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Gingersnap
It's 1944, W.W. II is raging. Jayna's big brother Rob is her only family. When Rob is called to duty on a destroyer, Jayna is left in their small town in upstate New York with their cranky landlady. But right before he leaves, Rob tells Jayna a they may have a grandmother in Brooklyn. Rob found a little blue recipe book with her name and an address for a bakery. When Jayna learns that Rob is missing in action, she's devastated. Along with her turtle Theresa, the recipe book, and an encouraging, ghostly voice as her guide, Jayna sets out for Brooklyn in hopes of finding the family she so desperately needs.
160 pages, Library Binding
First published January 1, 2013
35 people are currently reading
833 people want to read
About the author
Patricia Reilly Giff
211 books460 followersPatricia Reilly Giff was the author of many beloved books for children, including the Kids of the Polk Street School books, the Friends and Amigos books, and the Polka Dot Private Eye books. Several of her novels for older readers have been chosen as ALA-ALSC Notable Books and ALA-YALSA Best Books for Young Adults. They include The Gift of the Pirate Queen; All the Way Home; Water Street; Nory Ryan's Song, a Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Golden Kite Honor Book for Fiction; and the Newbery Honor Books Lily's Crossing and Pictures of Hollis Woods. Lily's Crossing was also chosen as a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 254 reviews
January 24, 2013
It is 1944 and Jayna's big brother Rob, the only family she has, is a cook in the Navy. Jayna and Rob were separated for years, placed in separate foster homes after the automobile deaths of their parents. But when Rob turned 18, he got custody of Jayna. Only now Rob has received his orders to report to his ship for deployment to the war in the Pacific. Rob have made arrangements for Jayna to stay with thier landlady Celine for the time he is away.
Rob may be a great cook, but Jayna has a way with making homemade soup that even he can beat. Could this be a family talent? The night before he leaves, Rob tells Jayna he found a small blue recipe book with a name and an address in Brooklyn.
When a dreaded telegram arrives with news that Rob is missing in action, Jayna decides to find the recipe book. Inside, there is a picture of a woman standing in from of a shop called Gingersnap, the same name her mother used called her, or so Rob claimed. Jayna didn't remember her parents, who were killed in a car accident when she was very young. Unhappy at Celine's and feeling very alone in the world, Jayna packs up a few things, including Theresa, the turtle she takes care of, and set off early one morning to find what she hopes might be an unknown grandmother named Elise.
Accompanying her on the trip to Brooklyn is a ghostly presence, or at least part of one, who wears Jayna's pink nail polish and can read her thoughts. But she wasn't much help when Jayna takes the wrong train and ends up in Coney Island. Leaving Theresa and her suitcase on the boardwalk, she goes down to the water's edge. And naturally, the suitcase with the recipe book is stolen. But Jayna remembers the address and, in distress, take the train to find the store with the name Gingersnap.
Yes, it is exactly where it was supposed to be. And there is a kindly looking elderly lady behind the counter. Mustering up her courage and encouraged by her ghost, Jayna walks into the store and no sooner is she standing in front of the lady when she knocks a wedding cake of the counter.
Ready to give up, Jayna runs out the store's back door and hides in the overgrown garden there, falling asleep. When she wakes up, she is hungry, miserable and stiff. To make matters worse, now Theresa is missing. But, seeing Elise in the back of the store making some dinner, Jayna shores up her courage and knocks on the door.
Will this kind lady be her grandmother? At last, a family member and a tie to her unknown parents?
Maybe, maybe not.
You can't go wrong when you pick up a book by Patricia Reilly Giff to read and Gingersnap is not exception. The plot may be a little predictable, but the characters are believable and basically kind and caring, which is always nice to see in a novel. WWII was a chaotic time and all kinds of things happened that caused children to become orphans, so it was nice to see Jayna's desire and determination to be part of a family.
I loved reading reading all the little details Giff included in Gingersnap, and especially about my hometown Brooklyn in the war. The lackadaisical attitudes about school and Elises's difficulties running a bakery with all the shortages due to rationing are the kinds of real life details that go into making good historical fiction.
My very favorite part of the book is Jayna's soup recipes that are scattered throughout. Depending on what is going on in her life, Jayna prepares soups like "Don't Think About it Soup" or "Feel Better Vegetable Soup."
And about that ghost - when you read Gingersnap I think you will agree that this is not really a true blue ghost story and there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for her presence.
This is a great book about food, family, hope and courage, and whether you are or are not a Patricia Reilly Giff fan, one you will want to read.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was borrowed from the Webster Branch of the NYPL
Rob may be a great cook, but Jayna has a way with making homemade soup that even he can beat. Could this be a family talent? The night before he leaves, Rob tells Jayna he found a small blue recipe book with a name and an address in Brooklyn.
