Part of Me - by Kimberly Willis Holt (Paperback)

About the Book

Tracing a family's roots is like taking a journey through the years. In the case of one Louisiana family, that journey can be charted by the books they read and loved. Holt introduces a Louisiana family: touching, lyrical, and always intriguing, their stories reveal the powerful connections between four generations.

Book Synopsis

My dream of becoming a writer is like a fallen leaf swept up by the wind--dancing inches from my reach, teasing, never letting me touch it. But somehow I hope that my life will have meaning one day.

The story begins in 1939 with Rose, who takes a job driving a bookmobile when she moves with her family from rural Texas to the Louisiana bayou. Two decades later, Merle Henry, Rose's son, is more passionate about trapping mink than reading, although there is a place in his heart for Old Yeller. In 1973, Merle Henry's daughter, Annabeth, feels torn between reading fairy tales and a crush on her own real-life knight in shining armor. And in the present day, Annabeth's son, Kyle, finds himself in a bind: he hates reading, but the only summer job he can get is at the library. Touching, lyrical, and always intriguing, this family's story reveals how a love of books creates a powerful bond that spans generations.

Part of Me is a 2007 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Review Quotes

"* [An] atmospheric novel. . . . Economical, evocative prose reflects the leisurely pace of Southern living and movingly conveys family tensions, family love, and the power of stories to bring generations together." --Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

"[An] affectionate multigenerational portrait. . . . Homespun dialogue and descriptive language . . . add to the narrative's comfortable charm. A thoughtful study of how everyday life may have twists and turns but can still take us where we want to go." --The Horn Book

"Holt sketches a broad range of characters with verve and sensitivity." --Booklist

"Lyrical . . . Holt once again excels at creating character and an evocative sense of place." --School Library Journal

"[A] lyrical, touching saga." --Voice of Youth Advocates

"There is drama, humor, rebellion, despair--but understated for the most part, quietly moving the reader." --KLIATT

About the Author

Kimberly Willis Holt is the author of the many award-winning novels for young adults and children, including The Water Seeker, My Louisiana Sky, Keeper of the Night, and When Zachary Beaver Came to Town, winner of a National Book Award for Young People's Literature. She is also the author of the bestselling Piper Reed series of chapter books, and picture books including Waiting for Gregory and Skinny Brown Dog. Holt was born in Pensacola, Florida, and lived all over the U.S. and the world--from Paris to Norfolk to Guam to New Orleans. She long dreamed of being a writer, but first worked as a radio news director, marketed a water park, and was an interior decorator, among other jobs. She lives in West Texas with her family.