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The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place

The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place

List Price: $16.95
Your Price: $11.53
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: One Good Book
Review: The main character, Margaret Rose Kane, and the artistic preservation theme were the highlights in this otherwise mediocre book. I was disappointed with the execution of the plot and had to force myself to finish reading the book. I am a teacher and will probably not recommend this book to students seeing as I could hardly finish it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place
Review: The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place by E.L. Konisburg
The story is told from the point of view of twelve year old Margaret Rose. She is an unlikely heroine for preserving a "piece of history" in the form of Two Towers that her Uncles have been working on for the past 45 years. The two uncles that Margaret stays with every summer are delightfully eccentric characters that every reader will enjoy. In attempting to preserving not only her family history but that of the of the cityscape as well, Margaret takes on city hall as well as challenging what defines art. It is the story of not only of Margaret's ingenuity, but that of the cyclical nature of urban landscape as small towns undergo development changes with, suburbs and malls and their effects on neighborhoods and individuality of the people who live in them. The ultimate gentrification of the old neighborhood where her uncles have lived for a number of years that threatens the very identity of the neighborhood and the things which it seeks to preserve are at the heart of this book. This book is at once thought provoking and humorous and is sure to delight readers ages 12 & up.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place
Review: The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place by E.L. Konisburg
The story is told from the point of view of twelve year old Margaret Rose. She is an unlikely heroine for preserving a "piece of history" in the form of Two Towers that her Uncles have been working on for the past 45 years. The two uncles that Margaret stays with every summer are delightfully eccentric characters that every reader will enjoy. In attempting to preserving not only her family history but that of the of the cityscape as well, Margaret takes on city hall as well as challenging what defines art. It is the story of not only of Margaret's ingenuity, but that of the cyclical nature of urban landscape as small towns undergo development changes with, suburbs and malls and their effects on neighborhoods and individuality of the people who live in them. The ultimate gentrification of the old neighborhood where her uncles have lived for a number of years that threatens the very identity of the neighborhood and the things which it seeks to preserve are at the heart of this book. This book is at once thought provoking and humorous and is sure to delight readers ages 12 & up.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: AMAZING!
Review: The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler PLace is one book that everyone should read! It is a very good page-turner for any girl 10-99.

The Outcasts of Schuyler Place is abouta girl named Margaret Kane who, after an unsatisfying time at Camp Telequa, goes to spend her summer with her two uncles at 19 Schuyler Place. Her uncles have been building 3 very unique towers for over 45 years and Margaret loves them. When Margaret finds out they are to be demolished she acts to save the towers. Can she go against the Homeowners Association and save the towers or not? Read to find out!

The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place is a very good book with a satisfying ending that I enjoyed reading very much!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: AMAZING!
Review: The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler PLace is one book that everyone should read! It is a very good page-turner for any girl 10-99.

The Outcasts of Schuyler Place is abouta girl named Margaret Kane who, after an unsatisfying time at Camp Telequa, goes to spend her summer with her two uncles at 19 Schuyler Place. Her uncles have been building 3 very unique towers for over 45 years and Margaret loves them. When Margaret finds out they are to be demolished she acts to save the towers. Can she go against the Homeowners Association and save the towers or not? Read to find out!

The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place is a very good book with a satisfying ending that I enjoyed reading very much!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The dynamics and consequences of civil disobedience.
Review: THE OUTCASTS OF 19 SCHUYLER PLACE is the follow-up to SILENT TO THE BONE by two-time Newbery Medal-winning author E.L. Konigsburg. Margaret Rose Kane tells the story of the summer when she was twelve, the same year that Sally Ride became the first American woman in space and Cabbage Patch dolls were popular toys.

Margaret is sent to summer camp while her parents travel in Peru. Shunned by the other campers, she decides to stop participating in camp activities. When asked why she won't participate, she quotes Herman Melville's Bartleby the Scrivener, "I prefer not to." It is her uncles who must come to her rescue while her parents are away.

Margaret expects to have an idyllic summer with her uncles. She looks forward to helping them with the three scrap metal towers they have spent the past 45 years building in their backyard. It is only by chance that she discovers what her parents and her uncles have been hiding from her: the towers are scheduled for demolition.

Gathering a disparate group of adults who have an interest in the towers, Margaret organizes a campaign to save the towers and learns about the history of the neighborhood her uncles have inhabited throughout the years. While the outcome is not exactly what readers might expect, Konigsburg explores the dynamics and consequences of civil disobedience, and what happens when a girl decides to start participating in life again.

A summer crush and a well-planned revenge are the book's major highlights. THE OUTCASTS OF 19 SCHUYLER PLACE may not have the same whimsy as THE MIXED-UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER or the spirited competition of THE VIEW FROM SATURDAY, but it does share a theme common in all of Konigsburg's books: the self-reliance and resilience of young people facing the difficult task of becoming adults.

--- Reviewed by Sarah A. Wood

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place
Review: The story is told from the point of view of twelve year old Margaret Rose. she is an unlikely heroine for preserving a "piece of history" in the form of the Two Towers that her uncles have been working on for the past 45 years. The two uncles that Margaret stays with every summer are delightfully ecentric chatacters that every reader will enjoy. In attempting to preserve not only her family history but that of the cityscape as well, Margaret takes on city hall as well as challenging what defines art. It is the story of not only Margaret's ingenuity, but that of the cyclical nature of urban landscape as small towns undergo developmental changes such as suburbs and malls, and there effects on neighborhoods and the individuality of the people who live in them. The ultimate gentrification of the old neighborhood where her uncles have lived for a number of years that threatens the very identity of the neighborhood and the things which it seeks to preserve are at the heart of this book. This book is at once both thought provoking and humorous and is sure to delight readers ages 12 & up.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Exquisite and Adorable!
Review: This book sings! You will be able to hear songs of true courage, friendship, and hope. I highly recommend it for people of all ages who love words and marvels. I was enthralled by every character and every page.
E.L. Konigsburg is one of the greatest writers on this planet, no doubt for her perfect language and ability to touch your heart and mind. A real gem.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: I prefer not to say bad things but
Review: This was the first of ELK's books that I finished feeling ambivalent to, rather than delighted with.

What starts out promisingly, rapidly disintegrates into a kind of "Revenge of the Nerds" fantasy, complete with a lecture about why we should always treat others with respect. Of course, we should! but a sermon is better suited to church than a novel. "The Outcasts" had an intriguing premise - a young girl masterminds a successful plan to save her uncles' towers from being destroyed due to them serving no "useful purpose." However, once the reader gets to know the heroine, Margaret, they are abruptly plunged back into the camp world for the last third of the book, with Margaret making no appearance. ELK has firmly established the noxiousness of Margaret's former cabin mates, as well as the camp director. I, for one, had no desire to spend any further time listening to their cattiness and witnessing their unlikely change of heart toward Margaret. I had thought they were there only in the beginning and with the sole purpose of establishing Margaret's "incorrigible" personality. After she leaves camp and finds allies, why bother letting the reader know what happens to the cabinmates? They were so one-dimensional, I really didn't care.

But the writing itself is beautiful. I just wish the author had spent a little more time on the two uncles. Surely, men who created such beautiful towers, would be more fascinating subjects than a bunch of catty school-girls.

True, "The Outcasts" is superior to a lot of the fiction currently being published, but sadly, that isn't saying much.


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