When a dreaded telegram arrives with news that Rob is missing in action, Jayna decides to find the recipe book. Inside, there is a picture of a woman standing in from of a shop called Gingersnap, the same name her mother used called her, or so Rob claimed. Jayna didn't remember her parents, who were killed in a car accident when she was very young. Unhappy at Celine's and feeling very alone in the world, Jayna packs up a few things, including Theresa, the turtle she takes care of, and set off early one morning to find what she hopes might be an unknown grandmother named Elise.
Accompanying her on the trip to Brooklyn is a ghostly presence, or at least part of one, who wears Jayna's pink nail polish and can read her thoughts. But she wasn't much help when Jayna takes the wrong train and ends up in Coney Island. Leaving Theresa and her suitcase on the boardwalk, she goes down to the water's edge. And naturally, the suitcase with the recipe book is stolen. But Jayna remembers the address and, in distress, take the train to find the store with the name Gingersnap.
Yes, it is exactly where it was supposed to be. And there is a kindly looking elderly lady behind the counter. Mustering up her courage and encouraged by her ghost, Jayna walks into the store and no sooner is she standing in front of the lady when she knocks a wedding cake of the counter.
Ready to give up, Jayna runs out the store's back door and hides in the overgrown garden there, falling asleep. When she wakes up, she is hungry, miserable and stiff. To make matters worse, now Theresa is missing. But, seeing Elise in the back of the store making some dinner, Jayna shores up her courage and knocks on the door.
Will this kind lady be her grandmother? At last, a family member and a tie to her unknown parents?
Maybe, maybe not.
You can't go wrong when you pick up a book by Patricia Reilly Giff to read and Gingersnap is not exception. The plot may be a little predictable, but the characters are believable and basically kind and caring, which is always nice to see in a novel. WWII was a chaotic time and all kinds of things happened that caused children to become orphans, so it was nice to see Jayna's desire and determination to be part of a family.
I loved reading reading all the little details Giff included in Gingersnap, and especially about my hometown Brooklyn in the war. The lackadaisical attitudes about school and Elises's difficulties running a bakery with all the shortages due to rationing are the kinds of real life details that go into making good historical fiction.
My very favorite part of the book is Jayna's soup recipes that are scattered throughout. Depending on what is going on in her life, Jayna prepares soups like "Don't Think About it Soup" or "Feel Better Vegetable Soup."
And about that ghost - when you read Gingersnap I think you will agree that this is not really a true blue ghost story and there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for her presence.
This is a great book about food, family, hope and courage, and whether you are or are not a Patricia Reilly Giff fan, one you will want to read.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was borrowed from the Webster Branch of the NYPL
February 24, 2013
Initial reaction: Despite this being a very quick read and for a young audience, I had a very difficult time getting into this book. Not that I didn't appreciate the characters and the storyline, but it just didn't grab and hold me in several areas of the narrative. I'd like to explore more of the author's work, considering there were parts of this I did like, but overall, it didn't really leave an impression on me.
Full review:
I feel bad in penning this review because usually I love period fiction, I love YA and MG period fiction as well - but I'm not sure what to say about my experience reading "Gingersnap." The concept was great - about a young woman living in the 1940s. There are two distinct considerations here - one that "Gingersnap" (a.k.a. Jayna) is living with her landlord Celia after Jayna's brother Rob is sent off to war. Before he goes, he drops news that they may have a grandmother who's a cook and related to them, giving her a special blue cookbook. Jayna later learns that Rob may be MIA and sets off to Brooklyn to find her potential family because she feels like she needs to fill the void left from her brother's absence. She's helped along by a ghost who seems to have likenesses to her, but that ghost really didn't do much other than annoy me and could've been taken out of the story altogether for all the good that it did.
The narrative in "Gingersnap" didn't draw me in from the get-go and I had trouble following it, mainly because it felt so detached the whole time. It was like it moved from one plot point to the next with very little intimacy, even in such a brief piece. It was like a void of sorts. Sure the interactions between Jayna and her brother were cute to start, particularly aside from the stern, but well-meaning landlord, but I just couldn't find any point of identification with the main character, particularly in the moment when Jayna realizes that her brother's MIA - I would've thought it'd be given so much more weight than what it was. Even in works that focus mostly on slice of life and periodic elements, usually those have a richness in detail or periodic attention that allows you to immerse in the character's experiences or frame of mind. Here - it simply felt empty and didn't draw upon enough intimacy to count. I was very disappointed.
If there were elements that I did like about the book, the attention to cooking and the measure of that were intriguing and well presented, and the ending came across as sweet as well, but for a narrative that felt so sluggish even in its brevity for the majority of the book, I just couldn't love it as much as I wanted to.
Overall score: 2/5
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Random House BFYR.
