Richard Peck

Toni Bowers FRMS 7331 July 12, 2010

Biographical Information
Born: April 10, 1934 Decatur, IL Career: Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, instructor in English, 1958-60; Glenbrook North High School, Northbrook, IL, teacher of English, 1961-63; Scott, Foresman Co., Chicago, IL, textbook editor, 196365; Hunter College of the City University of New York and Hunter College High School, instructor in English and education, 1965-71

writer, 1971. Assistant director, Council for Basic Education, Washington, DC, 1969-70; English-speaking Union fellow to Jesus College, Oxford, 1973; lecturer. Military service: U.S. Army, 1956-58; served in Stuttgart, Germany.

Extra: First novel was Don't Look and It Won't Hurt, about teen pregnancy High school English teacher

Book List

Don't Look and It Won't Hurt, Holt (New York, NY), 1972. Through a Brief Darkness, Viking (New York, NY), 1973. Representing Super Doll, Viking (New York, NY), 1974. The Ghost Belonged to Me, Viking (New York, NY), 1975. Are You in the House Alone? (with teacher's guide), Viking (New York, NY), 1976. Ghosts I Have Been (sequel to The Ghost Belonged to Me), Viking (New York, NY), 1977. Father Figure, Viking (New York, NY), 1978. Secrets of the Shopping Mall, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1979. Close Enough to Touch, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1981. The Dreadful Future of Blossom Culp, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1983. Remembering the Good Times, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1985. Blossom Culp and the Sleep of Death, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1986. Princess Ashley, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1987. Those Summer Girls I Never Met, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1988. Dreamland Lake, Holt (New York, NY), 1973, Dell (New York, NY), 1990. Unfinished Portrait of Jessica, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1991. Bel-Air Bambi and the Mall Rats, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1993. The Last Safe Place on Earth, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1995. Lost in Cyberspace, Dial Books (New York, NY), 1995. The Great Interactive Dream Machine: Another Adventure in Cyberspace, Dial Books (New York, NY), 1996. A Long Way from Chicago: A Novel in Stories, Dial Books (New York, NY), 1998. Strays like Us, Dial Books (New York, NY), 1998. A Year down Yonder, Dial Books (New York, NY), 2000. Fair Weather, Dial Books (New York, NY), 2001. The River between Us, Dial Books (New York, NY), 2003. The Teacher's Funeral: A Comedy in Three Parts, Dial Books (New York, NY), 2004.

http://www.iblist.com/author4969.htm A web site that contains a list of some of his books that can be clicked on for more information. http://biography.jrank.org/pages/1440/Pec k-Richard-Wayne-1934.html This web site gives a brief biography of Richard Peck and his career.

The Ghost Belonged to Me

Alexander Armsworth is a typical 13 year old boy in Missouri in 1913. When a classmate, Blossom Culp, tells him he has the gift he brushes it off. One night, his gift comes to haunt him, literally. Up in the loft of the Armsworths barn, Alexander meets Inez Dumaine a Creole girl that drowned during the Civil War. She warns him about the night trolley crashing into the swamp. He is able to stop the trolley before disaster strikes. However, this makes Alexander famous. His Uncle Miles then tells the tale of how and why Inez is haunting the barn and what they have to do to get her to rest peacefully.

Book Review By: Stephan Stuecklin

I'm twenty-three years old, so not necessarily the typical age to read this book, which is aimed at a younger readership. Nevertheless, I very much enjoyed this story, whose main draw are its vivid characters with their different idiosyncrasies, especially the underappreciated Blossom and the sweetly naive Alexander. Peck starts off by writing a summary of the story in the first chapter, which helps a lot in keeping the reader interested during the somewhat lengthy (but necessary) opening part which introduces the main characters. Ably and wittily Peck illustrates the contrasting mannerisms of Alexander's family, and his keen sense of observation makes this unlikely group seem all the likelier. Since the title contains the word "ghost", one expects magic in this story; the magic to me is the nostalgic wholeness of a world in which despite quarrels and fights a family stays together, and where quite obviously a protecting hand brings and holds things and people together. At odds with my experience of my world, this book creates a yearning for a better place inside of me, a place where modesty, honesty and trust receive the honor and reward they deserve.

Thoughts/Reactions

Like the author of the review, this book wasnt written for my age group. However, from the first word I was drawn into a haunting and chilling story. I enjoy reading ghost stories especially when they revolve around the Civil War. What I found really awesome was how Peck described the bones of Inez Dumaine and her dog. It wasnt that graphic, but he gave enough detail that you could lightly see in the imagination.

The River Between Us

Tilly Pruitt, her sister Cassy, brother Noah, and mother live in a muddy Illinois town on the Mississippi river. The approaching Civil War has everyone on edge especially Tillys mother. Noah wants to join up with the Union to go fight. One night a steamboat from New Orleans pulls into dock. Two shadowy figures exit the boat. One is dressed in a fancy dress and the other in a plain calico dress. Tillys mother invites the two to stay with them. Little did she know how much these two strangers will change her familys life forever.

