The Present Tense of Prinny Murphy

July 1, 2010
Gr 5–8— -companion story to "The Nine Lives of Travis Keating"(Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2008), also set in Fiddler's Cove, Newfoundland. Prinny Murphy's father has kicked her mother out of the house because she will not stop drinking. Her best friend, Travis, has taken to the pretty new girl, Laice, who is nasty to Prinny. And the Shrikes, three girls who Prinny named after a vicious bird that eats smaller birds, invite her to a party, get her drunk, and then blackmail her with embarrassing photos. Her father doesn't speak much. Her mother is off drinking uncontrollably, and Prinny cannot decide if she hates her or wants her home. Without Travis, she does not feel she has anyone to turn to, until a substitute teacher introduces her to LaVaughn, the main character in Virginia Euwer Wolff's "Make Lemonade"(Holt, 1993). Reading has never been easy for Prinny, but she longs to read every day about LaVaughn and enlists help from Travis, Travis's father, and, eventually, Laice to get through the novel. Through LaVaughn's story, Prinny finds her voice, her strength, and herself. This novel is not tied neatly with a bow, but it does end on a hopeful note. The characters are multidimensional and believable. All of them have flaws and secrets balanced with flashes of goodness. MacLean weaves them into a raw, realistic novel that reminds readers that finding your voice is sometimes harder than using it.—"Delia Carruthers, Roxbury Public Library, Succasunna, NJ"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2010
Grades 5-8 In this compelling sequel to The Nine Lives of Travis Keating (2008), Newfoundland middle-schooler Prinny finds life quieter since her alcoholic mother moved out. But taking care of hers and Das home is hard, her friend Travis has started spending time with a new girl, she struggles with reading, and she is bullied at school. Then a substitute teacher shares a book Prinny connects with, and she gains important insights about family, friends, herself, and the power of words. Prinny is a well-drawn character, resilient and inspiring, whose first-person narrative details the discovery of her own strength and voice.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)