.Penny works in her uncle's butcher shop with her cousin, Frankie. Frankie is Penny's best friend. The story tells about many interesting adventures they get into, including an accident that sends Penny to the hospital. Both sides of her family visit her while she is in the hospital, and they tell her stories about her father that gives her clues about his death. I think this book is very good and it is funny as well as interesting. I would recommend this book to any of my friends.This book is not that thrilling at first but as you get into the book, it gets more and more exciting.I think the author of this book did a great job at keeping the reader interested while making them laugh at the same time.

3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

This was fantastict!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This book is really good . I think all kids should read it . So rrreeeeaaaaadddddd ittttttttttttttttt!!!!

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

A must read! :)

This story is set in 1953 New Jersey. This has an effect on this story because of the characters. Penny, the main character, is a young girl that is EASILY relatable to, as are her crazy Italian family from her father's side of the family, who all treat Penny like a princess. I root for Penny as she undergoes a character development. All the characters talk as a normal or very busy and crazy, family would. Penny lives with her loud and very opinionated Pop-Pop, Me-Me, a widowed Mother, and the naughty Scarlett O' Hara, the house dog. She has tons of very unique uncles and trying to grow up and live is all Penny wants. There's much mystery in the finding out of information of her much missed father, Alfredo, or Freddy. You'll be filled with suspense to see what happens when Cousin Frankie and Penny get mischievous. The overall theme is familiar, but with a very fresh twist. The main theme here is: "Everything will be just fine"-also, "Friends are God's way of apologizing for your family."

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

sweet but lacks a point

this is a sweet but sad story of a young girl searching for togetherness of her family. it doesnt seem to have a strong point, but none the less, it is heart touching

2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Reviewed by Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

PENNY FROM HEAVEN, a new offering by author Jennifer L. Holm, is an excellent pick for middle grade readers. Set in the early 1950's, it tells a story of everyday life and rich Italian heritage.

Penny lives with her mother and her grandparents. At the start of the novel, she's almost twelve. Most of her time is spent hanging out in the neighborhood with her cousin and best friend, Frankie.

Bike riding would be fun, but Penny's bike was unfortunately backed over in the driveway. Going swimming in the city pool or taking in an afternoon matinee sounds like quality entertainment, but Penny's mom believes those places are breeding grounds for the dreaded polio everyone seems to be contracting. That doesn't leave much to do, but Penny and Frankie always seem to find something to get into. It might be an attempt to fix the leaky toilet that turns into a major repair job, or the secret mission to discover if great-grandma Nonny wears black underwear to match her old-fashioned black dresses.

Penny is surrounded by tons of Italian aunts and uncles, but she misses her father. His death years ago is still shrouded in mystery, one that Penny seems unable to uncover. Her mother is becoming interested in Mr. Mulligan, the milkman. Penny's attempts to pair her mother up with favorite Uncle Dominic fail miserably.

Day-to-day life is pretty predictable for Penny and her family until the unthinkable happens. After a tragic accident, Penny finds herself making plans for a very different life. Readers' emotions will be tested as Penny's story unfolds.

Jennifer L. Holm is also known for Newbery Honor book OUR ONLY MAY AMELIA and her BOSTON JANE series, which is my personal favorite.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

A reviewer

This is a funny novel about an eleven year old girl,Penny, in the summer of 1953. Penny is living with her grandmother, her grandfather, her mother, and their un-housebroken dog, Scarlet O'Hara. Penny's father is dead and nobody will tell her the secret surrounding his death. Although Penny is lucky to have her deceased father's Italian-American family to spoil her, she still misses her Dad. The characters are well fleshed out and you get the feeling that you are there in 1953 in that car with Uncle Dominic or eating an authentic Italian meal with the family.The book is a snapshot of what it was like to be growing up in the 1950's. World War II is still affecting the family in that they only speak English in public. Penny cannot swim in a public pool for fear she will contact polio. The book is about the importance of family, friends and also contains a mystery about buried treasure as well as her father's death. This is a good read for Middle Schoolers with its quirky, yet realistic characters. I think young people can identify with the story today even though it is set in the 1950's. Read it. You will not be disappointed.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Will the Real Barbara Ann Falucci Please Stand Up?

Penny is an 11 year old girl who lives in New York in 1953. Her journey through the summer she turns 12 is humorous and sensitive. Penny lives with her mother and maternal grandparents. Her father died when she was a baby. Her father's family lives close by and neither family will talk about her father. She's not even sure how he died. During this particular summer she shares many exciting adventures with her cousin Frankie. He is a typical encourager of naughtiness!! He's fun-loving and Penny is very close to him and empathetic to his circumstances. This book is written authentically from a child's perspective and is entertaining from beginning to end. If you enjoy stories about family relationships and the things that hold them together AND break them apart...read Penny From Heaven by Jennifer L. Holm '2006'

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Peny from Heaven

BEST BOOK EVER!!!!!!!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

FANTATICAL BOOK!

This book, is, in fact amazing! My favoriite parts are always at Nonny's house. Penny ffrom Heaven is an amazing book....

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Best book ever!!!!!!

This the best book you could ever read in tbis world it is heart warming and gives a very good lesson, two thumbs up! Would recommend it to anyone!!!!!!!!!!!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Laughed and cried

This book is so funny! The adventures will captivate you. This book will maybe make you cry cause it is so touching and realustic. Read.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Love this book!

OMG I read this book in 4th grade and loved it and LOVED it so I bought as a NB

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Not Enough POW!

It is repetitive but still nice. Also it needs to really press the point across once it is found.

1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

A must read! :)

This story is set in 1953 New Jersey. This has an effect on this story because of the characters. Penny, the main character, is a young girl that is EASILY relatable to, as are her crazy Italian family from her father's side of the family, who all treat Penny like a princess. I root for Penny as she undergoes a character development. All the characters talk as a normal or very busy and crazy, family would. Penny lives with her loud and very opinionated Pop-Pop, Me-Me, a widowed Mother, and the naughty Scarlett O' Hara, the house dog. She has tons of very unique uncles and trying to grow up and live is all Penny wants. There's much mystery in the finding out of information of her much missed father, Alfredo, or Freddy. You'll be filled with suspense to see what happens when Cousin Frankie and Penny get mischievous. The overall theme is familiar, but with a very fresh twist. The main theme here is: "Everything will be just fine"-also, "Friends are God's way of apologizing for your family."

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A well-written and enjoyable book.

There are many positives about this book. There were likable characters in the story such as Frankie and Uncle Dominic. Frankie was mischievous with a good sense of humor and a fun personality. Uncle Dominic treated Penny as if she were his own daughter. He made sure that Penny was happy. Also, the setting was in the 1950s and the author was very descriptive about this time period. "Penny from Heaven" was an easy to understand novel that many 12 year-olds would enjoy. However, this book requires patience because it did not grab the reader's attention right away. The story moved slowly. There were small things that happened to Penny but the ending was the most exciting.

I would recommend this novel because it was interesting in some areas and it was easy to read and understand. This book is a Newbury Honor book which is a high award for children's books. The characters are funny and lovable and there is a happy ending. Most readers will like this book.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Awsome

This book is awsome!!!!!!! I loved this book so much

Anonymous

I loved thiis book! You should totally read it!