Full review:
I feel bad in penning this review because usually I love period fiction, I love YA and MG period fiction as well - but I'm not sure what to say about my experience reading "Gingersnap." The concept was great - about a young woman living in the 1940s. There are two distinct considerations here - one that "Gingersnap" (a.k.a. Jayna) is living with her landlord Celia after Jayna's brother Rob is sent off to war. Before he goes, he drops news that they may have a grandmother who's a cook and related to them, giving her a special blue cookbook. Jayna later learns that Rob may be MIA and sets off to Brooklyn to find her potential family because she feels like she needs to fill the void left from her brother's absence. She's helped along by a ghost who seems to have likenesses to her, but that ghost really didn't do much other than annoy me and could've been taken out of the story altogether for all the good that it did.
The narrative in "Gingersnap" didn't draw me in from the get-go and I had trouble following it, mainly because it felt so detached the whole time. It was like it moved from one plot point to the next with very little intimacy, even in such a brief piece. It was like a void of sorts. Sure the interactions between Jayna and her brother were cute to start, particularly aside from the stern, but well-meaning landlord, but I just couldn't find any point of identification with the main character, particularly in the moment when Jayna realizes that her brother's MIA - I would've thought it'd be given so much more weight than what it was. Even in works that focus mostly on slice of life and periodic elements, usually those have a richness in detail or periodic attention that allows you to immerse in the character's experiences or frame of mind. Here - it simply felt empty and didn't draw upon enough intimacy to count. I was very disappointed.
If there were elements that I did like about the book, the attention to cooking and the measure of that were intriguing and well presented, and the ending came across as sweet as well, but for a narrative that felt so sluggish even in its brevity for the majority of the book, I just couldn't love it as much as I wanted to.
Overall score: 2/5
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Random House BFYR.
August 18, 2018
Added 8/14/18. (first published January 1st 2013.)
Read by Olivia Campbell
Category: Children’s Middle Grade Historical Books | Children’s Picture Books https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/bo...
This was a sweet story to listen to.
I would have preferred less recipes but that was part of the story.
The narrator was very good.
I finished listening on August 14, 2018.
Read by Olivia Campbell
Category: Children’s Middle Grade Historical Books | Children’s Picture Books https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/bo...
This was a sweet story to listen to.
I would have preferred less recipes but that was part of the story.
The narrator was very good.
I finished listening on August 14, 2018.
August 4, 2013
Jayna and her brother Rob have finally created a peaceful life after their parents were killed in a tragic accident. When Rob is shipped out on a Navy ship during World War II, a kindly but difficult neighbor takes Jayna in. During this time, Jayna cares for a turtle in her pond and seeks help from an evasive but occasionally helpful ghost. Based on a family cookbook and a small hint from her brother, Jayna decides to go to Brooklyn to search for a long-lost grandmother after she learns that Rob is missing in action. Once there, she finds Gingersnaps, the bakery, and convinces Elise to take her in. She plays with the neighborhood children, occasionally calling home for updates and caring for her turtle. Eventually she confesses to Elise that she believes she is her grandmother. Elise is really Madeline and started the bakery with Elise years ago; this particular plot point seemed really week and confusing to me -- why does Madeline use Elise's name? Finally, Rob is rescued and returns home, giving thanks to Jayna's ghosts encouragement.
There were several points that I didn't care for in the story. I didn't think that the voice was authentic. There was almost no slang in the story and the voice sounded fairly modern to me. I initially liked the idea of Jayna's friendly ghost helping her out and supporting her through a tough time but I ultimately found it just a distracting plot point. And finally, as I mentioned in my summary, I thought the Elise/Madeline name change up was strange and not explained very well.
Recommended for grades 4 - 6. This book will particularly appeal to readers interested in cooking and recipes. I also think that it will particularly attractive to student who dislike or get bogged down in historical fiction with more authenticity in language.
There were several points that I didn't care for in the story. I didn't think that the voice was authentic. There was almost no slang in the story and the voice sounded fairly modern to me. I initially liked the idea of Jayna's friendly ghost helping her out and supporting her through a tough time but I ultimately found it just a distracting plot point. And finally, as I mentioned in my summary, I thought the Elise/Madeline name change up was strange and not explained very well.
Recommended for grades 4 - 6. This book will particularly appeal to readers interested in cooking and recipes. I also think that it will particularly attractive to student who dislike or get bogged down in historical fiction with more authenticity in language.
February 24, 2017
Ok...this is a children's book and my daughters have advanced beyond this reading level...but I guess I have not. Pictures of Hollis Woods..Lily's Crossing...I loved reading these. When I read in a book review that Giff had a new book, I had to read it. I enjoyed reading Gingersnap. It was a good book, but it could have been a great book. Basically it is the story of a 10 year old girl who is in search of her grandmother, who may or may not exist. Jayna has one clue...a little recipe book. It is a similar storyline to "Bud, Not Buddy" and even to an extent "The Secret Life of Bees". Giff just did not develop the storyline. Conflicts and unknowns were resolved too quickly. It was enjoyable...and I do realize it is a children's book...but it could have been so much better with more story development.
March 10, 2013
Comforting like a bowl of hot soup on a cold blustery day. This is the story of what REALLY makes a family.
In this story that takes place near the end of World War II, Jayna knows little of her family, except for her older brother Rob who takes care of her. Her parents have passed away. When Rob is called up for Navy duty, Jayna decides to go on a search for other family members due to the insistent voice of a ghost who tells her to. Will Jayna find her real family? What discoveries will she make about what it means to REALLY be part of a family? Who is the ghost?
In this story that takes place near the end of World War II, Jayna knows little of her family, except for her older brother Rob who takes care of her. Her parents have passed away. When Rob is called up for Navy duty, Jayna decides to go on a search for other family members due to the insistent voice of a ghost who tells her to. Will Jayna find her real family? What discoveries will she make about what it means to REALLY be part of a family? Who is the ghost?
May 2, 2022
"Gingersnap" was such a quick, sweet book about WWII targeting young readers. Definitely age appropriate for the targeted age group. I truly enjoyed reading it even as an adult.
March 17, 2020
I am all for Historical Fiction, even a little helps me understand. Great read!
September 7, 2025
3.5- A relatively "light" (considering the War setting) but still informative read about life for children during WW2 in NYC. The main character, Jayna, is adjusting to life with her brother fighting on the Pacific Front (which I appreciated because so often the focus is on the European Theatre.)
May 1, 2013
Author: Patricia Reilly Giff
Published by: Wendy Lamb Books
Age Recommended: Children 10 +
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Book Blog For: GMTA
Rating: 5
Review:
"Gingersnap" by Patricia Reilly Giff was a very well written read that will give us some historical history that was going on during WWII. Along with this being a family read it does have some ghost issues. This author is a wonderful story teller being about to take you so a different time. This was during a time in history WWII when a brother (Rob)after becoming of age, had been taking care of his sister (Jayna) nicknamed 'Gingersnap.' Rob is called to duty and has to leave his dear sister who had once been in foster care, now in the care of a landlady, Celine. All was well until a tragedy happens to Rob's vessel sunk in the 'Battle of Okinawa' and once again Jayna is feeling alone. Jayna had been told by her brother about a 'cookbook' that had the name and address of a bakery called Gingersnap...so what will she do with this information? Is her brother alive and will they be united? Who is this owner of this bakery? What was the ghost all about? What's up with the soups..."Don't Think About it Soup" or "Feel Better Vegetable Soup." This is where I way you must pick up this good read to see what all is going to happen with Jayna. All of these questions will be answered from your read. The characters were all well developed and interesting.
"Gingersnap" was a wonderful read of 'family, hope, courage and food.' Would I recommend this read? Yes! Be ready to enjoy a excellent read.
Published by: Wendy Lamb Books
Age Recommended: Children 10 +
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Book Blog For: GMTA
Rating: 5
Review:
"Gingersnap" by Patricia Reilly Giff was a very well written read that will give us some historical history that was going on during WWII. Along with this being a family read it does have some ghost issues. This author is a wonderful story teller being about to take you so a different time. This was during a time in history WWII when a brother (Rob)after becoming of age, had been taking care of his sister (Jayna) nicknamed 'Gingersnap.' Rob is called to duty and has to leave his dear sister who had once been in foster care, now in the care of a landlady, Celine. All was well until a tragedy happens to Rob's vessel sunk in the 'Battle of Okinawa' and once again Jayna is feeling alone. Jayna had been told by her brother about a 'cookbook' that had the name and address of a bakery called Gingersnap...so what will she do with this information? Is her brother alive and will they be united? Who is this owner of this bakery? What was the ghost all about? What's up with the soups..."Don't Think About it Soup" or "Feel Better Vegetable Soup." This is where I way you must pick up this good read to see what all is going to happen with Jayna. All of these questions will be answered from your read. The characters were all well developed and interesting.
"Gingersnap" was a wonderful read of 'family, hope, courage and food.' Would I recommend this read? Yes! Be ready to enjoy a excellent read.
July 15, 2013
I listened to this one, and I think I might have liked it better if I had just read it. I really didn't like the narrator at all. They used a young reader, and I think an adult would have gotten the dialog, and especially the accent that one character is supposed to speak with, much better. Bummer - this sounded really good and I was excited to read it.
It's 1945 and Jayna is sent to live with their landlady when her brother is sent to war. Every since he turned 18, Rob has taken care of Jayna (their parents died when she was small and she was raised in foster homes until Rob came for her). Before he leaves, Rob tells Jayna that there is a box of their parents' things hidden in his closet. Just in case he doesn't come back, he wants Jayna to know where they are. She can't help herself from snooping, and in the box she finds a recipe book written in French, but with a name and address in Brooklyn. Could his person somehow be related to her? Jayna decides to find out.
It's 1945 and Jayna is sent to live with their landlady when her brother is sent to war. Every since he turned 18, Rob has taken care of Jayna (their parents died when she was small and she was raised in foster homes until Rob came for her). Before he leaves, Rob tells Jayna that there is a box of their parents' things hidden in his closet. Just in case he doesn't come back, he wants Jayna to know where they are. She can't help herself from snooping, and in the box she finds a recipe book written in French, but with a name and address in Brooklyn. Could his person somehow be related to her? Jayna decides to find out.
January 4, 2013
I loved this book. Patricia Reilly Giff is one of my favorite Children's author. It is a great historical fiction read about a girl named Jayna during the second world war. All she has left is her brother and he is sent off to fight in the war. She is left staying with the land lady. Right before her brother leaves he tells her about a box in his closet with a recipe book in it. The recipe book has a picture and an address of a person who could be their grandmother. Jayna starts seeing a ghost right before her brother leaves. The ghost helps to guide her as things change in Jayna's life leading her to find out more about herself and her family. If you are looking for an excellent World War II historical fiction, you would enjoy this book.
March 15, 2013
I love most of Giff's books, and I enjoyed reading another one of her historical fiction books (R My Name Is Rachel), but this one was really not that great. The ghost was pointless, and I'm still stuck over the fact that, at the beginning of the book, the brother mentions casually that he has a box of mementos, including information about a possible grandmother, in his closet. Hello, marvelous older brother, maybe we should have EXPLORED that possibility before we set off for war, leaving our orphaned little sister alone in the world?? The book just did not work.
June 19, 2013
I've been reading a lot of foodie books during my kitchen remodel. This historical fiction/ghost story qualifies. Gingersnap is a soup expert and her story is peppered with her soup recipes. This WWII home front story of a young girl suddenly alone when her brother is called to service will make a good booktalk for my 6th graders. The ghost element and longing for real family and the box turtle who needs a real home too will be an easy sell. The Brooklyn bakery setting is a bonus although I will probably have to remember to explain wartime rationing to the students. Running a bakery on limited sugar, butter and other extravagances during war time was not easy.
February 26, 2013
Jayna's big brother Rob is her only family so when he joins the Navy, she is left in the care of their cranky landlady. She has a clue to her past, however, in the hand-written recipe book that belonged to her mother. She sets off to find the bakery whose name and address are in the book, hoping to learn more about her family. The answers are not what she expects, but she does make connections with people who love her and her brother when he comes home from the War in the Pacific. I enjoyed the soup recipes that appear with each chapter, but I don't think the ghost added much.
July 3, 2013
I listened to the audio book of this WW II-era historical fiction novel for young readers. Orphaned Jayna (nickname:Gingersnap)is left with a landlady when her older brother, Rob, goes to war in the Pacific. Jayna is a masterful soup maker, like her mother & grandmother before her, and soup recipes fill the book. She locates a family friend who owns a bakery in Brooklyn (named Gingersnap!)with the help of a ghost. That plot device doesn't really work. But the characters and the history of the suffering of those on the home front make this a worthwhile read.
October 9, 2014
Benjamin Torres
9/29/14
Period 3/4
Gingersnap
Gingersnap was a great book. I gave it 3 stars because it had good details in the chapter, but sometimes in the end of a chapter, there was a cliff hanger. Also, the character was amazing, brave, and generous, but tells more about her. There is a ghost with her. Tell more about him/her. Was he/she helpful? Was he/she curious.
9/29/14
Period 3/4
Gingersnap
Gingersnap was a great book. I gave it 3 stars because it had good details in the chapter, but sometimes in the end of a chapter, there was a cliff hanger. Also, the character was amazing, brave, and generous, but tells more about her. There is a ghost with her. Tell more about him/her. Was he/she helpful? Was he/she curious.
May 12, 2017
This book is very sweet, short, and simple. Everything that happened had a purpose and there was no extra fluff.
I love the character of Jayna. I think it's obvious that she's young, but that she also grows and matures over the course of this tiny book. I love Elise and her bakery. I love Mr. Ohland and his pug. All the characters are simply drawn and it makes them very easy to understand. They all form a part of Jayna's new family.
I love the character of Jayna. I think it's obvious that she's young, but that she also grows and matures over the course of this tiny book. I love Elise and her bakery. I love Mr. Ohland and his pug. All the characters are simply drawn and it makes them very easy to understand. They all form a part of Jayna's new family.
