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Yolonda's Genius [Paperback]

Carol Fenner
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
List Price: CDN$ 7.99
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Book Description

Jan 1 1997
Young Andrew creates beautiful music on his harmonica despite his reading difficulties, and when the bullies of his Chicago neighborhood destroy his harmonica, his older sister Yolanda struggles to replace it. Reprint. Newbery Honor Book. AB.

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Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

This novel about a girl determined to see her brother's real genius acknowledged won a 1995 Newbery Honor; PW observed that it "merits acclaim for its fresh premise and forceful characterizations." Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 4^-6. A beautifully drawn portrait of an African American family that escapes the mean streets of Chicago by moving to a small Michigan town. Nearing the end of first grade, Yolonda's younger brother, Andrew, is still unable to read, and Yolonda's widowed mother worries about him and scoffs at Yolonda's dogged insistence that he is a musical genius. Now Yolonda must use all her physical and mental powers to devise a plan to prove to her mother and the world that Andrew is a child prodigy. Dynamic characters and fresh dialogue combine with a compelling story line to draw readers into Yolonda's world. Preteen girls especially will identify with Yolonda's yearning to be noticed by handsome Stoney Buxton and with the awkwardness she experiences at being the new kid in town. Fenner's expertise is most evident in the implausible ending that she somehow makes totally believable. Lauren Peterson --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Inside This Book (Learn More)
First Sentence
It was hard to say which terrible thing made their mother decide to finally leave Chicago, where Yolonda and her little brother, Andrew, had lived all their lives. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews

Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Rich Blues July 30 2006
By BeatleBangs1964 TOP 100 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback
Yolanda, 10 and her brother Andrew, 6 live with their widowed mother in Chicago. When Yolanda tells their mother that a classmate shot another child to death, that ends her days as a Chicago resident. Her mother, a paralegal, moves the family to a Michigan suburb with a good school system.

Yolanda quickly adjusts, after initially pining for the familiarity of her old neighborhood and the close proximity to her Aunt Tiny. Aunt Tiny is a large, husky woman with a large heart. She gives her piano to Yolanda, who is plainly talented and enjoys listening to and playing the classics. A delightful, intelligent woman, Aunt Tiny owns several hair salons in Chicago and her work has been featured nationwide and in magazines. Oprah Winfrey was a client at one of her shops.

Yolanda identifies with her aunt. Both are husky and buxom; both are outstanding cooks and both share a love for classical music and reading. Aunt Tiny as well as her sister-in-law, Yolanda and Andrew's mother are professionals who set their sights high.

Andrew, also is musically talented. A harmonica afficionado, the boy has been playing songs and setting background sounds to music since infancy. His harmonica was a gift from his late father, a police officer who died in a fishing accident. Yolanda was 4 at the time.

Andrew has a harder time in school; he rarely talks; cannot read and spends his free time thinking about music. A kind speech teacher takes Andrew under his wing and teaches him to read by applying the lessons to musical terms and interests, e.g. "B is for Bongo," etc. He also teaches Andrew how to read music.

Yolanda is fiercely independent and very bright. She can defend herself against any bully with reason, logic and a well applied foot in some cases. She is also very funny. When a group of older boys demolish her brother's harmonica, Yolanda comes up with a resourceful way of getting even with them and providing a new harmonica for her brother.

This is a wonderful story about a strong, intelligent black family with a very appealing cast of characters. The story ends on quite a blues note! I love it!
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3.0 out of 5 stars OK book May 2 2004
Format:Paperback
When Yolonda's mother, fearful of drugs and crime, drags Yolonda and her brother, Andrew out of Chicago, Yolonda is teased and starts to feels irritated in the her new town, Grand River. To make life easier, she starts going to the library, where she soon discovers something that is completely astonishing and unexpected. While flipping through the dictionary one day, she finds the word 'genius'. She finds that Andrew fits the description. Determined, she sets forth to convince everyone of her brother's musical talent on his harmonica. In spite of this, no one understands, not even her mother because they think Andrew is stupid, due to his weak reading skills. Then Yolonda's Aunt Tiny comes and whisks them back to Chicago. There they attend the famous Chicago music festivals, and Yolonda comes up with a risky plan to prove that Andrew indeed is a genius. Succeed she does, so Andrew hits the stage and performs for crowds of people. But in the end, he chooses a quiet life with his mother and Yolonda.

I would give this book a four out of ten overall. Carol Fenner came up with a decent story, but I didn't particularly like her style. The story was hard to follow since she switched scenes quite often without making good transitions. Neither was it a very suspenseful or exciting story.

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4.0 out of 5 stars "Yolanda's Genius" Feb 9 2003
Format:Paperback
I thoroughly enjoyed this fabulous book. The main character, Yolanda is a character who has some amazing qualities for her young age. She is determined to prove that her younger brother is a genius and will stop at nothing to prove this belief of hers. This book is full of literary merit and is a real page turner. The characters and setting are very believeable.
I am sure that people of all ages can relate to at least one of the characters in this book. The language is very descriptive and paints a clear and vivid picture of the story to the reader. I couldn't put this book down because I was so interested in the outcome !. The author, Carol Fenner provides the reader with so much insight into the characters of her book, that you feel as though you've known them for years. This is why I felt as though I was alongside of Yolanda for every step of her mission, and this is why I wasn't able to put down this book until I found out if she was successful or not.
This book will appeal to children and adults ages 10 and up. It is not a very difficult book to understand, but it does contain many elaborate descriptions. This book deals with topics such as neighborhood violence, the importance of family, and the different intelligences in our world. It sends a very positive message to the reader as a result. This is why I am encouraging all of you to read this great book.
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Most recent customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars Yolonda's Genius
YolandaŐs Genius is a fantastic and exciting book. In the beginning her family has to move out of their hometown because too many bad things happen. Read more
Published on Mar 4 2004
1.0 out of 5 stars Yolonda Is No Genius
As you try to swin through a see of ... looking for a climax and before you find it its wasted on old, soggy friendships and an ending with no certainty. Read more
Published on July 16 2003
4.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!
What is genius anyway? After being called a genius herself, Yolanda decides to look up the true definition in the dictionary. Read more
Published on Sep 8 2002 by Adrienne
4.0 out of 5 stars Yolanda's Genius
What is genius anyway? After being called a genius herself, Yolanda decides to look up the true definition in the dictionary. Read more
Published on Sep 8 2002 by Adrienne
2.0 out of 5 stars Yolonda's Barfus
This book was not so good. It was too corny. I hate open endings. Don't read this book unless you want to cry a ton. Aunt Tiny is funny.
Published on Mar 2 2002
5.0 out of 5 stars A Real Page Turner
12 year old Yolanda, her mother, and six year old brother, Andrew, (their dad had died when Yolonda was young) lived in Chicago, on the third floor of an apartment building. Read more
Published on Jan 28 2002 by A 10-year old reader
5.0 out of 5 stars Yolanda's Genius
This was a great book! I really liked it because it showed that anyone can be a hero. I hope they have a sequel because the author never really ended the book.
Published on Jan 21 2002
5.0 out of 5 stars Very enjoyable, a children's book good enough for adults
I have to admit, what drew me to this book is my own name: Yolanda. In this story Yolonda and her family are uprooted, and Yolonda has to make new friends and find her way around... Read more
Published on Oct 17 2001
2.0 out of 5 stars Boring Book
This book was kind of boring. I didn't want to keep reading it, but I had to. It was for a book club for AAUW. That's why I had to keep reading it. I sort of hated it in a way. Read more
Published on May 16 2001
3.0 out of 5 stars Yolandas Genius
Have you ever realized that one of your siblings is a genius? Well, thats what Yolanda realizes in a book titled Yolandas Genius. Read more
Published on Jan 5 2001 by Sandy Keppel
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