Critique du Publishers Weekly
Eland (Scones and Sensibility) crafts a graceful, leisurely paced story about 11-year-old Sunday Fowler, who yearns to stand out in her large family. Eclipsed by her two glamorous older sisters and three ebullient younger brothers, the often forgotten Sunday tries to make her mark the summer her contractor father and family move to a small town to renovate a library. The family's unwieldy but realistic dynamics are tinged with humor, even as Sunday's insecurities ramp up: her family forgets her at a rest stop, and she's iced out when her siblings choose rooms in their new house. When Sunday, a voracious reader, finds an anonymous manuscript in the library basement, she and her new friend Jude set out to locate the author. Eland crafts a memorable cast of small-town child and adult characters and effectively integrates their story lines. While the novel can be a bit slow, readers' affection for Sunday won't waver as this independent protagonist finds a way to balance her desire to be noticed with a growing maturity. Ages 8-12. Agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Critique de Horn Book
Tired of being overshadowed by her five siblings, middle-child Sunday Fowler, going on twelve, decides to make her mark. But the one thing that can help her stand out--an unpublished manuscript she finds in a library basement--threatens to compromise the privacy of a new friend, forcing Sunday to choose which she values more. Well-developed characters outshine the predictable plot. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Critique de Kirkus
An almost 12-year-old girl tries to distinguish herself from her five boisterous siblings in a very quiet coming-of-age tale. Eland (Scones and Sensibility, 2010) has crafted another thoughtful, slow-paced, character-driven story. The experience of being accidentally left behind at a service station as her family makes the trip to a small Pennsylvania town, where her father has been rehabbing the library, perfectly sums up for Sunday the position she holds: She's always hidden by the crowd. When her family returns a couple of hours later, not because they noticed her missing but because they lost their way, it reinforces her need to find a way to stand out among her siblings. Discovery of an old manuscript in the library cellar, possibly penned by an iconic and reclusive author, might provide the path to fame. Sunday, a strong reader who celebrates the value of good books, teams up with Jude, a sensitive local boy, to investigate the growing evidence that the story is somehow linked to an infamously withdrawn local man, Ben. Sunday's competent, low-key parents and realistically depicted, lively siblings are lovingly portrayed and may amuse readers growing up in more typical small families. Still, for many who pick it up, well-developed characters and a mild mystery may not be enough to sustain interest in this overlong effort. (Fiction. 10-14)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Critique de Booklist
Almost 12-year-old Sunday Fowler is the middle of six children, too young to hang with her sisters and too old for her brothers. Constantly worried that she will never stand out in such a large family, Sunday suffers the ultimate indignity when her parents drive off from a gas station without her and don't even realize that she is missing. When the family relocates to the small town of Alma, Pennsylvania, so that her father can help to renovate the town library, Sunday is determined to do something that will make her famous. A new friend, a cantankerous neighbor, and an anonymous manuscript discovered in the library basement are all the ingredients she needs. Eland's sophomore effort (Scones and Sensibility, 2009) is a contemporary story with the feel of a classic. Loving references to favorite books and a strong ensemble of supporting characters contribute to the well-paced and enjoyable story. There are no shocks in store for the reader, but Sunday is such a believable character, both in her self-doubt and in her ultimate triumph, that this book is certain to stand out.--Dean, Kara Copyright 2010 Booklist
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