I received an ARC from Harper and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Middle Grade Fiction, Middle Grade Historical Fiction
Theme: Coming-of-age, Growing Up, Love

Previously published in 1987.

The writing immediately drew me in. Rabble's and Veronica's voice are authentic kid and made me remember my childhood. The setting is in the 70s, and mental illness is represented as it would have been perceived in that time period. I think for this re-do, the mother: Sweet-Hosanna, who is nicknamed Sweet-Ho maybe should've been updated to Sweet-Ann. That's going to get to many snickers with a young audience.

Rabble and Veronica see themselves as sisters, and we get to see how their relationship changes. The entire book is about relationships and the different ways we see people. Characters range from their 90s to Gunther who is about four-years-old. The kids are a bit clueless that strikes true to form for being twelve-years-old.

*Rabble Starkey* received Vermont Golden Dome Book Award Nominee (1989), Judy Lopez Memorial Award for Children's Literature Nominee (1988), Best Children's Books of the Year (Bank Street College of Education) (1987)

The themes are as poignant today as they were when it was originally published.

I recommend this book for all readers.

Happy reading!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harper Collins Children's for my copy of Rabble Starkey by Lois Lowry in exchange for an honest review. It publishes June 13, 2023.
Here's a Lois Lowry title I had not heard of before this! This was a sweet coming-of-age book that was short, but packed a big punch for any middle-grader. There are some things that may not hold up great for today's audiences, but overall I thought it was pretty great!

This little gem by Lois Lowry was first published in 1987! I missed it the first time around but thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Childrens Books I got a copy for review and the book has a new look and a rerelease date in June.
Teen/YA
Classic Lois Lowry
4/5⭐⭐⭐⭐
My daughter and I loved Lowry's Anastasia Krupnik books back in the day and the dialog and characters of Rabble are just as clever and engaging. The message of love and kindness is always needed.
Rabble and her mother are on their own. Abandoned by Rabble's father just months after her birth, Sweet Hosannah and Parable Ann, that's Rabble, make a life for themselves in the garage apartment of the Bigelow family. Veronica Bigelow quickly become Rabble's best friend and they face the challenges of middle school together. When Veronica's mother struggles with depression and begins to slip away from her family and is eventually sent to a hospital, Rabble and Sweet Hosanna move into the house to help Mr. Bigelow keep things going. A new kind of family develops and Veronica and Rabble help out with little Gunther, the youngest Bigelow and Sweet Hosanna runs the house. Rabble is in heaven - she has a readymade family and it feels so right.
There are several fun neighbors who add to the atmosphere of their little community. The themes of love, loss, self-worth, kindness, acceptance and most especially family resound throughout this wonderful story.
#NetGalley #RabbleStarkey #HarperCollinsChildrensbooks

Rabble is twelve years old and has endured a lot in her short life. Her mom left her to live with her grandmother until her grandmother died. Now she lives with her mother and although it isn’t an easy life, she has a great friend to brighten her days. Rabble wants a stable life and starts to get that, but then her mom’s boss has a mental breakdown and leaves for the hospital, Rabble and her mom move into the big house to help out more. As time passes, Rabble begins to feel a part of a family she never had … but will this last? What will happen when the woman of the house returns?

Rabble Starkey is a stand-alone realistic fiction story that is written for young readers and will leave them thinking hard about some serious issues. The original story was written in 1987, yet the story could easily be taking place in the present day. Lowry has created a small cast of characters with their own strengths and flaws and most readers will be able to relate to one if not many characters. The ending is kind of anticlimactic, but sometimes that is what life is like. Readers will have mixed feelings about the ending, though.

Veronica Bigelow and Rabble Starkey are best friends. Rabble and her mom Sweet Hosanna (Sweet-Ho) live above the Bigelow’s garage. Sweet-Ho helps take care of Veronica’s little brother Gunther as well as keeping the house. When Veronica’s mother’s mental illness gets worse, Veronica and Rabble grow closer, as close as sisters.

Lois Lowry was one of my favorite authors growing up, but somehow, I never read this book as a kid. This sweet coming-of-age story focuses on friendship, family, depression, and loss. While it reads as a somewhat dated book, it seems to have stood the test of time. I believe the topics are still relevant today and many young readers will be able to relate to the story.

What a wonderful story about life. Rabble does read a little older than her years, but the story is a good one for readers of all ages.

I love Lois Lowry. As a reader, I find her books transport me and make me think, they resonate for a long time and I often go back and reread them. As a teacher, I find her books speak to my middle and high school students, and I am often told, excitedly, "This is the first time I've actually finished a whole book." We can identify with her characters and their situations, if not directly, then by some sort of shared experience or memory.

I had not read this book before but found it when searching for Lowry's new release, so, of course, I submitted my request. I'm giving this information because perhaps if I had read the original release I'd have some nostalgia tinting my review. But, as a first time reader, the book just didn't work for me. I am not sure I understand why THIS book, of all her books, would be chosen for "re-release," especially without some sort of update. The fact that the 14-year old who gives birth to the title character is named "Sweet Ho" should have been a clue that, perhaps, the book was a bit tone deaf for 2023. And, if that didn't do the trick, the entire handling of the mental illness storyline should have.

I'm sorry, but I just can't see myself recommending Rabble Starkey to students, no matter how. much pre-teen Amy might have loved the story, back in the late 70's.

I would actually give it a 1.5 if half stars were an option.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

Updated cover but an older story from Lowry. I enjoyed most of this book. I thought the family tree was a good tie in to how families are made in all different ways. I liked the young girls and their friendship. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC for the purpose of this review. Four stars.

