Faith, Hope, and Ivy June

by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Book Overview

When push comes to shove, two Kentucky girls find strength in each other.

Ivy June Mosely and Catherine Combs, two girls from different parts of Kentucky, are participating in the first seventh-grade student exchange program between their schools. The girls will stay at each other's homes, attend school together, and record their experience in their journals. Catherine and her family have a beautiful home with plenty of space. Since...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0375844910
• ISBN13: 9780375844911
• Release Date: June 2011
• Publisher: Yearling Books
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.1" x 7.6"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Great things Happening in KY

This is a wonderful book for all Middle level students and older folks as well, about two remarkable characters who grow up in entirely different cirumstances. Yet, they have many of the same hopes and dreams. You fall in love with these characters and don't want to let them go at the end of the book. You really would like to know if they stay friends and go on to the University of KY together as they grow up. Could a sequel be out there? This is a very uplifting story for all teens, especially the teens of Kentucky from where I taught middle level education for twenty-seven years.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

FAITH, HOPE, AND IVY JUNE is about two girls from totally different places and backgrounds who participate in a student exchange program. Although both girls are from Kentucky, one is from the bustling city of Lexington and the other is from the mountains. Ivy June is excited about her upcoming trip to spend two weeks with Catherine in Lexington, Kentucky. The exchange program was organized by their schools, and Ivy June was encouraged to apply by her family, especially her grandparents. Her name was chosen from among six names thrown into a coffee can. Although she is excited about the adventure, she worries about fitting in in the big city. She knows Catherine will no doubt live in a fancy house with indoor plumbing which will be a welcome change, but Ivy June doesn't want to end up coming back home wishing for a different life. She has been living with her grandparents for some time now. It was just getting too crowded over at her old house. She's just a short walk from her ma and pa, but being the only child living with her grandparents and her 100-year-old great-grandmother has given her more of a sense of belonging and love then she ever had at home. The idea of the exchange program is for Ivy June to stay with Catherine for two weeks. She is to attend Catherine's private school for one week, and then enjoy a week of sight-seeing during Catherine's spring break. After a week back in the mountains, Catherine is scheduled to visit Ivy June for two weeks. Both girls might be in seventh grade, but that's about where the similarities in lifestyle end. How will they get along? Can they each adjust to the vastly different economic conditions and completely different family structures they will encounter? And how will they hold up in any serious situations that might develop during their visits? Prolific children's author Phyllis Reynolds Naylor is at her best in FAITH, HOPE, AND IVY JUNE. She masterfully creates two totally opposite worlds in which Ivy June and Catherine come together as friends who learn to recognize the uniqueness that surrounds each of them. Using journal entries written by both girls, Naylor reveals their excitement, nervousness, and frustration as they meet and live each other's lives. Readers will experience humor, controversy, suspense, and love as Ivy June and Catherine's adventure unfolds. Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

A rich story of an unusual friendship

Two Kentucky girls are participating in their schools' seventh-grade student exchange program, leaving home for two weeks to live and attend classes with the other and record experiences in a journal. Two very different worlds - the mountain home of Ivy June and the large, richer house of Catherine - intersect and join the girls with similarities and differences in this rich story of an unusual friendship.

Great Middle Grade Book

FAITH, HOPE, AND IVY JUNE by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor is a marvelous book for middle-graders. I had high expectations for this book because Ms. Naylor has written so many fantastic books for young people including the Newberry Award winning novel SHILOH; and I am so happy to say that I wasn't disappointed. FAITH, HOPE, AND IVY JUNE is just one of those books that will stay with you for a long time after you've finished reading it. The story, the characters, and the lessons in this story are all extremely memorable. FAITH, HOPE, AND IVY JUNE is already receiving awards -- it is the winner of the Kid's Indie Next List "Inspired Recommendations for Kids from Indie Booksellers." As far as I'm concerned, there should be many more awards coming in the next few months. This book not only told a very good story, but it also had terrific characters who learned so many important life lessons. I think one of the reasons that I enjoyed this story so much was because I could somewhat relate to it. As a child, I never participated in an exchange program, but I did attend a lot of new schools because my family moved so often. I could understand both of the girls' fears and insecurities about entering new and very different environments. Another way that I could relate to this book was because it pertained to coal mines. My family comes from a line of coal miners who live in Western Pennsylvania. I enjoyed reading about life in the coal mines and how incredibly risky and difficult a coal miner's job is. If I put on my "mother" hat (instead of just my "reader" hat), I have to say that the lessons in this book were wonderful. I truly think that children who read this book can't help but think about Catherine and Ivy June and all of the things they learned through their experiences with each other. I thought this book had so many valuable points about friendship. While both Catherine and Ivy Jean seemed to be nothing alike on the outside, they realized that they were actually kind of similar. Rather than focusing on how different they were, they decided to appreciate each other's differences and find the things they had in common. I also think they gained some self-confidence and learned a great deal about themselves because they realized that they could adapt to other environments and that they had certain things about their lives that made them pretty special. Another meaningful lesson that was apparent in this book (especially in the times of crisis) was that the girls discovered the importance of their families and friends. I think FAITH, HOPE, AND IVY JUNE would make a perfect pick for our Mother Daughter book club. I also recommend it as a potential discussion book for the classroom. There is a teacher's guide available which would help facilitate the conversation; but even without it, there is a ton to talk about concerning this story. I actually would like to see my daughter and her friends read and discuss this book because I think there are so many val

Faith, Hope, and Ivy June

Two schools, two families, two girls, and two ways of life. The mountain girl Ivy June is chosen for a program in which a girl from the mountains of Harlan goes to live with a girl from Lexington, Ky. Both girls experience a way of life that they couldn't imagine. Unexpected events such as a family member having heart surgery and a mining cave in makes the girls appreciate each other. The language of the mountains rings true. This story is one of the best I have read this season.