Belle Prater's Boy
Illustrator
Alison Elliott
Publisher
Bantam
Publication Year
1996
ISBN
9780440413721
Pages
196 pages
Genre
historical
Format
novel
Item Type
Fiction
Annotation
When Woodrow's mother suddenly disappears, he moves to his grandparents' home in a small Virginia town where he befriends his cousin and together they find the strength to face the terrible losses and fears in their lives. Everyone in Coal Station, Virginia, has a theory about what happened to Belle Prater, but twelve-year-old Gypsy wants the facts, and when her cousin Woodrow, Aunt Belle's son moves next door, she has her chance.
Grade Level
9-12
Lexile Measure
760L
Diversity Topics
Family Relationships; Disability and Health; Step parent; Legal guardianship; Family member death; Physical appearance; Addiction; step father; grandparents raising grandchild; death of a father; burns; scars; alcoholism
Main Character
male child; female child
Race/Ethnicities
White
Family Formation
mother and step father; grandmother and grandfather
Awards
ABC Children's Booksellers Choices Award, 1997, Winner, Young Adult Readers
Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Excellence in Children's Literature, 1996, Honor Book, Fiction
John Newbery Medal, 1997, Honor Book
Adventuring with Books: A Booklist for PreK-Grade 6, 12th Edition, 1999
Best Children's Books of the Year, 1996
Books for You: An Annotated Booklist for Senior High, Thirteenth Edition, 1997
Books in the Middle: Outstanding Books, 1996
Books to Read Aloud to Children of All Ages, 2003 Stories: Nine to Twelve
Capitol Choices, 1996 Age (10-14)
Children's Book Sense 76 Picks
Children's Books, 1996
Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, 2001
Children's Catalog, Nineteenth Edition, 2006
Children's Literature Choice List, 1997 Young Adult (Generally Children 12 and Up)
Middle And Junior High School Library Catalog, Eighth Edition, 2000
Middle and Junior High School Library Catalog, Ninth Edition, 2005
Notable Children's Books, 1997 Older Readers
Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts, 1997 Grades K-8
Notable Children's Trade Books in the Field of the Social Studies, 1996
Publishers Weekly Best Children's Books, 1996
Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, Fiction
Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, 1996 Fiction
School Library Journal Best Books, 1996
School Library Journal Book Review Stars, Junior High Up
School Library Journal Book Review Stars, 1996 Junior High Up
School Library Journal: Best Books for Young Adults, 1996
Special Interest Group of the International Reading Association, 1997
Teachers' Choices, 1997 Advanced Level (Grades 6-8)
YALSA Best Books for Young Adults, 1997
Keywords
identity; mother and child; individuality; abandonment; disappearance; beauty; neighbors; outcasts; Virginia; 1950s
Diversity Impact
direct
STARS Citation
White, Ruth, "Belle Prater's Boy" (1996). Diverse Families. 675.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/diversefamilies/675