Me and Rupert Goody

by Barbara O'Connor

Overview

Learning to share love

Things at Jennalee's house are just plain crazy, which is why she loves her predictable days helping Uncle Beau (who isn't really her uncle) at his general store. But then Rupert Goody shows up, claiming to be Uncle Beau's son. Jennalee can't believe it, because Rupert is black and Uncle Beau is white. But Uncle Beau tells her it is true and incorporates Rupert into his life, ruining Jennalee's routine.

Although Rupert is slow, he is kind-hearted and tries hard to please. When more unforeseen events -- this time frightening ones -- further interrupt life at the store, Jennalee comes to see that Rupert Goody, odd though he may be, is certainly not the worst unexpected thing that could come along, and that he belongs with Uncle Beau as much as she does. With a vividly depicted setting, emotional truth, and a distinctly Southern voice, Barbara O'Connor shows that there is love enough to go around.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781466811744
Publisher:	Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication date:	03/24/2003
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	112
File size:	128 KB
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Barbara O'Connor was born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina, and currently lives in Duxbury, Massachusetts, with her husband and son. Her first novel was Beethoven in Paradise.

Barbara O’Connor was born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina. She has written many award-winning books for children, including the New York Times–bestselling Wish, Wonderland, How to Steal a Dog, Greetings from Nowhere, and Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia.

Editorial Reviews

(Intermediate)
"Before Rupert Goody waltzed hisself into Claytonville, I nearly always knew how my days would start and how they'd end." Eleven-year-old Jennalee Helton spends most of her days with Uncle Beau Goody (not really her uncle), enjoying his friendship and helping out at his general store where she can count on her routine staying the same-unlike her chaotic life at home. But then one day Rupert Goody shows up at the store: he's the son Uncle Beau had with a black woman but whom he never knew existed. Rupert takes "the predictable out of things," and Jennalee stubbornly refuses to accept this stranger whom she fears will take her place in Uncle Beau's heart. Unable to tell Uncle Beau how threatened she feels, Jennalee directs her anger and resentment at kindhearted, mentally disabled Rupert, much to Uncle Beau's (and her own) disappointment. A sibling rivalry story of a different sort, this gracefully written novel deals with the basic needs for connection and understanding. Despite her sometimes dryly humorous bravado, Jennalee's honest narrative, rich with Southern cadences, juxtaposes her own struggle to make sense of her loneliness against her growing awareness that both Uncle Beau and Rupert have suffered loss. In addition to willful Jennalee, Rupert and Uncle Beau are well-rounded and dynamic characters, with Rupert providing much needed moments of lightness as well as the catalyst for some of the story's most emotionally wrenching scenes. A couple of near tragedies, including a fire that destroys the general store, are well integrated, using suspense to move the action forward and effectively engaging readers in the drama. k.f.

Horn Book

A reluctant heroine narrates this triumphant tale set in a contemporary North Carolina town where time seems to have stopped. Jennalee Helton lives in a chaotic household filled with so many siblings that she has to fight for a bed to sleep in ("My brothers are all the time saying the reason our family is named Helton is cause there's always a ton of hell going on"). Her only refuge is Uncle Beau's General Store, where her days begin with putting out the doughnuts and end with "buttoning up" (locking the doors) at night, and where Uncle Beau listens to her troubles and rewards her with PayDay candy bars. But when Rupert Goody comes to town claiming he's Uncle Beau's son, her world turns upside down. O'Connor (Beethoven in Paradise) orchestrates the dynamics of the trio with sensitivity and subtlety. Her small-town setting contributes to an atmosphere of a community frozen in time, with lazy afternoons spent trout fishing or sifting the riverbank for rubies, and everyone knows their neighbors on a first-name basis. But, through Jennalee's narration, readers also discover that the townsfolk raise a few eyebrows when African-American Rupert purports to be the son of a self-proclaimed "one hundred percent pure North Carolina paleface." Yet it's an insidious racist remark from one of those townspeople that causes Jennalee to rise to Rupert's defense and to realize how much he means to her. How this stubborn but winning protagonist travels from complete resentment to acceptance of her rival for Uncle Beau's affections is a journey readers won't want to miss. Ages 10-up. (Nov.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Gr 4-7-Escaping her boisterous household, Jennalee forges a special friendship with the owner of the local general store. When Rupert Goody appears and claims to be his son, the spirited girl fights for her place in Uncle Beau's establishment and in his affections. (Oct.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

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