November 11, 2015
Loved it!
December 9, 2018
This a nice audio book. A special salute to the young narrator, Olivia Campbell! She did an excellent job.
April 19, 2018
Jayna lives with her older brother, Rob, during the last years of WWII. After Rob is drafted to serve on the destroyer Muldoon, Jayna is sent to live with her landlady, Celine. However, a mysterious voice tells Jayna that she needs to go find a possible grandmother who runs a bakery in Brooklyn. Jayna runs away to Brooklyn with her turtle, Theresa, and finds that though the owner of the bakery may not be her grandmother, she can find her family after all. The text is interspersed with Jayna's soup recipes, with whimsical names like "Waiting" soup and "Hope" soup.
Gingersnap is an odd book; its primary problem is that there is really no conflict to drive the plot forward. There are many attempts at conflict: will her brother, Rob, return? Is Elise her actual grandmother? Who is the mysterious ghost girl giving her advice?
Unfortunately, none of these ever go anywhere. The reader is told almost immediately that Elise is not Jayna's grandmother, and the mysterious ghost is never really explained. Even the question of Rob returning never feels urgent or real. The comforting placidity of the plot assures readers that everything will work out happily, robbing the story of any real tension.
The characters feel two-dimensional - including one boy whose sole defining characteristic seems to be that he can mimic voices, which plays even less well in a novel - and though there is a lot of heart behind the novel, it just never coalesces into something real. Even within the characters themselves, there is no conflict. Rob is the perfect older brother, who adores his little sister and makes up fun in-jokes with her; Jayna feels as developed as film from a 1990s disposable camera; and the side characters exist solely to fill a niche in the story. The characters never fight or have serious issues they have to face. The children that Jayna befriends miss their father, but he returns safely and immediately becomes part of the jolly, happy family. The only spark of interest is when Andrew and Millie introduce Jayna to their mother, who has a few quips that are the only piece of life in a story that feels as alive as the paleontology wing of a museum. Jayna, the main character, has almost no characteristics other than a few half-hearted traits that are told to the reader, like that she is clumsy and likes school, but never shown or demonstrated in the story.
Even the ghost - arguably the most intriguing part of the plot - is underused and seemingly completely pointless. As New York Times reviewer Jerry Griswold points out, the ghost's sole purpose seems to be an external representation of Jayna's self-consciousness, though why Giff chose to do this instead of showing readers Jayna herself is never explained. The ghost simply stops coming at the end, to no apparent detriment to the story. The reader is forced wondering why the ghost was even included at all, other than as a convenient plot device for a trite, maudlin ending.
The constant references to how the war is going, radio serials, and food shortages do well to establish the period, but are either dramatically overwrought with paragraphs of Janyna constantly going back and forth with questions over whether Rob is alive or not, or oddly underwhelming, as when a character casually mentions the war in Germany is over. For such an important moment in the historical period in which the book is set, the feeling is oddly subdued and quickly passed over.
The interspersed recipes, which could have been a cute gimmick, are also under-realized. A few "joke" recipes, such as the stone soup, might have gone over better had the actual recipes been written so that readers could actually make them, but they lack measurements or realistic cooking times (no boiled potatoes are ready in twenty minutes). Even that gimmick feels as pointless as the ghost subplot.
The book in general feels rushed; conflict is quickly resolved, defining moments are half-hearted and overly restrained, and the characters never feel fully realized. Young adults, and even children, are able to handle much more than authors give them credit for: abused children, brothers who do not return home from war, characters who are tested and tried by real trials, and more can be drawn without offending children's sensibilities. Young adults can also handle a realistic, bittersweet ending. If the story had ended with Rob never returning home, but Jayna experiencing grief and making peace with her newfound family, Gingersnap may have risen beyond a mediocre, bland story about bland characters, but sadly, it never rises to that level.
Gingersnap is a rushed story with no real plot conflict, paper doll characters, and nothing to anchor it to a reader's memory once it ends. The author's lack of faith in the reader manifests in the happy endings for everybody with no moments of genuine uncertainty. The only thing to be said for it is the brushstrokes of the time period paint a convincing portrait, though they are often overdone and as rushed as the rest of the novel. Gingersnap is a miss in nearly every way.
Gingersnap is an odd book; its primary problem is that there is really no conflict to drive the plot forward. There are many attempts at conflict: will her brother, Rob, return? Is Elise her actual grandmother? Who is the mysterious ghost girl giving her advice?
Unfortunately, none of these ever go anywhere. The reader is told almost immediately that Elise is not Jayna's grandmother, and the mysterious ghost is never really explained. Even the question of Rob returning never feels urgent or real. The comforting placidity of the plot assures readers that everything will work out happily, robbing the story of any real tension.
