A Simple Gift

by Nancy Ruth Patterson

Book Overview

Finding the courage to make amends Ten-year-old Carrie O'Connor wants to be an actress. After starring as a singing tooth in her class play at a New York City school, she convinces her parents to let her audition for a summer theater production in the mountains of North Carolina. And not just any production - it is a play based on a beloved children's book written by her own mother! By virtue of a plucky audition (and not, she makes certain, her relation...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0374369240
• ISBN13: 9780374369248
• Release Date: May 2003
• Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
• Length: 117 Pages
• Weight: 0.64 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.7" x 8.4"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

A Simple Gift

Carrie, a ten year old girl wants to audition for a play that her mother wrote called Michael Madigan

Chelsea's Review

Carrie, a ten year old has the chance to be in a play based on the a book her mom wrote called "Michael Madigan's Curtain Call. Carrie and her mother travel all the way to Brownsville, North Carolina from Ney York City to try out for the play. Storm Sellers is the star of the play, which means he play the role of Michael Madigan. Liza a snobby little girl gets the part of Michael Madigan's sister. Liza is the rudest person in the book but in the ned she learns a lesson. Ben Sanders is the director and Kelly is the secratary that helps Ben when he needs help and takes over as needed. D.D is Carrie's dad The D.D stands for Doctor Dad because he is a doctor. The book was a good book, it kept me going and I really enjoyed it. It was one of many best that was a Mark Twain nominee. I advise that you read it because if you don't you won't know what your missing.

A Simple Gift

Carrie is a normal kid whose mother is a write. Carrie comes home one day after school and is really excited. She got a part in the school play as a molar. The thing that she liked the bast was that she got to have a solo and she was the only one and she get to write the song. Their school play was great and Carrie loved it. On their way home they saw a poster advertising one of Carrie's mom's books becoming a play. Carrie really wanted to try out for the play but her parents did not think it was a good idea. She kept asking and finally they said yes. Carrie's mom drove her to town ( which is Carrie's mom's hometown) where the try outs were taking place. After standing in line for a long time and finally getting to go home Carrie was tired. The next morning Carrie gound out she made the play. She went to every rehersal and found out she was a student in the class. One thing did happen, one day after rehersal Storm came and Carrie was still there. Well, Carrie was eves dropping and heard everything they said. The next day Carrie told Liza (another kid in the play) and then Liza told everyone there what had happened. After that Storm quit and he was the star of the play. Carrie and Liza had to find a way to get him back. It comes to find out they had to go to his house and apologize to him and make a bet with him. Storm did come back and the play went on. This was a really good book and i think it has really good advise in it. I would recomend it to people all ages.

A Simple Gift

This book is about a 10 year old girl who wants to be an actress. Carry lives in New York City and attends New York City school. Her mother is a author and her father is a doctor. Carrie gets a part as a singing molar in her school play. Carrie's mother, Kate McCarrity O'Connor's, has written 12 books, all of which are best sellers. One of them she wrote is called Michael Madigan's Curtain Call. This book is very special to Kate. It is written about a young boy named Michael Madigan and it tells about some of his unique life experiences. Carrie talks her parents into letting her audition for a play in Brownsville, North Carolina, which is Kate's hometown. Carrie auditions for several days. Carrie refuses to let anyone know who she is. She wants to get the part without her mother influencing the Broadway director L. Bennett Sanders. He, just like Kate, had left Brownsville several years earlier. Both him and Carrie's mother had returned in order to turn the book into a play. Carrie does get a part in the play and she is thrilled. Carrie and the rest of the cast begin practicing every day. Each one had to learn their lines, and their routines. They really were able to see how hard the work is in the acting world. They changes from regular kids into true actors. However, Carrie almost ruins the entire production. Will Carrie be able to over come her problem? Read the book to see. I liked the book. It has a great message within its pages. The characters appear to come to life. As one read the book they seem jump right off of the pages. I felt that they plot was very well organized. I really enjoyed the way the book was arranged, especially the ending. I thought that the timing was perfect. The message it brought out is about honesty. Carrie learns that it is best if she admits her mistake and takes the consequences. Carrie also learns that it is best if everyone works toward a resolution together. In the book the cast members also are exposed to hard work. They practice daily to prepare for the play. I believe kids when reading this book will be exposed to some aspects of the working world. Kids need this type of exposure to some extent so that the real world will not be such a shock. I really think this book is similar to Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis. Both of these book are on my favorite list. There is a nice surprise in both of these books. While reading them I could not put them down until I had read every page. I think that everyone will find A simple Gift by Nancy Ralph Patterson a wonderful asset to their classroom collection.

Children will enjoy this simple gift.

I truly enjoyed this book. In "A Simple Gift", 10-year-old Carrie decides she wants to be an actress after a successful part as a tooth in her class play. When she discovers that one of the children's books that her mother writes is going to be made into a play, she begs her parents to go to her mother's hometown in North Carolina to try out. She earns a part in the play, but through a bad decision, puts the play in jepardy. Carrie has to find a way to put things right. Along the way, she discovers that sometimes the simple gifts are the greatest gifts of all. I think that this book flowed well and the author kept the story engaging. Young readers age 8-12 will identify with the main character Carrie. This is an excellent example of a contemporary story with some good old-fashioned values.