Marcia Strykowski
Rules:
Who could not love Miss Rumphius with her beautiful intentions and her cozy home by the sea?
Library Lion–a Rhonda at The Thankful Heart
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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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Call Me Amy Book Trailer
Great Reviews for CALL ME AMY
“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
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More Praise
“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.
For 13-year-old Amy Henderson, 1973 has been a lonely and uneventful year in her small Maine fishing village. With the help of a wounded seal pup, she gets to know Craig, who slinks around in an oversized army jacket. A new law against handling wild marine mammals brings suspense to the story. Where can they keep Pup until he heals? Their only hope is to trust Miss Cogshell, an elderly woman keeping to herself amidst jeers from the local kids, who catches them sneaking Pup into her woodshed in the middle of the night. Throughout the book, small challenges prepare Amy for her greatest one of all. A challenge that leads her to discover that everyone, herself included, has a voice worth hearing.
Marcia Strykowski 
I will accept your tag to post my five favorite picture books in a day or two, Marcia. Thank you for the tagging honor!
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Great, I’ll look forward to your post, no hurry!
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Looks like a good group of books to read. I especially like the Library Lion and the Francis books. I recently read a couple of books to my little nieces that I enjoyed so much I bought them for myself. They are Buddy and Earl and Shhh…Roger is Reading a Book. Do you know them.
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Roger is Reading a Book is lots of fun. I’ll have to check out Buddy and Earl. Thanks for the suggestions!
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Wonderful books, Marcia, and thanks for the nomination. I’m honored. I just love picture books. It was one of the best parts of becoming a granny – getting to read them all again and hunt around for new ones. Happy Reading!
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I agree, picture books are the best, for all ages. Thanks!
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All great choices. It must have been very hard for you to decide. Happy reading in 2018!
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I think that’s why I resort to my early favorites, too many great ones followed. You, too, Darlene!
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I’m familiar with three out of your five choices. A good reason to go to the library and check out the others. Miss Rumphius would be in my top five too!
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Yes, these older classics are sure to be in your local library!
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Five new books to check out, thanks Marcia 🙂 xx
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I hope you enjoy them, Clare!
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This such a nice list of books. I do like the older classics too. I worked in a preschool that had a very old library but the stories stood the test of time. And the word counts are up there but we found that children do listen to longer stories just fine. The biggest problem was the books were so well used they needed a lot of tape to hold them together. Thanks for tagging me. I hope to do a favourite picture book post if time permits. 😊
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Well loved books do get awfully worn out over time. I think most kids like longer stories, too. It’s more the parents who can sometimes be in too much of a hurry.
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Looks like a great list!
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So many new ones are just as good, but I can’t seem to get past my initial favorites list!
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An interesting collection, Marcia – some familiar, some soon to be. 🙂
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So hard to narrow it down to five. 🙂
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Impossible! But we try. 🙂
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I love your choices Marcia, and I can also see why you like Jennie’s blog. I’ve added it to my list of blogs to spend time at when I return from my break.
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You’ll like her blog, every post is filled with wisdom and compassion. I almost tagged you for this one, but knowing you’re on break, I decided not to interrupt your fun…hope all’s going fabulous!
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Thank you, Marcia! Oh, I love your choices!! I’m most excited to discover a new book, Farmer Palmer’s Wagon Ride, as I am a big fan of William Steig. Headed to the library tomorrow. Funny thing, I have a blog post tucked away about his books. I think I’ll read Library Lion at school today. Best to you, Marcia!
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There are so many wonderful Steig books, and I’ve always enjoyed the storyline of this one in particular. Hope you had a good day at school today!
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Thanks for the nod, and if this is a favorite, coming from you that is huge. Yes, he has many. I will do his post soon!
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Great, looking forward to it!
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What fun Marcia!! Love William Steig and have not ever seen the Farmer Palmer book! I’m off to look for it. And really like the Library Lion– bought copies of if for our grand-kids when we were on a trip and toured the NYC public library. And thanks for the challenge– the hard part is picking 5 books!! I’ll work on it this week Marcia– thanks! Will be fun to see what books the others pick! hugs hugs!
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Yes, narrowing it down to five can be tricky. Good luck!
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I posted! So many truly beautiful children’s books! hugs Marcia!
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Great, looking forward to reading your post!
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I am horrified that I don’t know any of these books, Marcia. I am going to look for them.
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It’s my pleasure to have this chance to introduce them to you. If I remember correctly, you don’t live anywhere near the USA, but I hope your library/bookstore will still be able to find you copies of them.
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I always enjoy seeing which books you recommend. I hadn’t though of A Baby Sister for Francis in years.
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Thanks for your interest, Sheryl! 🙂
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I enjoyed reading your post as I am a great picture book fan! You have put me in the mood to get out my Miss Rumphius book from my picture book collection. All of the books you chose looked wonderful . Oma and Bobo have caught my eye!. I will check that out. Thank you for another great post! 🙂
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You’re welcome, enjoy your picture books! 🙂
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Wow, what a great choices, Marcia! And informative post too! Me too, I like the Library Lion and William Steig! I’m going to look for the other 3. Thanks for sharing. Big hugs from Cambodia, Marcia!😘😘😘
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Hi Lilly! Glad to hear you enjoyed the post. We’ve got another snowstorm coming in tomorrow here in New England. 🙂
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Ouch…please stay safe, Marcia!🙏
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Yes, Miss Rumphius is on my list of favourite PBs as well! I’ve seen Library Lion around and must get to it soon.
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Library Lion is such a sweet story. Interesting to note, like Miss Rumphius, the main characters are adults (along with a real ‘non-anthropomorphic’ lion). 🙂
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Great choices!! I love classic picture books!!
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Me, too. Thanks, Ashley!
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