The characters feel two-dimensional - including one boy whose sole defining characteristic seems to be that he can mimic voices, which plays even less well in a novel - and though there is a lot of heart behind the novel, it just never coalesces into something real. Even within the characters themselves, there is no conflict. Rob is the perfect older brother, who adores his little sister and makes up fun in-jokes with her; Jayna feels as developed as film from a 1990s disposable camera; and the side characters exist solely to fill a niche in the story. The characters never fight or have serious issues they have to face. The children that Jayna befriends miss their father, but he returns safely and immediately becomes part of the jolly, happy family. The only spark of interest is when Andrew and Millie introduce Jayna to their mother, who has a few quips that are the only piece of life in a story that feels as alive as the paleontology wing of a museum. Jayna, the main character, has almost no characteristics other than a few half-hearted traits that are told to the reader, like that she is clumsy and likes school, but never shown or demonstrated in the story.
Even the ghost - arguably the most intriguing part of the plot - is underused and seemingly completely pointless. As New York Times reviewer Jerry Griswold points out, the ghost's sole purpose seems to be an external representation of Jayna's self-consciousness, though why Giff chose to do this instead of showing readers Jayna herself is never explained. The ghost simply stops coming at the end, to no apparent detriment to the story. The reader is forced wondering why the ghost was even included at all, other than as a convenient plot device for a trite, maudlin ending.
The constant references to how the war is going, radio serials, and food shortages do well to establish the period, but are either dramatically overwrought with paragraphs of Janyna constantly going back and forth with questions over whether Rob is alive or not, or oddly underwhelming, as when a character casually mentions the war in Germany is over. For such an important moment in the historical period in which the book is set, the feeling is oddly subdued and quickly passed over.
The interspersed recipes, which could have been a cute gimmick, are also under-realized. A few "joke" recipes, such as the stone soup, might have gone over better had the actual recipes been written so that readers could actually make them, but they lack measurements or realistic cooking times (no boiled potatoes are ready in twenty minutes). Even that gimmick feels as pointless as the ghost subplot.
The book in general feels rushed; conflict is quickly resolved, defining moments are half-hearted and overly restrained, and the characters never feel fully realized. Young adults, and even children, are able to handle much more than authors give them credit for: abused children, brothers who do not return home from war, characters who are tested and tried by real trials, and more can be drawn without offending children's sensibilities. Young adults can also handle a realistic, bittersweet ending. If the story had ended with Rob never returning home, but Jayna experiencing grief and making peace with her newfound family, Gingersnap may have risen beyond a mediocre, bland story about bland characters, but sadly, it never rises to that level.
Gingersnap is a rushed story with no real plot conflict, paper doll characters, and nothing to anchor it to a reader's memory once it ends. The author's lack of faith in the reader manifests in the happy endings for everybody with no moments of genuine uncertainty. The only thing to be said for it is the brushstrokes of the time period paint a convincing portrait, though they are often overdone and as rushed as the rest of the novel. Gingersnap is a miss in nearly every way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2017
I love much of Reilly Giff's other work, and I expected to love this, as it had all of the elements that usually pull me into historical fiction - a family mystery, a compelling setting - but it was all too unbelievable to pull me in, emotionally. Everything seemed so impossibly easy and so emotionally blank. Like, you're an orphan and your only relative is going off to war, and you're hungry for any tidbit of information about your dead parents, and your brother mentions that he has a book that may or may not lead you to a grandmother and you....just...shrug and do nothing? How would she not have jumped out of her seat and run to the book immediately? And then there is a ghost...a ghost who tells you everywhere to go, everything to do, everything that will happen, but who is the ghost? What are her motivations? There is no backstory on the ghost, no clue as to why the ghost knows so much about what will happen but doesn't know about the most important question, whether her brother is dead or alive?
Then there are the impossible elements that are just presented as casual fact...that Jayna , that the woman in the bakery , that the recipe book . It all just happened too easily, with no real hardship felt along the way. I know the central hardship was losing her family and not knowing her brother's fate, but even that felt emotionally hollow. And then out of nowhere (because of the turtle?) Jayna ...it just felt like the ending was dropped in the reader's lap.
I did love the weaving of the recipes throughout the book and all of the WWII period details. It was a quick and enjoyable read, if not an emotionally resonant one.
Then there are the impossible elements that are just presented as casual fact...that Jayna , that the woman in the bakery , that the recipe book . It all just happened too easily, with no real hardship felt along the way. I know the central hardship was losing her family and not knowing her brother's fate, but even that felt emotionally hollow. And then out of nowhere (because of the turtle?) Jayna ...it just felt like the ending was dropped in the reader's lap.
I did love the weaving of the recipes throughout the book and all of the WWII period details. It was a quick and enjoyable read, if not an emotionally resonant one.
