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"Fifth-grader Trina, who has never lived anywhere long enough to call home, is excited about moving into Goldenrod, an abandoned mansion, with her dad. But soon Goldenrod brings its secrets to her attention, including a forgotten doll, leaving Trina wondering what the old house wants from her"--
When I spotted The Secret of Goldenrod in a library display, I was attracted by the Victorian house on the cover. The information on the front flap sounded good, so I checked it out. I'm glad I did.
Trina Maxwell is a 5th grader who has spent most of her life moving around. Her father is a carpenter who restores houses. Her mother left eight years ago. Trina treasures the postcards her mom sends her from around the world.
The current project, the restoration of a Victorian house named 'Goldenrod,' could take as long as a year. Trina is looking forward to spending an entire school year in the same school. (This former Air Force brat sympathizes.) She's also looking forward to living at Goldenrod.
Trina's enthusiasm for the house dies when she sees it. It seems spooky. Her enthusiasm for going to school in New Royal, Iowa, dies when she meets her classmates, especially mean girl Charlotte. The school is having Trina be called by her real name, 'Citrine '. Charlotte uses a rhyming word to give her a hateful nickname.
Although 'Poppo' tells Trina there is no such thing as a haunted house, the folks in New Royal believe that Goldenrod is haunted. Her classmates don't believe that Trina is actually living there. After all, New Royal kids have been trying to spend the night at Goldenrod since old Miss Kitty of the Cat's Meow diner was a kid. No one ever made it through the entire night. (Trina learns this after spending her first, hardly restful night there.)
Then Trina finds her way into the house's turret room. There she discovers a shabby dollhouse with one little porcelain doll in it. I loved it when the doll starts talking to Trina. It's August, so the doll is dubbed 'Augustine'.
Trina not only helps her father restore the main house, she works on restoring the doll house to its former splendor. Trina's efforts to find out more about the family who first owned Goldenrod and their little girl, Annie, who owned Augustine, take her to the New Royal Public Library. There librarian Peter Kinghorn answers some of her questions. It's a sad story. Poor Annie was born before an effective vaccine was widely available.
I didn't know why the house was almost completely empty when the Maxwells got there. What happened to the furnishings and how they come back is a running subplot. I'm particularly impressed by the large and heavy dining room table's disappearance.
Another subplot is Augustine's obsession with fairy tales. She wants to find her prince. This leads to a tense and comic scene at school.
I think it's interesting that citrine, which is one of what used to be called semi precious gemstones, is often golden colored. If you believe that crystals have power, the powers claimed for citrine are certainly what Trina needs. Trina may have her own needs, but she also has the feeling that Goldenrod needs her. If only she could figure out what the house is trying to tell her.
Whether or not the house is haunted seems to be answered one stormy evening after Trina and her father have a very big quarrel. Mike Maxwell meant it for the best, but Trina doesn't feel that way. I don't blame her for that, either.
Various mysteries get solved, Augustine is pleased, and Trina finds some of her wishes coming true in a story that I would have loved to have read when I was the target age (8 - 12), and still loved reading although I'm 63.
Notes:
Chapter 1 Mentions:: Rapunzel and Davenport, Iowa,
Chapter 6: Mr. Hank of Hank's Tool and Lumber brings a surprise.
Chapter 7:
a. Trina first reads to Augustine.
b. Trina trips over a discovery.
c. We get some of Goldenrod's history.
Mention: Briar Rose
Chapter 8:
a. Trina visits the New Royal Public Library and meets librarian Peter Kinghorn.
b. The town newspaper is the 'New Royal Register'.
c. We learn more about why the residents of New Royal consider Goldenrod the cause of their bad luck.
d. Mr. Kinghorn was the first and only person to be kicked out of the Dare club.
Mentions: diphtheria, Great Expectations, The Jungle Book, The Thousand and One Nights (also known as The Arabian Nights), and Aesop's Fables
Chapter 9:
a. 'Shone' is for light and reflections of light when they aren't the object. 'Shined' is used if some one has been shining something. When Trina polished the dollhouse banister, it shone, not shined.
b. Augustine talks about her missing parents.
c. Trina and Augustine visit the attic.
Mention: Snow White
Chapter 10: Tina looks in a photo album.
Chapter 12 Trina makes goldenrod tea.:
Mentions: ''Farmer's Almanac' and Antarctica
Chapter 13: Miss Dale visits Goldenrod.
Chapter 14:
a. Trina takes Augustine to school.
b. We meet Prince the bullfrog.
Mentions: the Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Louvre
Chapter 16: Trina puts two and two together.
Mentions: the Taj Mahal, India, the Pacific Ocean, Africa, Timbuktu, Eiffel Tower, the Gingerbread Man, Colorado, Oregon
Chapter 17: Charlotte and Edward decide to verify.