Parable Starkey, aka Rabble, lives with her mother (Sweet Ho) and the Bigelow family whom Sweet Ho works for. When Mrs. Bigelow needs in-patient treatment for mental illness, Rabble and Sweet Ho move into the main house to help take care of the baby.

There is, of course, much more to this story- about finding family and what discovering your roots means for who you are.

I am surprised though to see this as a re-release on NetGalley. The story feels incredibly dated. From a character named Sweet Ho to the way mental illness is discussed, I cannot imagine this book resonating with young readers of today.

Lois Lowry is one of my favorite YA authors. This is a sweet, if outdated, coming of age story. I'm not sure how I missed this one as a child but enjoyed reading it as an adult. The storyline between Rabble and her mother is quite relatable. If you are trying to get the bang for you buck, I recommend The Giver or Number the Stars instead.

Reviewed for NetGalley:

A Lois Lowry re-release with a new, beautiful cover.

Rabble and her mother libe with the Bigelows, Rabble’s best friend Veronica’s fmsilu. AfterMrs. Bigelow suffers an intense episode of mental illness, things begin to get worse.

A lovely story about friendship, relationships, and mentall illness from a child’s perspective.

Rabble Starkey by Lois Lowry is a classic example of how the author wove together character experience with life lessons to create beautiful contemporary tales that touched the hearts of many. Rabble and Veronica were wonderful characters with a spunk and curiosity that breathed life into the narrative. Their seemingly rote days showed little bits of maturing and growth as they tackled life together. I enjoyed this rerelease of the 1980s story and the hope and family love that it celebrates.

Rabble Starkey, written by Lois Lowry, is a coming-of-age story of two girls trying to navigate family mental health issues. The story draws the reader into relatable characters who befriend an elderly neighbor. As I feel about all of Lowry's novels, I loved this one and would highly recommend it to any teacher, library, or middle-grade book lovers. Many thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for this ARC.

Rabble Starkey is a 12-year-old girl living with her mother, Sweet Hosanna at the Bigelow's house. Sweet Hosanna acts as a live-in nanny and housekeeper since Mrs. Bigelow is suffering from mental illness that prevents her from taking care of the house and her children.The Bigelow house becomes a home for Rabble and her mother, especially when Mrs. Bigelow goes to the hospital for an extended period of time. As time goes on, things change…and change can be hard.

I’m a Lois Lowry fan. I’ve never heard of this book before and I thought it was interesting it was being rereleased later this year. This is a coming of age novel with topics of family, friendships, depression, loss, and life changes. It’s obvious this book is somewhat dated but I thought it held up quite well and it gave me a sense nostalgia because this is the exact type of book I would have enjoyed in middle school.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Honestly I was so surprised to see this book on Netgalley but I was very happy too.
I read this book when I was a kid. I loved it then and I love it now. Although now this book has more meaning for me than it did.
Lois Lowry was a favorite author of mine as a kid and I really wish she'd have written more books through the years because her storytelling was fabulous! I loved the way she wrote this book from Rabble's pov.
My favorite character was Sweet Ho.
Her wisdom was wonderful and she very much brought back memories of my own grandmother.
I'm glad they're re-releasing it so that future generations may enjoy this
beautiful coming of age story like I did.
You'll love Rabble and her family like I did. They'll leave you thinking about them long after this story is over. That's my favorite thing about a book.
5 stars for a job well done. I highly recommend!
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

In this rerelease, I discovered Rabble for the first time. She is disadvantaged in many ways. Yet, she is surrounded by people that love her. She learns to love the people who are more difficult to love. She and other people in her world grow despite the difficult times they face. I found some outrageously funny parts. I don't know it was culturally accepted at the time. Her mother had been a teen mother and was nicked named "Sweet Ho.". I thought it was a little tongue-in-cheek until I learned her full name. Overall, I really enjoyed the book! Even though it was dated in some ways, I think some kids will connect with her circumstances.

I love Lois Lowry but this story did not age too well. The idea of the story was great but I think it could have benefited from an updated version for its rerelease. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early read.

When I saw this book on Netgalley I was very excited as Lois Lowry was one of my favorites when I was a kid. I was a little disappointed when I realized it was a re-release but somehow I never found it as a child so I happily dove in. While there are definitely some outdated bits and even just a few things that were a little off putting (like the poor single mother who got pregnant as a teenager being called Sweet-Ho). Overall though it was a sweet story about growing up and about friendship. Veronica and Rabble are best friends and as close as sisters. Rabble and her mom live in Veronica’s garage and help take care of Veronica’s little brother and her mother keeps their house for them. This has never stopped them from being close. Things start to change when Veronica’s mother’s mental illness gets worse. Overall I gave this one 3.5 stars, rounded up because it honestly held up better than I was expecting (I’ve been let down by too many books from the 80’s/90’s that are being re-released).

Lowry, Lois

Rabble Starkey by Lois Lowry

Love, loss, facing fears, accepting flaws, aiming for more . . . there is so much to ponder in this little book, so many lessons. I confess that I was slow to warm up to this story, but I came to care for these people. I found myself unwilling to put the book down as I read of problems sorted, people growing and reforming, and new goals set.
We learn the power of the dictionary and thesaurus, and the pitfalls of a family tree assignment. Home, we are reminded, is not only a place, but more importantly, the people, memories, and feelings. A worthy book, in some ways reminiscent of To Kill a Mockingbird.
(Still, I’d wish for a different nickname for Sweet Hosanna if I were reading this with a middle school group).

3/5 stars! I read several of Lois Lowry's books growing up but had missed this one somehow. So I was excited to see that it is being re-released. This was an enjoyable story, but it felt very outdated. I think it could have used some updates prior to being re-published. Overall, a sweet story of friendship and growth.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily