The Warden's Daughter - by Jerry Spinelli (Paperback)

About the Book

Cammie mother died saving her from harm when she was just a baby. Now, on the eve of her 13th birthday, the thing Cammie most wants is a mom. A prison may not be the best place to search for a mother, but Cammie is determined in this novel by Newbery Medalist Spinelli.

Book Synopsis

From Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli comes the story of a girl searching for happiness inside the walls of a prison. And don't miss the author's highly anticipated new novel, Dead Wednesday!

Cammie O'Reilly lives at the Hancock County Prison--not as a prisoner, she's the warden's daughter. She spends the mornings hanging out with shoplifters and reformed arsonists in the women's excercise yard, which gives Cammie a certain cache with her school friends.

But even though Cammie's free to leave the prison, she's still stuck. And sad, and really mad. Her mother died saving her from harm when she was just a baby. You wouldn't think you could miss something you never had, but on the eve of her thirteenth birthday, the thing Cammie most wants is a mom. A prison might not be the best place to search for a mother, but Cammie is determined and she's willing to work with what she's got.

"A tapestry of grief and redemption, woven by a master storyteller ....Moving and memorable." --Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

Review Quotes

"This book is never boring and never predictable. Fame, good and bad fortune, friendship and mental illness all make their way into [Cammie's] narrative."--The New York Times Book Review

"Spinelli again shows his mastery at evoking a particular time and place while delving into the heart of a troubled adolescent..."-- Publishers Weekly, starred review

"The prison community is a powerful backdrop for Cammie's turbulent coming of age, populated with messy lives that brighten in Cammie's presence but that have their own demons to tame." -- Bulletin, starred review

"Jerry Spinelli again proves why he's the king of storytellers." -- Shelf Awareness, starred review

"This is a story about facing hard truths and growing up. Readers will love the details of having a prison compound for a home and adore the many secondary characters who help keep Cammie's head above water during her desperate search for happiness." -- Booklist

"Spinelli's gift for humorous chaos and his trademark magic realism touches are showcased here, and it is exhilarating to read about kids with so much urban freedom." -- The Horn Book

"Character development and realistic dialogue shine in this emotional historical fiction title. Spinelli's characters are achingly real."--School Library Journal

About the Author

JERRY SPINELLI is the author of many novels for young readers, including Dead Wednesday, The Warden's Daughter; Stargirl; Love, Stargirl; Milkweed; Crash; Wringer; and Maniac Magee, winner of the Newbery Medal; along with Knots in My Yo-Yo String, the autobiography of his childhood. A graduate of Gettysburg College, he lives in Pennsylvania with his wife, poet and author Eileen Spinelli.