Pictures of HollisWoods!!
Title: picture of holliswoods
Author: Patricia ReillyGiff
Publisher: ScholasticInc.
Place and year ofpublication: 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012, 2002
Number of pages: 166
Where I found the book:CHS library
Pictures of Hollis Woodsby Patricia Reilly Giff is an emotional story about a little girl searching fora family. This book has themes of joy, sadness, sympathy, and adventure! HollisWoods was left with nothing, nothing but the news paper she was lying on andthe note that said to name her Hollis Woods when she was 10 days old. HollisWoods is abandoned as a baby and spends her life being sent to various fosterhomes. Her story alternates between the time she spends with Josie Cahill andthe summer she spent with the Regan family, who wanted to adopt her. Picturesof Hollis Woods is a heart-warming novel about a troubled girl finding a familywho will love her.
She was known as a "mountain of trouble" because she wasalways running away from the homes she was sent to if she didn't like them. Shenever goes to school and has just found a home shelikes. Her foster parent was Josie Cahill and she as an old artteacher who is losing her memory and now Hollis must be taken away from her. She also was sent to another home she reallyliked over the summer. That was the Regan family.
Inthe Regan family there was Izzy who was the mother, the Old Man who was thefather, and Stephan who was the son. Hollis got along with everyone in thefamily. She could always talk to Izzy who would make candyand try to keep things under control. The Old Man and Stephan were alwaysfighting but still loved each other. Stephan and Hollis made very good friendsand were always doing everything together. She mentions Stephan a lot in herflashbacks. Now there's a new addition to the family, her name is Christina andis a six-week-old baby girl that Izzy just had. Christina made the family complete for Hollis.
"Themustard woman." She's the one who is arranging homes for Hollis. She hasearned the name the mustard woman from Hollis who saw her for the first timewith a large mustard stain on her sweat pants. Hollisisn't too fond of her because she's going to take Hollis away from Josie.Hollis is actually happy with Josie and isn't considering running away from heranytime at all. She's setting her up with another home because of Josie'smemory problem. BUT... will Hollis get to stay with Josie? Is Hollis’ searchfor the perfect family over? Pictures Of Hollis Woods.....
Christian Perspective
Hollishas gone through a lot in her life. The one thing everyone needs is a family,someone to love them and care for them. Hollis thought she didn’t have that,but what she didn’t know is that God is with her wherever she goes. That’s thesame with us, when times of trouble come we need to turn to God and He will bethere for us. Nothing here on earth will satisfy us in anyway, even though itmight seem that way at the time. Heavenly things always will over power earthlythings! Depend on nothing and nobody except God! God is the one guaranty ofsatisfaction!!!
My Thoughts
Ireally liked this book, this book taught me to appreciate the family that Ihave! This book was recommended to me by our school librarian, and I turned outliking it! I would recommend this book to someone who is searching for the “perfect family” or someone who needs encouragementof hope for finding the family!! What each person`s thoughts on a perfectfamily is different. Maybe you come from a family with one parent or even noparents. I never stop to think on how lucky I am to have both my parentstogether. Even if I don’t think my family is perfect I still know that withthem I would probably be on the streets. A prefect family to Hollis was peoplethat she liked. She had been to many foster homes that she can`t keep track ofhow many she has been in. I think there is no such thing as a ``perfect family``, all families havesome flaws, some bigger than others and some even more noticeable that others.But all that doesn’t matter, what matters is that you have some that caresabout you. Even if you don’t think so there is someone out there that cares foryou!!
This book would be heartbreaking to read. As we have seen in the Hatchet, we were created for companionship. EVERYBODY needs to love, and be loved. I like how you recognize that if we find ourselves in tough times, like the story of Hollis, we can know that God is with us. However, as Christians, it becomes our job to help the world recognize that God is with them too. We can do that by looking for people in need and loving them through blessing them, even though it may be uncomfortable.
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