From the Bookshelf of Mock Newbery 2026…

The Year the Swallows Came Early

Kathryn Fitzmaurice

Start date: May 20, 2009

Finish date: June 30, 2009

Discussion: Book of the Month- 2010

Why we're reading this: Recommended by Katie
[close] Recommended by Katie

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 12 topics — 135 comments total

Book of the Month- 2010

December Read - Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
By Kristen · 11 posts · 81 views

last updated Jan 10, 2010 11:24AM

October Read - When You Reach Me
By Kristen · 17 posts · 222 views

last updated Jan 09, 2010 08:14AM

showing 1 of 1 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Oct 14, 2009 Jill Williamson rated it really liked it

Shelves: middle-grade-contemporary

In Kathryn Fitzmaurice’s book The Year the Swallows Came Early, eleven-year-old Eleanor “Groovy” Robinson loves cooking. She’s writing her own cookbook and plans to attend culinary arts school someday if she can afford it. Even her best friend Frankie’s stepbrother, who owns a local store, gives her some secret family recipes to go in her special cookbook.

Things start going wrong when her daddy is arrested as they’re walking through town. Since no one will tell Groovy why, she hurries to her mo In Kathryn Fitzmaurice’s book The Year the Swallows Came Early, eleven-year-old Eleanor “Groovy” Robinson loves cooking. She’s writing her own cookbook and plans to attend culinary arts school someday if she can afford it. Even her best friend Frankie’s stepbrother, who owns a local store, gives her some secret family recipes to go in her special cookbook.

Things start going wrong when her daddy is arrested as they’re walking through town. Since no one will tell Groovy why, she hurries to her momma’s salon to find out. Momma is in no hurry to let Groovy in on the details, but when she finally does explain, the truth breaks Groovy’s heart. Groovy’s sorrow for her daddy evolves into anger and Groovy turns her back on everything that makes her life special: her friends, her family, and her cooking. Nothing matters anymore. But when life brings unexpected surprises, Groovy discovers that there is more to every story. Sure, sometimes people just mess up, but sometimes the situation is out of their control. Either way, Groovy needs to decide if forgiveness is worth the risk.

Having recently read Because of Winn-Dixie, this book felt quite similar. Bother were in first person and about young girls, so I guess that’s why. This book is a great deal longer, but easy to read and entertaining. It’s a character-driven novel, as well. No edge-of-your-seat action adventure in this one. I liked Groovy and the way she saw the world. I liked how she thought her mama’s obsession with horoscopes were just superstitions and didn’t apply her mama’s believes to her own.

I still don’t know why her father was in jail. From what I can figure out, what he did was low and selfish, but completely within his rights as Groovy’s father. I wish the author would have given me a little bit more there to help with the realism of Groovy’s dad’s sentencing, because it didn’t make any sense to me.

My favorite part in the book is when Groovy shows her chocolate-covered strawberries to Marisol, a girl she thought was a bit snobby about her artistic talents. But since Marisol had shared about her love of drawing, Groovy took a chance to reveal a bit of her heart—her love of cooking—and in doing so, Groovy found a great friend. Sometimes friendship is a risk, but isn’t it always a risk worth taking? And if that’s true, isn’t forgiveness a risk worth taking, as well?
...more

1 like · Like · see review

Jan 04, 2010 Becky Barrier Nelson rated it really liked it

Shelves: battle-of-the-books, mother-daughter, girls

I read this by audiobook and the girl (I believe the author's daughter)who read it had the perfect voice for this character. That may have influenced how much I liked it. The intriguing premise will make it easy to booktalk. Groovey's mother turns her father into the police for stealing their daughter's inheritance meant to fund her training to be a professional chef. Groovey adored her father, so now she must put her head around how this could happen as well as how to forgive both of her parent ...more

Like · see review

Jan 20, 2010 Sarah rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: children-realistic, audio

Groovy’s life always seemed pretty normal—until her father gets arrested one Saturday morning as they were walking together. When she explains what happened to her mom, her mom’s unconcerned reaction seems crazy until she tells Groovy that she was the one who called the police.

Groovy cannot comprehend why her mother would do such a thing! What could her father have done? After putting off an explanation for what seems like ages to Groovy, her mom explains that Groovy was left an inheritance to u ...more

Like · see review

Dec 04, 2009 Susan Dunn rated it liked it

Shelves: j-fiction

Pretty story. I can see this as earning a Newbery honor or something. At the beginning of the book, Groovy's dad is arrested. It turns out that her mom is the one who called the police on him - and she did so because he took all of Groovy's interitance and gambled it away. Groovy had been planning on using that money for cooking school - and now it's all gone. She is shocked that her dad could do something so horrible, and has a hard time forgiving him. At the same time her best friend Frankie i ...more

Like · see review

Jun 08, 2010 Shelley rated it really liked it

Shelves: kids-fiction, listened

Lovely realistic fiction about a girl who has to deal with the fact that her beloved father is sent to prison. Setting is California coast where the swallows migrate back each year. Her best friend is a boy who has to deal with abandonment issues of his own. Wonderful characterization, realistic relationships, and written with a light touch. 4th-5th grade.

Like · see review

Feb 03, 2010 Megan rated it really liked it

My only complaint is that it felt as if the author ended the book too quickly. Otherwise, fantastic visual writing!

Like · see review

Mar 30, 2009 Kristen Jorgensen rated it liked it

Shelves: mock-newbery-book-2010

Groovy's Dad is taken to jail after her own mother turned him in. From this moment on Groovy's life seems to unravel as she discovers the truth about what happened. Groovy needs to learn how to forgive after she realizes that her father has weaknesses. Until she does, her dream of attending a culinary arts school is just a dream.

I liked Groovy's ambitions, and the descriptions of her parents. While it was a nice story, I thought it tended to drag a little. I think I would give it 2 and a half s ...more

Like · see review

Nov 12, 2010 Sarah rated it liked it

Shelves: all-kids-books, childrens-fiction

I really wanted to like this book, but it just didn't grab me. It received critical acclaim last year but I never believed in any of the characters. ...more

Like · see review

Feb 01, 2010 Jess Gill rated it liked it

Shelves: childrens-fiction

i felt like i should like this book more than i did... the plot and character development all seemed like they would lead to a more engaging read. i found myself putting this book aside numerous times through reading it to pick up something else.

Like · see review