Marcia Strykowski ♦ October 19, 2015 ♦ 43 Comments
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Call Me Amy made the ShortList!
Call Me Amy chosen for 2014 Best Books of the Year!
Keeping the Blogisphere a Beautiful Place
Spirit Animal Blogging Award
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“Well-drawn, sympathetic characters and the developing spark between Amy and Craig combine to create a pleasant, satisfying read.” –KIRKUS
“Strykowski lovingly captures seaside Maine and the travails of adolescence in her quiet, sweet-natured debut novel.”—PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
“Strykowski ably depicts Amy’s insecurity and self-doubt, Craig’s bravura and pain, and Miss Cogshell’s wisdom with a deft, convincing touch. In essence, Amy comes of age as she fights to find her voice in the outside world and shed some of her debilitating insecurity. Readers will cheer her on, and her splendid team, too.” –BOOKLIST
"The protagonist grows throughout the story, from a shy loner to having two friends and speaking her mind in front of her adversaries at school as well as to the whole town. …Amy is a reliable narrator and easily relatable.” –SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
“To do a good deed, we can find friendship in the most curious of locations. “Call Me Amy” is a novel from Marcia Strykowski following the struggles of Amy Henderson, who finds an injured seal and seeks to nurse it, with the help of a scorned aging woman and an unusual youth. Set in the early 70s and exploring the essence of loneliness, “Call Me Amy” is a powerful read that should prove so very hard to put down, highly recommended.”—MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW
“This is a wonderful YA tale for the simple fact that it shows one and all that the power and courage to stand up and be heard in this life comes from within. And that no matter who you are, you have that toughness inside your soul. Craig has a lovely heart that hides behind that sarcasm he aims at the world, and he will remind every small town girl about that quiet boy she fell in love with long ago. ‘Old Coot’ brings the fun and humor along with her, and Pup is the sweetest creature in the world. Having all the ingredients of first love, faith, loss and strength makes ‘Amy’ unforgettable.” —FEATHERED QUILL
“For Amy, 1973 has been a lonely year, her only friend moved away and she feels awkward around her classmates. Until one day Amy discovers that Craig, another classmate, has rescued an injured seal pup. Amy agrees to help him and together they hide the pup at Miss Cogshell’s house, the odd old lady most kids call “Old Coot.” Amy learns that people aren’t always what they seem to be, and she forms a friendship with Craig and Miss Cogshell. A great story about friendship and doing what you think is right.” —KIDSBOOKSHELF
“For those ages 8 to 12, Call Me Amy by Marcia Strykowski will resonate with familiar themes of growing up. The year is 1973 and for Amy Henderson, it has been a lonely one with too many awkward moments to count. When she finds an injured seal pup, she rescues him to rehabilitate him. In the process she forms an unlikely alliance with Craig, a boy around her age, and an older woman in town. With their help she discovers that people aren’t always what they seem despite what others may think of them. This is a story filled with many elements that will appeal to younger readers and I highly recommend it.”—BOOKVIEWS.COM
"A wounded seal pup propels 13-year-old Amy Henderson into an unlikely alliance with an unusual older woman and a mysterious boy in a small Maine fishing village. Readers will cheer for Amy as she protects Pup, gains confidence, faces challenges, and comes up with an idea that could change not only the future of her village, but also, her own life. With a skillful hand, Strykowski introduces us to a small town with memorable characters and the girl who could bring them all together." ---Anne Broyles, award-winning author of PRISCILLA AND THE HOLLYHOCKS
"In a small town in Maine in the 1970's, Amy is standing on the brink of becoming a young adult. The events that will force her to discover who she is, what she is made of and how she wants others to perceive her are sweetly told through awkward teenage moments, the triumphs and sadnesses of that age and ultimately, Amy's discovery of her own beliefs, strength and courage." ---Kathleen Benner Duble, acclaimed author of THE SACRIFICE
“Call Me Amy is exactly the type of book I love. The characters are relatable and likeable; they are individuals that the reader enjoys getting to know while watching them change and develop. The setting of the small Maine coastal town is idyllic, and the reader is quickly and completely immersed in this community. Although the novel takes place in the 1970s, it feels timeless. Young readers will readily associate with Amy’s struggles and triumphs with her relationships with family and friends, and mature readers will be gently nudged back to this period in their life. These universal qualities make this novel a perfect choice for many types of readers. As a Youth Services Librarian, I would enthusiastically recommend Call Me Amy to our young patrons as well as to a more adult audience. Because it can be enjoyed on so many levels, this novel would be an ideal source of discussion for an adult/child book group.” ---Patty Falconer, Youth Services Librarian
"I just finished CALL ME AMY and I think it is wonderful with beautiful descriptions. I love the characters and their story. It is like having seen a good play or movie and later, while you are doing other things, it comes back to you and you think about the characters again." ---Peggy Arnold, retired teacher and avid reader.
