- Hardcover: 304 pages
- Publisher: Harperteen (May 13 2004)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0060541385
- ISBN-13: 978-0060541385
- Product Dimensions: 21.1 x 14.2 x 3.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 476 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #2,216,717 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up–Poignant and laced with wry humor, this novel follows the Gold sisters as they cope with their father's sudden death from a heart attack. While their mother works overtime to keep them afloat financially, the three teens cope in their own way–often with disastrous results. The focus is on May, the studious, steady middle sister, who tries to hold the family together even as she is going to pieces on the inside. She is falling for Pete, a neighbor she has grown up with, but is afraid to admit it even to herself, so she watches in agony as he dates her coworker at a coffee shop. Palmer, the youngest, begins to have panic attacks. Brooks, the oldest, quits the softball team, gets drunk on a regular basis, and makes plans to have sex with her not-quite-boyfriend. Set in a suburb of Philadelphia, the novel revolves around baseball and the father's Pontiac Firebird, which serves as a haven for one of the girls, a means to rebel for another, and an important part of the healing process for all three. This is a wonderfully moving and entertaining novel full of authentic characters and emotions.–Miranda Doyle, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
*Starred Review* Gr. 7-10. May is the middle sister, intelligent and responsible, surrounded by her two beautiful, athletic sisters, Brooks and Palmer. All three girls were named after baseball players by their larger-than-life father. Then their father suddenly dies, and the girls' lives are forever changed. Brooks quits baseball and begins to hang out with Dave, who introduces her to alcohol and sex. Palmer becomes sullen and more baseball driven. And May tries to hold herself and her siblings together as their grieving mother supports the family. Told alternately by all three girls, with May as the primary narrator, Johnson's novel will pull readers in with its quietly complex story. May, Palmer, and Brooks each respond in separate but absolutely authentic ways, and Johnson takes readers beyond the predictable coping story by beautifully articulating each daughter's pain, gradual healing, and acceptance. The romantic subplots are deftly handled as well. One sister is disillusioned by her foolishness at "giving it all up for a man," while another slowly realizes that her antagonistic friendship with a boy has the potential to be so much more. A very special, unexpected coming-of-age novel. Frances Bradburn
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
May Gold's actual name was Mayzie. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
May Gold's actual name was Mayzie. Read the first page
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Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting New Teen Fiction,
By
This review is from: Key To The Golden Firebird (Hardcover)
When Mike Gold, Father to three teenage girls - May, Brooks, and Palmer - has a heart attack and dies in his beloved 1967 Firebird, the incident leaves a deep impression upon the girls, and the car is left alone for a year. That is, until the car beckons the attention of the girls, who refer to themselves (at least May does) as the "Tall, Blonde, and Wonderful Family." The three girls, all suffering from neglect, choose to deal with their Father's death in different ways. May tries to keep the family together, Brooks gives up softball and starts drinking, leading her to an arrest for drunk driving, and Palmer spends all of her time concentrating on pitching and watching TV, as well as hiding her panic attacks from everyone around her. It's not until the three girls decide to do something special with their Father's ashes that they are able to finally begin their lives anew.In the footsteps of Ann Brashare's THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS, Maureen Johnson has created THE KEY TO THE GOLDEN FIREBIRD, an amazing, joy-ride of a novel filled with many ups and downs, as well as wonderful moments that will stay with the reader for years to come. The three main characters - May, Brooks, and Palmer - all posess different quirks in their personalities that will not only enchant the reader, but also help them to identify with one of the lovable sisters. An enjoyable book for teen girls looking for a moving story that will capture not only their hearts, but their imaginations as well. Erika Sorocco
5.0 out of 5 stars
A real page turner!,
By Moonchicky08 (Athens, GA, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Key To The Golden Firebird (Hardcover)
Tragedy can do one of many things. It can bring people together, but it can also cause people to separate. In the Gold's case it did both. May, Palmer and Brooks are sisters but they don't seem to have one single thing in common except for the fact that they share the same mother and father. May Gold was the middle child of the three sisters. She had always been the responsible one and the one everyone could count on. When a heart attack claims her father's life, May finds herself being weighted down with the family's burdens. In this story May finds herself and she also reconnects with her family through the pain that all of them have suffered.When I first started reading this book I wasn't sure what to expect. I must be truthful: my expectations were not very high. The title didn't bring much excitement. The qoute, "Don't judge a book by it's cover," came to mind after I read this book. I could barely put it down. I found myself deeply indulged in this story. Some of the situations were predictable, but it was great, just the same. The title of this book truly does suit it. This book was an amazing treat. It's sure to be a keeper and an instant favorite.
5.0 out of 5 stars
The BEST book of the summer 2004!,
By Susan Cohn (Silver Springs, MD) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Key To The Golden Firebird (Hardcover)
My aunt gave me The Key To The Goldenfire Bird for my birthday. That was two days ago and I couldn't put it down. This is a great book! I don't want to give anything BUT let me tell you I laughed so hard at the beginning of the book that my mom asked if I'd hurt myself. I also cried and laughed some more.The sisters are so different from each other. I think I'm more like Brooks. Pete is the most awesome character ever. I give this book a 5 out of 5 and will definitely read it again before the summer is done.(...)
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