Chapter 19: Augustine gives wise advice.
Chapter 20: Trina's dad talks about her mom.
Mentions: Lake Michigan, New York, Los Angeles
Chapter 21: Ahem -- a tomato costume would could be used to go as one from the 1978 movie 'Attack of the Killer Tomatoes' or its 1990-1991 cartoon spinoff with the same title.
Mentions: Princess Leia, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Cinderella, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Robin Hood, Hermione Granger, Harry Potter,
Chapter 22: Look here for prospective names for softball teams
Chapter 23 Mention: St. Louis, Missouri
Chapter 24:
a. Augustine has a big request.
b. It was the witches of the North and South who were good in the first Oz book.
c. Clarence the Angel is from that lovely movie, 'It's a Wonderful Life'.
d. Sherlock Holmes' deerstalker cap-wearing was started in 1891 by his illustrator, Sidney Paget, not his author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, so a top hot is fine.
c. 'Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms' is the song used in old Warner Brothers cartoons where a musical instrument is rigged to explode, but the intended victim keeps missing that note.
Mentions: Luke Skywalker, the Wicked Witch of the East, Dorothy [Gale], Pippi Longstocking, Little Bo Peep, King Kong, the Tin Woodsman, Paul Bunyan, Clarence the Angel, Mrs. Whatsit, Sherlock Holmes ( )
O’Reilly’s multilayered story is superbly presented. Loss, acceptance, coming together to accomplish goals, facing fears, and overcoming rejection are all bathed in the golden light that is the richness of living.
This solid middle-grade book shines with wisdom and compassion. (Fantasy. 8-12)
Información procedente del conocimiento común inglés.Edita para encontrar en tu idioma.
For Jack, Hudson, and Ella Jane
Primeras palabras
Información procedente del conocimiento común inglés.Edita para encontrar en tu idioma.
Trina pushed up the brim of her baseball cap and strained against her seat belt to look through the dusty, bug-smeared windshield.
Citas
Información procedente del conocimiento común inglés.Edita para encontrar en tu idioma.
[Trina and Augustine are talking about Trina having to return to school where Charlotte the bully has been giving Trina a hard time. Augustine thinks in terms of fairy tales.]
'Ah yes, I remember. The witch lives in the Land of School. You have stayed away many days, safe in the Land of Goldenrod. Are you afraid to return?'
Trina nodded, blinking away tears.
Augustine held out a little hand to her. 'I understand. Still, I believe you must return. I know of no good story where the maiden gives up. You must simply be brave and valiant.' (chapter 13)
Últimas palabras
Información procedente del conocimiento común inglés.Edita para encontrar en tu idioma.
Trina looked into Annie's sparkling blue eyes and smiled, 'They do if you're lucky enough to hear them.'
"Fifth-grader Trina, who has never lived anywhere long enough to call home, is excited about moving into Goldenrod, an abandoned mansion, with her dad. But soon Goldenrod brings its secrets to her attention, including a forgotten doll, leaving Trina wondering what the old house wants from her"--
)
Google Books — Cargando...
(3.88)
1
Trina Maxwell is a 5th grader who has spent most of her life moving around. Her father is a carpenter who restores houses. Her mother left eight years ago. Trina treasures the postcards her mom sends her from around the world.
The current project, the restoration of a Victorian house named 'Goldenrod,' could take as long as a year. Trina is looking forward to spending an entire school year in the same school. (This former Air Force brat sympathizes.) She's also looking forward to living at Goldenrod.
Trina's enthusiasm for the house dies when she sees it. It seems spooky. Her enthusiasm for going to school in New Royal, Iowa, dies when she meets her classmates, especially mean girl Charlotte. The school is having Trina be called by her real name, 'Citrine '. Charlotte uses a rhyming word to give her a hateful nickname.
Although 'Poppo' tells Trina there is no such thing as a haunted house, the folks in New Royal believe that Goldenrod is haunted. Her classmates don't believe that Trina is actually living there. After all, New Royal kids have been trying to spend the night at Goldenrod since old Miss Kitty of the Cat's Meow diner was a kid. No one ever made it through the entire night. (Trina learns this after spending her first, hardly restful night there.)
Then Trina finds her way into the house's turret room. There she discovers a shabby dollhouse with one little porcelain doll in it. I loved it when the doll starts talking to Trina. It's August, so the doll is dubbed 'Augustine'.
Trina not only helps her father restore the main house, she works on restoring the doll house to its former splendor. Trina's efforts to find out more about the family who first owned Goldenrod and their little girl, Annie, who owned Augustine, take her to the New Royal Public Library. There librarian Peter Kinghorn answers some of her questions. It's a sad story. Poor Annie was born before an effective vaccine was widely available.
