Penny from Heaven (Paperback) by Jennifer L. Holm

About the Book

As she turns twelve during the summer of 1953, Penny gains new insights into herself and her family while also learning a secret about her father's death.

Book Synopsis

Newbery Honor-winning, New York Times-bestselling, and as full of fun and adventure as it is of deeper family issues--now with striking new cover art!

School's out for summer, and Penny and her cousin Frankie have big plans to eat lots of butter pecan ice cream, swim at the local pool, and cheer on their favorite baseball team--the Brooklyn Dodgers! But sometimes things don't go according to plan. Penny's mom doesn't want her to swim because she's afraid Penny will get polio. Frankie is constantly getting into trouble, and Penny feels caught between the two sides of her family. But even if the summer doesn't exactly start as planned . . . things can work out in the most unexpected ways!

Set just after World War II, this thought-provoking novel also highlights the prejudice Penny's Italian American family must confront because people of Italian descent were "the enemy" not long ago.

Inspired by three-time Newbery Honor winner Jennifer Holm's own Italian American family, Penny from Heaven is a story about families--about the things that tear them apart and the things that bring them back together.

Includes an author's note with photographs and background on World War II, internment camps, and 1950s America, as well as additional resources and websites.

Holm's deft storytelling is at once rosy, rounded, and realistic. --San Francisco Chronicle

Review Quotes

Penny and her world are clearly drawn and eminently believable.--School Library Journal

Holm impressively wraps pathos with comedy in this coming-of-age story, populated by a cast of vivid characters.--Booklist

Penny's present-tense narration is both earthy and observant, and her commentary on her families' eccentricities sparkles.--Kirkus Reviews

About The Author

Jennifer L. Holm is the New York Times bestselling children's author of The Fourteenth Goldfish and, with her brother Matthew Holm, Sunny Side Up. She is the recipient of three Newbery Honors for her novels Our Only May Amelia, Penny from Heaven, and Turtle in Paradise. Her latest novel, Full of Beans, is a companion to Turtle in Paradise and stars Turtle's cousin Beans. Jennifer also collaborates with Matthew on three graphic novel series--the Eisner Award-winning Babymouse series, the bestselling Squish series, and My First Comics. Jenni lives in California. You can visit her on the Web at jenniferholm.com or follow her on twitter at @jenniholm.