Sharon Creech’s Greatest Hits

 

Sharon Creech is a Newbery winning author who’s written a variety of children’s and young adult books.  Creech’s writing is interesting because she’s able to write without formula which means each of her books has an individual message and life of its own.

In  middle school, I read Walk Two Moons and really enjoyed it – this is a favorite of many young readers.  The Great Unexpected is still on my summer reading list, and I’m looking for my library to get it on hold!

The Great Unexpected

 Humorous and heartfelt, this is a story of pairs—of young Naomi and Lizzie, both orphans in present-day Blackbird Tree, USA, and of Sybil and Nula, grown-up sisters from faraway Rook’s Orchard, Ireland, who have become estranged.}

Ruby Holler

“Trouble twins” Dallas and Florida are orphans who have given up believing there is such a thing as a loving home. Tiller and Sairy are an eccentric older couple who live in the beautiful, mysterious Ruby Holler, but they’re restless for one more big adventure. When they invite the twins to join them on their journeys, they first must all stay together in the Holler, and the magic of the place takes over. Two pairs of lives grow closer and are changed forever.

Somehow I missed reading Ruby Holler until this summer.  When I was checking it out, our librarian said that she loved it so much as a child, her librarian bought her own copy of it.  This is just a great book about orphans on a journey to find their parents, which is a very classic literary plot line and works so well.  I love the character’s names and how it represents their life; the twins are really well-written and so funny.  The descriptions of the holler are great, and I kept visualizing this as a movie while reading.  They meet an older couple who invites them on a big adventure which they prepare for by living in the holler together. This is a wonderful book – go check it out!

Granny Torrelli Makes Soup

Twelve-year-old Rosie and her best friend, Bailey, don’t always get along, that’s true. But Granny Torrelli seems to know just how to make things right again with her interesting stories and family recipes. It’s easier to remember what’s important about love, life, and friendship while Granny Torrelli makes soup

Walk Two Moons

As Sal entertains her grandparents with Phoebe’s outrageous story, her own story begins to unfold — the story of a thirteen-year-old girl whose only wish is to be reunited with her missing mother.

Love That Dog

Newbery Medal-winning author Sharon Creech tells a moving, amusing, and heartwarming tale in Love That Dog, a story written in freewheeling prose disguised as poetry. And poetry is something that young Jack can’t stand — it’s confusing and odd and strictly for girls. But he can’t seem to escape it, since his teacher insists on giving out assignments that require him to read and write the stuff. When he creates his own poetry and the teacher wants to post it on a board for the class to see, Jack insists on anonymity. But once he sees how good his poetry looks typed out in neat letters on yellow paper and hears approbation from his peers, he finally lays claim to his work.

Great book for children discussing poetry – I really love this short tale! It’s relevant on the “poetry is confusing” level, but then it works through the poetry writing process, and we see Jack come to enjoy it.  I’ve used this in remedial, adult classrooms and they’ve enjoyed it, too! Great for teachers and parents.

Bloomability

When she is whisked away to an international school in Switzerland, Dinnie Doone discovers all the “bloomabilities” that life has to offer. From Newbery Award-winning author Sharon Creech is a story about everyday joys.

Hate That Cat: A Novel

I hate that cat.

This is the story of 
Jack
words
sounds
silence
teacher
and cat.

Absolutely Normal Chaos

Mary Lou Finney is less than excited about her assignment to keep a journal over the summer. Boring! Then cousin Carl Ray comes to stay with her family, and what starts out as the dull dog days of summer quickly turns into the wildest roller coaster ride of all time. A wonderful story of contemporary teen life.

Newbery Medalist Creech (“Walk Two Moons”) masterfully weaves this story, told in free verse, about a young girl finding her identity and learning how it fits within the many rhythms of life.

Heartbeat

What are your favorite Creech novels?

(All excerpts from Goodreads)