A Corner of the Universe

Every family has secrets, but some secrets are harder than others to fully understand. In this touching little book, Ann M. Martin, one of my favorite authors of all times, tells the story of one girl, one family, and one universe. In A Corner of the Universe, Hattie's summer of 1960 is one that will change her life forever.Hattie's parents ran a boarding house. There were many rules for the house, but not as many rules as in her grandmother's proper, sophisticated home. The summer is your typical summer until word comes to Hattie's family that her uncle Adam is coming home. Hattie didn't even know she had an uncle Adam. Significantly younger than her mother and her other uncle, Adam has lived most of his life at a special school. Unfortunately, that school is closing, and Adam's parents have to take care of them until they can find an appropriate place for him to stay.At first Hattie isn't sure what to expect from Adam. She has heard words like "retarded" and schizophrenic and autistic to describe him, but she isn't sure what all that means. When he finally arrives, though, she is surprised at one thing in particular. When Adam is happy, he is the happiest person on earth. And most of the time, Adam is very happy. Most of the time. Throughout the summer, Hattie spends a lot of time with Adam. He teaches her, she teaches him, and most importantly, she finds a friend in the man her family seems to be ashamed of. What Hattie doesn't know is that there are deeper, darker pieces of Adam's psyche that can't be overcome by ice cream, I Love Lucy, and carnivals.I need to first profess my undying love for Ann M. Martin. This is the woman who made me a reader. Right here! And it wasn't because of the Babysitter's Club that I became a reader. It was because of a book she wrote called 10 Kids, No Pets. I read that book so many times, my copy literally fell to pieces. Disintegrated. But I haven't read anything from Martin in decades, so I had really high expectations from this story... and it didn't disappoint.Hattie is your typical 12 year old girl growing up in Millerton. That's right! Millerton! Now, don't expect Millerton in 2013 if you are a local, because this is Millerton in 1960, but how cool is it that Martin wrote about our very town?! So exciting! Hattie's grandparents are very wealthy and don't necessarily approve of their daughter's choice in husband (and artist, gasp!), but they deal with it since they moved back to Millerton to raise Hattie and run the boarding house. The monkey wrench of a son like Adam is such a touchy subject with this family that it leaves one word on the tip of your tongue as you read: shame. It is so sad to see this model of shipping off a "damaged" son who ruins your perfect persona, and I think this mindset is one our students would have a difficult time understanding in 2013. That makes this a perfect story to read together, and if possible, a phenomenal story for them to read with a grandparent or older teacher. I am sure this story will provoke questions, so who better than to read it with than someone who lived through this era in history?Hattie is the true gem of this story, but Adam plays a close second. He is so happy and truly just enjoys all that life has. The dialogue from Adam really paints a picture of this bright young man that makes him all the more endearing. But of course, not everyone will find someone who is so different to be endearing. And that is why I loved Hattie so much. Even as an impressionable young 12 year old, she defends Adam both to strangers who are ready to mock him or call him a freak, but also to his own family who treat him like a stain upon their perfect family. She really was a wonderful kid- one you will love to expose your students to. I absolutely loved this story, and while the subject matter can be heavy at times, I think our middle readers can handle it. In fact, the heavy parts of the story are handled so beautifully, it made me remember just how much I loved Martin's writing. She knows how to use circumstances and inference to guide the reader, not dictate to the reader. So please give this book a chance and remember, it is better to read about tough subjects with your kids and to talk to them about it than to try to shelter them for too long. Kids never stay sheltered for too long.

It's the summer of 1960 and Hattie Owen is turning 12 years old. Instead of spending her summer at the beach with her best friends or at camp, Hattie chooses to help manage the family owned boarding house. Here, Hattie can get lost in books and spend time with the residents who act as her surrogate grandparents. Hattie is sure that this summer will be relaxing and exciting, the perfect break she needs from the torment she experiences at school.However, Hattie is in for a shock when she discovers that her mother has another brother, Adam, who is returning to town for the summer. Adam and Hattie become fast friends, until she begins to experience the highs and lows of Adam's mental illness. Not wanting to give up on her friend or uncle, Hattie sticks by Adam, protecting him from the snide comments made by her peers and looking after him when her grandparent's aren't sure of how to treat him. The more time they spend together, the more Hattie relates to Adam. She understands his wants, desires, thoughts and actions, which initiates a fear that she may suffer from the same disorder. These two spend the summer discovering the effects that mental illness can have not only on an individual but also on a family.A Corner of The Universe shows readers that the effects of mental disorders should not be hidden or ignored and that the thoughts of children and young adults should be valued because they have a fundamental and unique understanding of the world that can get lost with age.

I love how this book starts off with a flashback of movie clips, before telling the story. Reading the beginning of this book is what got me hooked and I couldn’t put it down. I love how this book addresses the struggles of mental health, even in the 1950s. This also puts things into the perspective of a child so that young reader can connect and learn the importance of acceptance and mental health struggles. I highly recommend for both young adults and adults alike!

I read this book for the first time when I was in sixth grade. It was the very first book that I enjoyed reading. I've read it plenty of times since then and decided to order it so I can read it again and again! I'm 23 now and even though the font is big and the book is fairly simple to read, I still consider it my favorite book. I'm trying to find more adult versions of this kind of book, and just ordered The Girl With All the Gifts. This is still my favorite genre of fiction!

Adam’s condition of mental illness is poorly portrayed. Did he have depression, anxiety, psychosis? It sounds a little like Autism Spectrum Disorder, but parts don’t fit. The author should have done more research on mental illness. There are real problems with how Adam exits the story. It is very uncharacteristic for a thing like this to happen - I won’t go into it b/c that would give away a major plot twist.

Super fast delivery, book exactly as described, very pleased with my order from Hoop City Books!

The product showed up in a timely manner and in good condition.This has been an absolute favorite book of mine forever and I wanted to listen to it on a road trip, but the voice of the narrator ruined the book for me completely.If you love this book as much as I do I wouldn't suggest getting this audio book with this narrator.

This book was just absolutely amazing. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me angry, it made me smile- what a whirlwind of emotions. And on some notes, I could even relate to the book. I've grown up with an autistic brother. Many people don't understand. But I do. And he is the corner of my universe. I highly suggest this book. Some people don't understand people who are different, or have special needs and so on. It's about time they do.

下宿屋を経営する一家の一人娘ハッティ。１２歳の彼女が一人でファミリーフィルムを見返すプロローグから物語は幕を開けます。「でもここには大切なことは写っていないわ。パパは楽しい時しか写さないから。私の人生を変えてしまった出来事は写っていない――」突然現れた風変わりな叔父と過ごした、ハッティのひと夏の思い出。２００３年度ニューベリー賞（アメリカの児童文学賞）の佳作（Newbery Honor）を受賞した作品ということで興味を持って読んでみました。裏表紙にSchool Library Journalからの賛辞が掲載されているくらいの、まあいかにも学校の図書館にありそうな内容の本ではあるのですが、なかなか楽しい本で週末に一気に読んでしまいました。舞台が１９６０年、というだけに「ファミリービデオ」ではなく「ファミリーフィルム」だったり、その他読んだ後で色々と調べてみたら、時代背景も色々と工夫されているみたいです。当時のアメリカを知っている方が読むといっそうおもしろいんではないかと思います（もちろん、知らなくても読めましたよ！）。１２歳の子の一人語り、という設定なので、英語も平易で読みやすいです。高校の教科書くらいの英文を読む力があれば結構読めてしまうんではないでしょうか。ただ、何の説明もなしにどんどん登場人物が出てきたり、５０年代のアメリカのテレビドラマネタ（I Love Lucy/今でもアメリカでは人気があるらしい）などがところどころに挿入されていたりするので、背景知識を補う分くらいの「英文慣れ」は必要かもしれません。中級・上級者の方の多読用にはオススメできると思います。