January 8, 2020
This is my least favorite of the P. Reilly Giff books I have read thus far. It is not bad but not as well written as the others. I like the soup recipes throughout and I like Giff’s focus on family and finding family and being a family in her books. The ghost part? Not my thing. I didn’t think it added much to the book. I do understand though, that whether you think it was a ghost or not (I think it was her own self that she was contending with), we all find ways to make sense of and endure difficult or new situations and that was hers. And when it was resolved, she no longer needed it anymore—like a child’s imaginary friend. Not a bad concept to discuss with children or teenagers who are reading this book.
I did listen to this on audiobook and perhaps the other reason why I didn’t enjoy it as much was the narrator. She was difficult to listen to and somewhat abrasive in my opinion.
I did listen to this on audiobook and perhaps the other reason why I didn’t enjoy it as much was the narrator. She was difficult to listen to and somewhat abrasive in my opinion.
December 28, 2022
Historical fiction with a touch of the supernatural. I didn't mind the ghost-functioning-as-guardian-angel character in this novel, but I didn't find this element the most compelling part of the plot. This book feels to me like a mashup of Penny from Heaven and Everything on a Waffle, but not quite as good as either of them. Jayna's brother, her only family, is deployed into the Pacific during the last months of WWII. When he goes missing in action, Jayna is prompted by a ghostly visitor to go looking for a woman who may be her long lost grandmother. I enjoyed the historical backdrop of this book, and I loved the addition of the soup recipes Jayna creates. Unfortunately, the ghostly visitor feels more like a plot device to me than a key part of the story. On the whole, it's still a fun middle grade read with some memorable characters and some recipes I'd like to try. :D
July 4, 2020
This book was a bit too juvenile for me (I'm an adult with no children, but I generally enjoy juvenile books). It could be a good book for young readers to give them a sense of what life was like for kids during World War II on the home front. The story was a bit too simplistic for me (but it's probably fine for kids) and everything worked out easily and well in the end. I was a bit perplexed with the soup recipes. It's neat to encourage kids to cook, however the recipes were very simple and didn't explain terms such as "meat stock." So, I think it would be hard for a kid to understand what was required. I listened to the audiobook so it could be that they just didn't translate too well to audio. If I read them in the actual book, they may have made more sense.
May 25, 2017
Needed a new audio, so I picked a book with a turtle in it, since the day I began it was World Turtle Day. I also have enjoyed the other works I have read by Giff, and looked forward to this. Not disappointed. There is a feel to her books that makes one just feel good. (Not sure how else to describe that.) I liked the characters. I liked "the ghost." Had theories on that, but none were answered. I suppose she wanted to leave it to reader interpretation. Amazing so much could be packed in so short a book. But lots of growth and discovery and great portrayal of human nature that can be at its best even when things were scary and unknown.
November 14, 2020
This wasn't as good as Giff's Pictures of Hollis Woods because it has a few more embarrassing moments. It's about as short and is also a tear-jerker. As a fan of Hollis, I was excited to read a ghost story by Giff, but don't worry, it's not scary and since the narrator is the only one who can see it, it's an "unprovable ghost" story. The depiction of WW2 rationing and how the unavailability of specific commodities such as sugar, eggs, butter, and the effect they have on a business like a bakery is very timely for 2020. I may give it another shot someday, but those uncomfortable moments may delay it for a while.
September 8, 2024
Gingersnap was a very short middle grade novel about a young girl living in New York during World War II. Jayna and her brother Rob were orphaned when Jayna was a baby. As soon as Rob turned 18, he rescued Jayna from her foster home and took care of her. But when he is drafted into the war, he makes arrangements for Jayna to live with their strict landlady. Before Rob leaves, he turns over an old recipe book that includes a photo of a bakery and a woman he believes may be their grandmother. When Jayna gets the news that Rob is MIA, she decides to take off to find this bakery and hopefully a grandmother. This was a short, sweet story and I liked all the soup recipes that were included.
November 5, 2024
This is a YA about a young girl who has lived in foster care until her brother takes full custody of her during 1944. The war is going on and her brother will be a cook on a submarine. They live in New York. With no family other than her brother, he pays the landlady to watch out for her. Her name is Jayna but he calls her Gingersnap.
Before he leaves he hands her a hand written book with recipes that might belong to their grandmother.
She takes a bus and her pet turtle to Brooklyn on an adventure and journey, along with the cookbook and a faded photograph in front of a bakery called Gingersnap.
This covers a lot of emotions and family strengths and weaknesses.
Before he leaves he hands her a hand written book with recipes that might belong to their grandmother.
She takes a bus and her pet turtle to Brooklyn on an adventure and journey, along with the cookbook and a faded photograph in front of a bakery called Gingersnap.
This covers a lot of emotions and family strengths and weaknesses.
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