Unsigned Valentine, The

Hurwitz, Johanna

ISBN 10: 0060560541 ISBN 13: 9780060560546

Publisher: HarperColl, 2006

Synopsis

At fifteen, Emma Meade is old enough for just about anything. Old enough to leave school, old enough to help around the farm, and old enough to notice when handsome Cole Berry takes an interest in her.

But is fifteen old enough to fall in love? Emma's father doesn't think so, and when Cole starts spending time with her, Papa forbids Emma to see him again. Will Cole wait for Emma to get older? Or will he turn his attentions elsewhere?

This heartwarming story by Johanna Hurwitz transports readers to the countryside of Vermont in 1911, where the Meade family battles harsh weather, and weathers good and bad times together. Old friends of Emma's -- who met her in Faraway Summer -- will be delighted to read more about her life, while new friends will relish this warm, genuine romance with all their hearts.

About this title

About the Author:

Johanna Hurwitz is the award-winning author of more than sixty popular books for young readers, including Faraway Summer; Dear Emma; Elisa Michaels, Bigger & Better; Class Clown; Fourth-Grade Fuss; and Rip-Roaring Russell, an American Library Association Notable Book. Her work has won many child-chosen state awards. A former school librarian, she frequently visits schools around the country to talk about her books. Mrs. Hurwitz and her husband divide their time between Great Neck, New York, and Wilmington, Vermont.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 5-7–Emma Meade, first encountered in Faraway Summer (Morrow, 1998) and Dear Emma (HarperCollins, 2002), continues to share details of family life on a farm in Vermont. Her journal entries begin during a drought in September, 1911, when her father hires a dowser, and end the following April, around the time of the sinking of the Titanic. Emma likes her brother Eddie's handsome friend, Cole, but when he comes by the house with some cider, her father tells him that the 15-year-old is too young to be courted. Emma feels embarrassed, and worries that pretty Josie Wheeler will win Cole's affections. Then, during a February choir practice, Emma gets an unsigned valentine that she guesses is from Cole. In a conveniently exciting ending, he rescues her when she falls into the river during a flood. Azarian's small, serene woodcuts open each chapter, while local newspaper articles add interest. This entertaining novel can stand alone, and it is a good choice for readers who have graduated from the American Girl doll books (Pleasant Co).–Debbie Stewart Hoskins, Grand Rapids Public Library, MI
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About this edition

• Publisher: HarperColl
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0060560541
• ISBN 13: 9780060560546
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 167
• Illustrator: Azarian Mary