Dicey's Song by Cynthia Voigt

I have been into Newbery Award-winning books lately, all because of Bangee (Joyner). After reading those books she offered me, I was urged to read more books receipient of such award, and as of now, it has yet failed me. Every story of every book is worth reading and worth commending. First on my list of course is The Giver by Lois Lowry due to its satisfying futuristic and utopian-turned dystopian plot. Second would be Holes by Louis Sachar because of the sudden twist in the end, and now, Dicey's Song. The books I have mentioned earlier deserves no particular rank in my opinion since they are equally unique in different terms. However, I will later say what book is on my no. 1 list. As for now, let's talk about the book.
It is a story that would prick your hearts since children who were already abandoned by their father and who's mother was victimed by a life-threatening disease struggle to continue their lives together. Actually, this is already the sequel of one of the books of Voigt (Homecoming), nevertheless, it's quite comprehensible still.
The story began with Dicey and her siblings, James, the bright boy, Sammy, the troublemaker but decides to keep away from fights when they migrate to their grand mother's house since he is blaming himself for what happened to his mother, and Maybeth, the slow learner but a gifted child when it comes to music, migrating to their grand mother's rickety house in Provincetown after running away from their relatives who treated them improperly.
Dicey is a 13 year-old girl and the eldest among the four. She decides to work at a nearby grocery store who's owner is her grandmother's friend Millie to make it a little less burdensome in her grandmother's side for keeping them. Millie's store was once successful until her husband died. The store have been left uncleaned and goods were improperly placed in the shelves causing the neighborhood to find it awkward buying the food they eat from a dirty and disordered store. Another thing is that Millie is not that bright (she can hardly read and write properly) making her orders from retailers to come out as those which she actually did not choose. And so, Dicey came into the rescue, asking $1 per hour of work since she's still a minor and laws are strict with it. Dicey supposed that Millie knows nothing about the law but she was happy for it because she could at least lend a hand to her grandmotherwith the expenses.
So much for Millie's store. Their grandmother, whom they call Gram decides to adopt them, but Sammy and James seemed to oppose because they still hope that their mother could recover. But Gram says that if that would happen, she would transform the kitchen into a bedroom for their mother. They eventually agreed. Several days passed before Gram finally secured the adoption papers from the local authorities and after passing in the news, the children were all delighted.
Winter was fast-approaching and the children have not a single winter clothing to wear since they came in the farther south of the United States (where the climate is so much like ours). Gram decided to knit them sweaters. Gram and Dicey, one Saturday went downtown to a shopping mall to buy some wool and other stuff they would need. Then, they discussed several things, from James' being pressured by the status quo in his new school, Sammy's being not true to himself and Maybeth's being a slow reader yet a superb pianist.
James was a bookworm and personally likes thick books. He once said that "if you have a big idea, you have to write it down in a big book, otherwise, you wont be able to explain the complicated parts..." The problem however was seen when his teacher asked them to create an essay which his all of his classmates would find interesting. After writing the essay, he asked Dicey and Gram to read it and they both agreed that it was superbly written. But when Gram went to his school for a homeroom meeting, Gram found out that James' essay was different from what he had shown them before. This time, Gram and Dicey decided that James is having a problem mingling with his new classmates and it seems like for his new classmates, being a "show-off" is utterly disagreeable, so they concluded that James is trying to fit in and that he really was having a hard time with it. However, they never talked about resolving it since they know that James has his solutions in every promlem he may encounter.
So now, the problem is only left to Sammy and Maybeth. Sammy had learned to blame himself for what has happened to their mother. He thought that because of his being a trouble-maker in school and everywhere he goes, he helped his mother have her ailment. Sammy has been behaving properly lately but they never thought it to be a problem until his teacher told him that she has never seen such a behaved young boy. He doesn't even try to mingle with his classmates and was reluctant in playing during recess.
What Dicey did is, she had a little talk with Sammy telling that causing a little truble in school is not a great sin to do for it is a part of growing up. Dicey mentioned that she herself had been a troublemaker once. And so, after the talk, things went normally with Sammy. But Dicey and Gram can't get away with the fact that Sammy is causing no "little trouble" but big ones. He always arrive home with cuts and bruises but they knew that it's how things go with Sammy - that he learns through his mistakes.
Now, it's not only Dicey's brothers and sisters who's got the prblem. She also have her personal problems which Gram iterated her to resolve as soon as possible because she's not getting any younger. First thing is the fact that she's already in her teenage years, that some of her clothes are utterly inapprpriate fr her age. But it's a minor problem. The more pressing problem of her is her inability hesitation to make friends. Gram told her that if she wuld not work that out, she would turn out just like her (Gram) who is being the subject of various rumors in town because of her unfriendliness. Gram stated that it's not too late for her t wrk with that and much s is Dicey.
To give Dicey an example, Gram entertained the company of Maybeth's music teacher, Mr. Lingerli which if Gram would still be the Gram of yesteryears, nobody would be nearing her house. Gram tld her about reaching out and holding on. Those she said were the words she neglected through the years but learned to accept only when everything was gone from her.
The ay after that, Dicey decided to try that reaching uot and holding thing and eventually, she ended up being a friend of the kind and bright nigger named Wilhelmina. She felt really fulfilled for overcming the negative aspects of her personality and they became really happy with the company of each other.
But the time had come to accept the truth that her mother will n longer be coming back. She and Gram went to Boston to see her mother who was in deep sleep until she died, to pay her soe respect. They decided cremation better than bringing home her mother's corpse and it won't happen withuot the kindness of Mr. Lingerli. He gave Gram a cnsiderable sum of money, enough to do the necessary tasks. Now, in this part, the author tries to impart how this reaching out give psitive impact with those who accepts it.
In the end, they brought home the remains of her mother and Gram became very open to them about the family she once tried to build. She showed them pictures of her children, which in the earlier part, she never even wanted to mention.
Now, this novel tells that we must never turn our backs with people and even opportunities that may arise because that's what we're made for - to help fulfill other person's purpose on earth the same as they fulfill yours.

Posted by Nicky Guinto on May 20, 2007 at 02:55 AM in Books in Friendsterblogs