I didn't know why the house was almost completely empty when the Maxwells got there. What happened to the furnishings and how they come back is a running subplot. I'm particularly impressed by the large and heavy dining room table's disappearance.
Another subplot is Augustine's obsession with fairy tales. She wants to find her prince. This leads to a tense and comic scene at school.
I think it's interesting that citrine, which is one of what used to be called semi precious gemstones, is often golden colored. If you believe that crystals have power, the powers claimed for citrine are certainly what Trina needs. Trina may have her own needs, but she also has the feeling that Goldenrod needs her. If only she could figure out what the house is trying to tell her.
Whether or not the house is haunted seems to be answered one stormy evening after Trina and her father have a very big quarrel. Mike Maxwell meant it for the best, but Trina doesn't feel that way. I don't blame her for that, either.
Various mysteries get solved, Augustine is pleased, and Trina finds some of her wishes coming true in a story that I would have loved to have read when I was the target age (8 - 12), and still loved reading although I'm 63.
Notes:
Chapter 1 Mentions:: Rapunzel and Davenport, Iowa,
Chapter 2 Mentions:: Goldilocks, Rocky Mountains, Lake Superior, Minnesota Twins, Seattle Mariners, Milwaukee Brewers, Colorado Rockies, Diamondbacks, Oregon, Crazy Eights, Portland,
Chapter 3:
a. New Royal's population is 397 people, according to their sign.
b. Some of the town buildings are named, including the Cat's Meow Diner.
c. Miss Kitty talks about 'The Dare' game.
Chapter 4:
a. It's Trina's first day at school.
b. We're introduced to her most important classmates.
Mentions:: Cedar Rapids, Santa Fe, the Grand Canyon, Arizona, New Mexico, and New Zealand,
Chapter 5 We meet Augustine.:
Mentions: Grimm's Fairy Tales, Wisconsin, Oregon, Paris, France;
Chapter 6: Mr. Hank of Hank's Tool and Lumber brings a surprise.
Chapter 7:
a. Trina first reads to Augustine.
b. Trina trips over a discovery.
c. We get some of Goldenrod's history.
Mention: Briar Rose
Chapter 8:
a. Trina visits the New Royal Public Library and meets librarian Peter Kinghorn.
b. The town newspaper is the 'New Royal Register'.
c. We learn more about why the residents of New Royal consider Goldenrod the cause of their bad luck.
d. Mr. Kinghorn was the first and only person to be kicked out of the Dare club.
Mentions: diphtheria, Great Expectations, The Jungle Book, The Thousand and One Nights (also known as The Arabian Nights), and Aesop's Fables
Chapter 9:
a. 'Shone' is for light and reflections of light when they aren't the object. 'Shined' is used if some one has been shining something. When Trina polished the dollhouse banister, it shone, not shined.
b. Augustine talks about her missing parents.
c. Trina and Augustine visit the attic.
Mention: Snow White
Chapter 10: Tina looks in a photo album.
Chapter 12 Trina makes goldenrod tea.:
Mentions: ''Farmer's Almanac' and Antarctica
Chapter 13: Miss Dale visits Goldenrod.
Chapter 14:
a. Trina takes Augustine to school.
b. We meet Prince the bullfrog.
Mentions: the Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Louvre
Chapter 16: Trina puts two and two together.
Mentions: the Taj Mahal, India, the Pacific Ocean, Africa, Timbuktu, Eiffel Tower, the Gingerbread Man, Colorado, Oregon
Chapter 17: Charlotte and Edward decide to verify.
Chapter 19: Augustine gives wise advice.
Chapter 20: Trina's dad talks about her mom.
Mentions: Lake Michigan, New York, Los Angeles
Chapter 21: Ahem -- a tomato costume would could be used to go as one from the 1978 movie 'Attack of the Killer Tomatoes' or its 1990-1991 cartoon spinoff with the same title.
Mentions: Princess Leia, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Cinderella, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Robin Hood, Hermione Granger, Harry Potter,
Chapter 22: Look here for prospective names for softball teams
Chapter 23 Mention: St. Louis, Missouri
Chapter 24:
a. Augustine has a big request.
b. It was the witches of the North and South who were good in the first Oz book.
c. Clarence the Angel is from that lovely movie, 'It's a Wonderful Life'.
d. Sherlock Holmes' deerstalker cap-wearing was started in 1891 by his illustrator, Sidney Paget, not his author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, so a top hot is fine.
c. 'Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms' is the song used in old Warner Brothers cartoons where a musical instrument is rigged to explode, but the intended victim keeps missing that note.
Mentions: Luke Skywalker, the Wicked Witch of the East, Dorothy [Gale], Pippi Longstocking, Little Bo Peep, King Kong, the Tin Woodsman, Paul Bunyan, Clarence the Angel, Mrs. Whatsit, Sherlock Holmes (