Tania's Trolls - Hardcover

Peters, Lisa Westberg

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1559700408 ISBN 13: 9781559700405

Publisher: Little Brown & Co, 1989

Synopsis

A formidable grandmother helps young Tania overcome her stage fright.

About this title

From School Library Journal:

Grade 4-6-- Nervous about the spring piano recital in which she is to play Greig's "In the Hall of the Mountain King," Tania looks forward to a visit from her grandmother, her first piano teacher. But when she arrives, Grandmother seems distant and critical, no longer the reassuring refuge Tania remembers. As she prepares for the recital during the week, Tania learns new things about her grandmother and, more importantly, about herself. Despite its brevity, the story has a quiet intensity generated by the conflict between the well-realized characters of Tania and her grandmother. Peters writes of those things that are passed between generations, and those that readers must learn for themselves. The troll motif is used skillfully to echo the theme of the story. The trolls in Greig's music remind Tania of the stories her grandmother used to tell her; they also play their part in symbolizing for her the struggle she must go through and the emotions she feels as she plays the piano. This warm, easily read family story moves forward in a mixture of action, introspection, and humor to a satisfying conclusion. Wooding's shaded black-and-white pencil illustrations reinforce the mood of the story while adding a further dimension to Peters' characterizations. --Ruth S. Vose, San Francisco Pub . Lib .
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly:

"Now, now, Tania, everything will be all right." How Tania longs to hear these reassuring words from her beloved Grandma Inga, but the old cantankerous figure who arrives for a visit is not the cozily comforting grandmother Tania remembers. Tania is nervously facing a piano recital, and the the girl's stage fright is only made worse by the continued performing ease and confidence of Grandma Inga, Tania's first music teacher; Grandma even plays for a family gathering with her eyes closed. The girl's listless playing at the dress rehearsal draws criticism from her Grandma, along with--more surprisingly--an admission of failed hopes. A midnight performance by Grandma Inga triggers recollections from the woman; bolstered by a new sense of understanding, Tania confronts her trolls--and wins--in a spirited recital performance. Peters's first novel tackles some familiar themes with freshness and a keen sense of understanding; the shifting perceptions between young people and their elders is touchingly handled without becoming maudlin. Her story's many provocative ideas will move and enrich young readers. Ages 7-9.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Little Brown & Co
• Publication date: 1989
• ISBN 10: 1559700408
• ISBN 13: 9781559700405
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 56
• Illustrator: Wooding Sharon