Book Review

Posted September 16, 2009, 1:37 PM EST: Over the summer I read "The River Between Us" by Richard Peck. At first, I WAS NOT INTERESTED IN THE BOOK. Some parts were confusing, and I had to go back sometimes to make sure of facts, and double-check details. However, after reaching chapter three, this book and I became inseparable. I am very glad that I chose it. "The River Between Us" is about a girl named Tilly growing up at the onset of the Civil War. Although the first and last chapters are narrated by her grandson, the novel focuses on her and adventures with two New Orleans women who come and live with her family. I think the theme of this novel is growing up when you need to, even if you're not ready. And also falling back into the past, whether you actually lived through it, or is you're just listening to your grandmother's stories. At the end of the book, one particular section stood out to me. "At first I didn't know how to listen to tales so old. But we began to edge across the years towards each other, Grandma Tilly and I. I began to see the yellow lamplight in their faces, just a flicker at first. I heard calliope music wavering over the water." This told me more than anything else how vividly a story can bring an old time back. This book does a great job of describing even the tiniest detail to make you feel connected in many ways. I would gladly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys drama, action, sorrow, or joy. It is a wonderful book.

Thoughts/Reaction

Even though this novel is not so much a ghost story, it is a telling of a familys struggle at the onset of the Civil War. It was an interesting story to read. I havent read about the families of the Union and their struggles so this book really opened up my eyes. One thing I did not like was the idea that it was okay not to get married, but have a child with someone. If I chose to read this book in class, I would warn the students about this underlining theme within the book. Other than that, I enjoyed the book.

Literature Circle Activity

Questions: What state do Tilly and her family live in? What state lies on the other side of the Mississippi River? Briefly explain how the town of Grand Tower got its name. What does Noah do in town that makes Mama afraid he will leave home? Imagine you were compelled to leave home like Delphine and Calinda and could not bring everything you owned. List three to five items you would take with you and explain why you would bring each item.

Literature Circle Activity con.

Students will get into groups of three to answer these questions. They will write down their answers in a literature circle journal. If time permits, each group will share their answers.

Are You in the House Alone?

Gail Osburne is a sixteen year old girl that has just moved from New York City to a small town. She and her boyfriend start to have innocent sex. Then she starts getting threatening letters and phone calls from a stalker. One night while babysitting she is assaulted, more specific raped. Her heart sinks when she finds out who her stalker really is.

Book Review By: xoDevinox

Posted May 27, 2009, 1:22 PM EST: Book Review Outline Book title and author: Are you in the House Alone? By Richard Peck Title of review: Number of stars (1 to 5): 4 Introduction This story is about a girl who gets raped. I would recommend this book to young adults. Richard Peck wrote this story for suspense. I gave this story 4 star because it was intense and entertaining. I couldn't put it down for five seconds. Description and summary of main points Are you in the House Alone is about a girl named Gail Osburne who starts to get notes in her locker. Her best friend tells her to forget it it's just a dream but it wasn't a dream. After all the notes she keeps getting she starts to get phone calls. Her worst nightmare was starting to happen. It was getting worse and worse and then . . . Evaluation I like the story Are you in the House alone because it is one of my favorite kind of story. I like it because it had Great detail. It had great decrepit. This book it one of the best books I ever read. Conclusion In my conclusion I would recommend this story to young adults who like to read about intense stories. It story is great because of all the great detail and decrepit. This is one of my favorite books ever. I couldn't stop reading this.

Thoughts/Reactions

This book sent chills down my spine. I read this book when I was in middle school, but I never really got into it. However, this time I fully understood the plot. Reading about a rape through the eyes of the narrator really made the story come alive more than I wanted it to do. It is a great story to read to help someone know how to deal with a stalker and rape. A must read for young adults; however, they should be warned about the books content.

Views Relative to the Author

Richard Peck writes stories about mystery, ghost, rape, unwanted teen pregnancy, suicide, and deaths of loved ones. For the past 39 years, he has released a book at least every other year. He is inspired to write books as he sits at his typewriter. Peck says he can look over his typewriter and see the faces of his characters. I love Richard Pecks stories because they draw me in from the first sentence. He has a way of phrasing the words to make you crave more. Peck does his research before he writes. If a story takes place during a certain time period, he writes as though he is from that time period. Even though he writes this way in many of his books, he manipulates the language to where it can be understood easily. When he writes about a difficult situation, he does not sugar coat it. He lets the reader know how important it is to talk to students about the issues his books address. I look forward to reading more of Richard Pecks books.

Resources

http://biography.jrank.org/pages/1440/Peck-RichardWayne-1934.html http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Are-You-in-theHouse-Alone/Richard-Peck/e/9780141306933 http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-River-BetweenUs/Richard-Peck/e/9780142403105 http://teacher.scholastic.com/clubs/pdfs/riverbetweenus_ t.pdf http://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Belonged-Me-RichardPeck/dp/0140386718 http://www.iblist.com/author4969.htm