The Changeling

Rating:
Summary: Everyone should Read this Book
Review: A previous reviewer noted this book was for little (and Big) girls everywhere. But this is truly a story for everyone. Like many other reviewers, I first read this story when I was 10. I loved Ivy's free spirit, and empathized with Martha, shy and worried about others, but allowing herself to be pulled into Ivy's world. And I was devastated when, in Junior High School, Ivy was apparently overcome by the cruel assesments of those around her.
Part of Zilpha K. Snyder's magic as a writer is her ability to create young characters who face real tragedies and traumas and yet somehow overcome what seem to be the insurmountable odds of suviving adolescence. Facing my own crises as I approached Junior High, I found her books at once inspiring and reassuring.
Reading them again now, almost 30 years later, I am shocked at what I didn't see before, and what my favorite nine year old girl sees that I don't. I can't read the first or final two chapters of this book now without crying for Ivy, even as I know that in the end she is able to pursue her dream. She became a messiah-like figure for Martha, saving her from the expectations of Martha's own family, and giving her the confidence to discover herself and live life to the fullest. But she suffered greatly and was even briefly rejected by Martha when Ivy herself was hurting the most. And still she triumphs and forgives. Would that we all had such friends.
This book should definitely become a yearling edition. It is one of the best works of childrens literature ever penned.

Rating:
Summary: Everyone should Read this Book
Review: A previous reviewer noted this book was for little (and Big) girls everywhere. But this is truly a story for everyone. Like many other reviewers, I first read this story when I was 10. I loved Ivy's free spirit, and empathized with Martha, shy and worried about others, but allowing herself to be pulled into Ivy's world. And I was devastated when, in Junior High School, Ivy was apparently overcome by the cruel assesments of those around her.
Part of Zilpha K. Snyder's magic as a writer is her ability to create young characters who face real tragedies and traumas and yet somehow overcome what seem to be the insurmountable odds of suviving adolescence. Facing my own crises as I approached Junior High, I found her books at once inspiring and reassuring.
Reading them again now, almost 30 years later, I am shocked at what I didn't see before, and what my favorite nine year old girl sees that I don't. I can't read the first or final two chapters of this book now without crying for Ivy, even as I know that in the end she is able to pursue her dream. She became a messiah-like figure for Martha, saving her from the expectations of Martha's own family, and giving her the confidence to discover herself and live life to the fullest. But she suffered greatly and was even briefly rejected by Martha when Ivy herself was hurting the most. And still she triumphs and forgives. Would that we all had such friends.
This book should definitely become a yearling edition. It is one of the best works of childrens literature ever penned.

Rating:
Summary: I remember dancing . . .
Review: As a child, I imagined myself to be Martha, and my best friend to be Ivy. I really thought that she must have been switched somehow, because there was no way she could have come from the family she went home to each night! For years, I've been looking forward to reading it again and sharing it with my daughter. But I've been fruitlessly searching for months! I just can't believe that such an important, magical, hopeful, romantic story of friendship and self-determination has become so very rare. I'm glad people can find it here, but I do wish it would be re-released en masse, so that many, many more people could experience the simple magic and subtle transcendence this excellent book has to offer.

Rating:
Summary: My favorite children's book
Review: I can't believe this went out of print; I had to contact Ms. Snyder to get a copy (she has a web page & is nice enough to answer e-mail). It is, as someone else said, the greatest tale of young-girl friendship ever written, with a lot about how we becvome ourselves. One of the ten most important books I've ever read.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent book, for girls and women of all ages
Review: I can't remember when I first read this book, but it was one of the few non-fantasy books I really loved as a girl. Martha and Ivy are drawn with a great deal of feeling, each outcasts in their own way (I identified with shy Martha, and years later was lucky enough to have an unconventional friend somewhat like Ivy). With strong messages about being oneself and not giving in to peer pressure, I feel this book can help give young girls the courage to be different at a very difficult age. I can't believe that it's out of print. Thank god I saved my copy.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent book, for girls and women of all ages
Review: I can't remember when I first read this book, but it was one of the few non-fantasy books I really loved as a girl. Martha and Ivy are drawn with a great deal of feeling, each outcasts in their own way (I identified with shy Martha, and years later was lucky enough to have an unconventional friend somewhat like Ivy). With strong messages about being oneself and not giving in to peer pressure, I feel this book can help give young girls the courage to be different at a very difficult age. I can't believe that it's out of print. Thank god I saved my copy.

Rating:
Summary: Still my favorite book, after 29 years
Review: I first read The Changeling when I was 12, and its impact on my life has been so pervasive that I barely know how to begin to talk about it. It's still my favorite book, all these years later; I re-read it about once a year, and every time I notice new things about the characters and their dynamic and the magical ways they transform each other's lives. Martha is the "ordinary" one, quietly suffocating in a relentlessly narcissistic family until her friendship with Ivy transforms her and gives her the strength to become her own individual. Ivy is the "out of this world" one, determined to transcend her family's darkness and chaos; she's the spokesperson for the possibility of magic and beauty in the world, even as the ugliness of her family situation threatens to pull her down. Any capsule description can only fail to do justice to the mystery and beauty of this book, though; the story just glows with magic and wonder, in the many memorable moments and adventures the girls have, and the way they grow and change through their friendship and manage to become strong, creative people who transcend their screwed-up families. And the way that Ms. Snyder explores these themes in such a powerful and magical way that one comes away buoyed with hope and feeling transformed. It's not at all a typical exploration of childhood or adolescent angst; rather it shows the girls' journey toward adulthood and individuality as a mysterious and captivating journey, suffused with wonder.

I love reading these reviews and seeing how others have related to the characters, and how the story is complex enough that people's experiences of it change over the years. When I was a kid, I utterly identified with Ivy. Some time in my twenties I was surprised to realize how much I'm like Martha. I think this may be one of the things that makes the book so powerful -- Ivy and Martha are distinct individuals and yet they're also two halves of a whole, and their twin journeys are intricately interwoven; I imagine many readers may identify with both, and with the life journeys of the two girls as two sides of their own journey.

I also want to echo what other reviewers have said: This book deserves to be re-issued immediately; it's unbelievable that it's not currently in print. I hope the publishers will come to their senses and bring it back.

Rating:
Summary: This One Resonates
Review: I first read this book almost thirty years ago, and it still touches me just as deeply. This is the story of how the shy and chubby Martha, who feels that she cannot measure up to her superstar family, meets Ivy, the free-spirited, imaginative daughter of the town's most notorious family. Martha becomes Ivy's home and family, and Ivy brings Martha out of her shell and helps her to see her full potential. A story that is truly timeless and everyone can relate to - whether the reader is currently experiencing the painful awkwardness of childhood or simply remembering it. Everyone can remember how it feels to not fit in anywhere, and innocently do things that you are ridiculed and teased for. I think everyone knew a rich bitch in school, someone who was sweet as sugar to adults, but a little two-faced sneak to other kids. Too bad everyone couldn't have Martha's wonderful experience of having a friend like Ivy.

Rating:
Summary: Good book....hard to get ahold of.
Review: I really loved this book as a child and wanted to own it again, but would suggest looking in second hand book stores, because paying $20 for this paperback was WAY too much.

Rating:
Summary: Haven't Forgotten...
Review: Just like a lot of other reviewers, this book made a huge impact on me when I was a kid. I've been trying to find out the author's name and I'm so happy I found her website! For any kid that feels a little different, this is a must read. While getting back in touch with my creative side, I've thought about this book over and over and would love to read it once again. A CLASSIC!