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Penny from Heaven

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Penny from Heaven

By: Jennifer L. Holm
Narrated by: Amber Sealey
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About this listen

 It's 1953 and 11-year-old Penny dreams of a summer of butter pecan ice cream, swimming, and baseball. But nothing's that easy in Penny's family. For starters, she can't go swimming because her mother's afraid she'll catch polio at the pool. To make matters worse, her favorite uncle is living in a car. Her Nonny cries every time her father's name is mentioned. And the two sides of her family aren?t speaking to each other!

Inspired by Newbery Honor winner Jennifer Holm's own Italian American family, Penny from Heaven is a shining story about the everyday and the extraordinary, about a time in America's history, not all that long ago, when being Italian meant that you were the enemy. But most of all, it's a story about families: about the things that tear them apart and bring them together. And Holm tells it with all the richness and the layers, the love and the laughter of a Sunday dinner at Nonny's. So pull up a chair and enjoy the feast! Buon appetito!

©2006 Jennifer L. Holm (P)2006 Random House Inc. Classics Fiction Geography & Cultures Growing Up Growing Up & Facts of Life Historical Fiction Literature & Fiction Multigenerational Family Discrimination Primary Education Swimming Italy

Critic Reviews

  • Newbery Honor award winner

"This languidly paced novel will appeal most to readers who appreciate gentle, episodic tales with a nostalgic flavor." (Booklist)
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