Marcia Strykowski
Marcia,
Just as your books so aptly describe the Maine seacoast and Amy’s struggles as a young teen, these pictures are equally descriptive of a New England fall. Living in TN for the last 20 years, I have come to realize that I have enjoyed not having snow and cold of winter but have sacrificed the beauty of autumn. Thank you for sharing!
Joyce Teal
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Thanks so much, Joyce! That’s the only problem with autumn, knowing what lurks just ahead… hopefully this winter will be milder than the last.
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Yes, snow is just around the corner in NE!! You are always welcome to spend some time in Chattanooga. It’s a bit dreary and overcast for two months but we rarely shovel!
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Absolutely beautiful!
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Thank you, Sharon!
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Beautiful pictures! I so miss fall in New England–apple picking, pumpkin patches, and those vibrant colors! We do have fall in NC but definitely not the same 🙂 Thank you for sharing these!
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Thanks, Kathleen! Most of these pictures were taken in NH.
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Wow !! It is very beautiful ! I love your pictures, in particular the last one !
Thank you Marcia !
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Thank you, Maryse. I agree about that last photo, it’s the only one I didn’t take myself. 🙂 Hope all is well in France!
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Spectacular! Thanks for the leaf peeping fix :).
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Quick and easy–armchair leaf peeping. 🙂 Thanks, Jama!
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Wow! I would love to see a New Englad fall someday. Here in IN the leaves can get pretty, but I don’t feel like we have as many trees that produce those really vivid oranges and reds and yellows.
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It seems maple trees have the brightest colors. I hope you get to visit New England in fall, Leandra!
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Gorgeous photos. Thank you for reminding me what I”m missing here in sunny southern California! Ow those glorious autumns! 🙂
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Thanks, Shana. I ❤ autumn. Sunshine in California sounds really good, too, though!
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Beautiful! Our autumn here in the Rocky Mountain states is way behind. I’m still mowing the lawn and no leaves to rake yet.
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Thanks, Greg! Nice that you get an extended summer. I may have to send some leaves your way if you don’t catch up soon. 🙂
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Beautiful — I love the middle one with the orange leaves.
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Thanks, Yvonne! That’s one of my favorite trees and just across the road.
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I wish to be able to write in such a way to describe the beauty and the serenity that the pictures you posted express in your eye’s view! Slumps are bad, but creativity comes in various ways! Thanks for sharing, Marcia
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Although not always easy to do, beautiful clear descriptions seem to pull readers right into the scene, don’t they? Hope you have a very successful creative week. Thanks for your comment!
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This pictures are incredible Marcia!! My favorite was the stone wall awash in yellow leaves. Here is so California, we have nothing like this photos– thanks for a real taste of fall!
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Thanks so much, Rhonda! I think the stone wall is my favorite picture, too. It was taken in Massachusetts.
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So did you actually take all these pictures Marcia?? I thought you jut collected them!
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Yes, I usually just use my own photographs on this blog. But when I realized I didn’t have any good lake pictures, I got permission for that last beautiful shot.
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You must live in an amazing place…
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That last photograph brought back wistful and happy memories of driving through western Massachusetts and Vermont this time of year, with my late mother, and “chasing the foliage.”
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It’s surprising how much great color can be seen even when just passing through on the highway, as opposed to going off the beaten path in search of it. Thanks for sharing, Mirka. I’m glad you have happy memories of foliage trips with your mom.
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These pictures are very pretty, like a fantasy land!!
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Thanks, Ashley!
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Love your photos – great stone wall. 🙂
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So many interesting stone walls off the beaten path. Thanks, Judy!
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Love, love, LOVE it!!!! Maple trees are my favorite and something I really miss in Phoenix.
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Thanks, Savannah! Maybe with lots of watering, you could grow a maple in Phoenix…
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I’ve heard it’s possible up in the north part of the state.
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Beautiful Autumn photographs Marcia! We certainly have had beautiful foliage this year here in New England. Thank you for posting these beautiful photographs! Happy Fall!
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Thanks, happy fall to you, too, Bette!
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Absolutely stunning shots, Marcia. The last one with the reflections on the water is beautiful! They do show the beauty of New England’s fall season.
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Thanks, Art! Figured you’d like the one I didn’t take best. 🙂 You’ve shot some great new fall pictures this season, too.
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Marcia, I must visit New England in this lifetime. The colours are insanely beautiful!
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Thanks for stopping in, Claudine; I hope you make it to New England one of these years!
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Wow! It’s beautiful there!
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The foliage is lasting a long time this year and I’m still snapping pictures. 🙂
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