Roller Skates

From School Library Journal
Grades 4-7--This recording of the 1937 Newbery Award-winning book by Ruth Sawyer (Penguin Putnam, pap. 1986) is read by television and stage actress Kate Forbes. The story takes place in New York City in the 1890s, during the year of 10-year-old Lucinda's "orphanage." That's Lucinda's term for her situation when her parents go to Italy and leave her in the care of Miss Peters and Miss Nettie. Lucinda, enjoying her freedom, explores the city on roller skates and makes friends wherever she goes. She reads Shakespeare with her uncle, puts on her own production of The Tempest, creates a magical Christmas for a little girl from an impoverished family, helps a family protect their fruit stand from attacks by rowdy boys, and has picnics in a vacant lot , among other adventures. Forbes does a good job with the reading, conveying Lucinda's enthusiasm but not becoming overly dramatic. However, the story suffers from age. Certain expressions and references are likely to elude most children (and even many adults). The obligatory tragedies (the death of Trinket, the unexplained murder of a woman Lucinda befriends) seem a little maudlin. There is also some ethnic stereotyping, typical of the time, that is unacceptable today. However, in libraries where Newbery books are always in demand, this audio-book will help make an older book a little more accessible to young readers.Sarah Flowers, Santa Clara County Library, Morgan Hill, CACopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


Card catalog description
The discoveries and adventures of ten-year-old Lucinda, who spends a wonderful year exploring the New York City of the 1890's.


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Lucinda's year in New York City began when her family went to Europe and left her with Miss Peters - not, thank Heaven, with Aunt Emily and her four docile, ladylike daughters. Miss Peters understood that a girl of ten wanted to roller-skate to school, and stop and chat with Patrolman M'Gonegal, and make friends with Mr. Gilligan, the cabbie, and even play with Tony, whose father kept a fruit stand down the street. Roller Skates is a delightful story of old New York, and about a tomboy who could not help being a lady at the same time.


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