Penny from Heaven

Newbery Honorwinning, New York Times bestselling, and as full of fun and adventure as it is of deeper family issues. #160; Schools out for summer, and Penny and her cousin Frankie have big plans to eat lots of butter pecan ice cream, swim at the local pool, and cheer on their favorite baseball teamthe Brooklyn Dodgers! But sometimes things dont go according to plan. Pennys mom doesnt want her to swim because shes afraid Penny will get polio. Frankie is constantly getting into trouble, and Penny feels caught between the two sides of her family. But even if the summer doesnt exactly start as planned . . . things can work out in the most unexpected ways! #160; Set just after World War II, this thought-provoking novel also highlights the prejudice Pennys Italian American family must confront because people of Italian descent were the enemy not long ago. #160; Inspired by three-time Newbery Honor winner Jennifer Holms own Italian American family, Penny from Heaven is a story about familiesabout the things that tear them apart and the things that bring them back together. #160; Includes an authors note with photographs and background on World War II, internment camps, and 1950s America, as well as additional resources and websites. #160; Booklist: Holm impressively wraps pathos with comedy in this coming-of-age story, populated by a cast of vivid characters It's1953 and 11-year-old Penny dreams of a summer of butter pecan ice cream, swimming, and baseball. But nothing's that easy in Penny's family. For starters, she can't go swimming because her mother's afraid she'll catch polio at the pool. To make matters worse, her favorite uncle is living in a car. Her Nonny cries every time her father's name is mentioned. And the two sides of her family aren't speaking to each other!Inspired by Newbery Honor winner Jennifer Holm's own Italian American family, Penny from Heaven is a shining story about the everyday and the extraordinary, about a time in America's history, not all that long ago, when being Italian meant that you were the enemy. But most of all, it's a story about families--about the things that tear them apart and bring them together. And Holm tells it with all the richness and the layers, the love and the laughter of a Sunday dinner at Nonny's. So pull up a chair and enjoy the feast! Buon appetito!From the Hardcover edition. As she turns twelve during the summer of 1953, Penny gains new insights into herself and her family while also learning a secret about her father's death