Marshfield Dreams

From School Library JournalGrade 5-8Fletcher reminisces about growing up in Marshfield, VT, recalling boyhood friendships, sibling attachments, and romps through the woods. We found all kinds of mushrooms. Some were edible, others were poisonous toadstools. Mom said to think of them as strangerssome are good, some are bad, and since you couldn't tell the difference it was best to leave them alone. Fletcher grew up in a Catholic family that grew larger each year, and when another baby was on the way, he'd learn the news from a girl in his class. Family and friendships were fulfilling, enriching, and perplexing. The author thinks about the loss of Dad's goodnight kisses as he grew up, and the adolescent predicament of being pressed between a girl's body and a wall that housed a giant beehive. Fletcher's connection to nature and the environment infuse every aspect of his life. Written with sagacious eloquence and gentle humor, this work stands strong in the ranks of authors' memoirs and autobiographies. Alison Follos, North Country School, Lake Placid, NY Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Book DescriptionThe colorful boyhood of a popular author comes to life in this personal account Imagine learning from a nosy classmate that your mother is having yet another baby. To Ralphs classmates, news of one more Fletcher baby is just scuttlebutt. But for Ralph, the oldest of nine, being part of a large family means more kids to join in the funfrom making tripods in the woods and snicking up the rug, to raising chicks and even discovering a meteor (well, maybe). It doesnt feel like theres life beyond Marshfield, Massachusetts. Then one day Dads new job moves the family to Chicago, and theres so much Ralph has to leave behind. In this humorous and captivating memoir, Ralph Fletcher traces the roots of his storytelling.

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