Call Me Amy

by Marcia Strykowski

Overview

1973 has been a lonely year for Amy Henderson, filled with too many awkward moments to count—that is, until she helps rescue an injured seal pup. In order to help save Pup, she forms an unlikely alliance with Craig, a mysterious boy in a worn-out army jacket, and Miss Cogshell, an eccentric older woman whom the children in the town call “Old Coot.” As she nurses Pup back to health with the help of Craig and Miss Cogshell—while simultaneously attempting to hide him from the harbormaster and a group of nosy popular girls infatuated with Craig—Amy discovers that people aren’t always what they seem. Just as she starts to feel at home with her newfound friends, however, an unexpected challenge arises that could change the future of her town as well as her own life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781935462750
Publisher:	Luminis Books
Publication date:	05/15/2013
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	8 - 14 Years

About the Author

Marcia Strykowski is a public library employee. She has previously contributed writing to a number of anthologies and magazines.

Editorial Reviews

"[Amy] grows throughout the story, from a shy loner to having two friends and speaking her mind in front of her adversaries at school as well as to the whole town. . . . Amy is a reliable narrator and easily relatable." —Natalie Struecker, School Library Journal

From the Publisher

In a first-person voice that doesn't always quite ring true, Amy describes the events of the spring in which she begins a transformation into young adulthood. Eighth-grader Amy is growing up in a coastal Maine village in 1973; she is shy, unpopular and self-focused. In two gradually developing relationships, she is befriended by a spunky elderly woman, Miss Cogshell, known to many as "Old Coot," and by Craig, the tough-guy son of an abusive, alcoholic single mother. Craig is struggling in school and at home, so when he takes on care of an injured seal pup, he's pushed to the brink and turns to Amy for help. Since it's illegal to take in wildlife, the pair must keep "Pup" hidden while they raise him; Miss Cogshell becomes a willing participant, keeping the seal in her home while also gently reaching out to both unhappy teens. But Miss Cogshell is not well, and eventually the young pair must get their emotional support from each other, something they are at first unable to do. At times, Amy's voice feels more authorial than authentic ("A rush of freedom outweighed the feel of coarse ground against my palms"), but debut author Strykowski gains competence as she progresses and lets Amy speak more clearly. Well-drawn, sympathetic characters and the developing spark between Amy and Craig combine to create a pleasant, satisfying read. (Historical fiction. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews