Gone-Away Lake - ISBNLookup.com

From the Publisher

"[Has] a brilliance and a humor that make it seem as if it were happening right this minute."—The New York Times Book Review
"A beautifully written, wonderfully imaginative story."—Publishers Weekly

Horn Book

Vicarious adventures of the best sort...these are welcome reissues of Enright's lively stories.

Publishers Weekly

Delany proves a nimble, accomplished reader on this inviting adaptation of Enright's Newbery Honor novel. Eleven-year-old Portia and her younger brother Foster can't wait to spend the summer in the country with their cousin Julian and his parents. Soaking in the fresh air, the rural setting and Julian's company is usually pleasure enough, but this summer the children stumble upon Gone-Away Lake, a settlement of elegant summer homes that have long been abandoned with the lake grown over, obscured by wetland plants. They also discover two kindly inhabitants of Gone-Away, who are happy to remain living in the past-and virtual isolation. Delany's dulcet voice conveys the children's wonder at their discovery as well as the warm and welcoming manner of Gone-Away's keepers, Aunt Minnehaha and Uncle Pin. Though some of the language is dated and today's children rarely have the same freedom to wander alone, this tale of friendship and the joys of a life lived well never sounds stale. Throughout, Delany's easy rhythm paired with Enright's detailed descriptions will have listeners longing for a summer vacation. Ages 8-up. (May) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature

A reissue of a Newbery Honor Book, young readers should still enjoy the adventures of elevenyearold Portia, who together with her younger brother, Foster, spend a summer with their twelveyearold cousin, Julian, engaged in more than the usual summer pastimes of sun, fun and games. The three intrepid children soon discover a fascinating abandoned summer resort, consisting of deserted crumbling Victorian summer homes surrounding a vanished lake, which is now a swamp. But, best of all, they discover and befriend an elderly eccentric brother and sister who tell them the story of GoneAway Lake, helping them to connect with the past while still enjoying the present. 2000 (orig. 1957), Harcourt, Ages 8 to 12, $17.00. Reviewer: Gisela Jernigan

School Library Journal

Gr 3-6-Elizabeth Enright's 1957 Newbery Honor Book about a season of discovery and adventure (Harcourt, 1990) continues to entertain children in the audiobook format. Narrator Colleen Delany's lightning-fast transitions from voice to voice are right on target in this story of a once-upon-a-time summer colony at the turn of the 20th century. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

New York Times Book Review

[Has] a brilliance and a humor that make it seem as if it were happening right this minute.