Penny From Heaven

Read by Amber Sealey
Jennifer Holm's New York Times bestselling, Newbery Honor Winner is the story of a summer of adventures and secrets that will change everything, at a time in America’s history, just after World War II, when being Italian-American meant confronting prejudice because you'd been the enemy not that long ago .

It’s 1953 and 11-year-old Penny dreams of a summer of butter pecan ice cream, swimming, and baseball. But nothing’s that easy in Penny’s family. For starters, she can’t go swimming because her mother’s afraid she’ll catch polio at the pool. To make matters worse, her dog, Scarlett O'Hara, is sick. Her favorite uncle is living in a car. Her best friend is turning into a criminal. And no one will tell Penny the truth about how her father died. 

Inspired by three time Newbery Honor winner Jennifer Holm’s own Italian American family, Penny from Heaven is a story about families—about the things that tear them apart and the things that bring them back together.

"Holm impressively wraps pathos with comedy in this coming-of-age story, populated by a cast of vivid characters."—Booklist
© Photo provided by the author
Jennifer L. Holm is a New York Times bestselling children's author and the recipient of three Newbery Honors for her novels Our Only May Amelia, Penny From Heaven, and Turtle in Paradise. Jennifer collaborates with her brother, Matthew Holm, on two graphic novel series—the Eisner Award-winning Babymouse series and the bestselling Squish series. She lives in California with her husband and two children. View titles by Jennifer L. Holm

Educator Guide for Penny From Heaven

Classroom-based guides appropriate for schools and colleges provide pre-reading and classroom activities, discussion questions connected to the curriculum, further reading, and resources.

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

  • WINNER | 2007
    ALA Notable Children's Book
  • WINNER | 2007
    Children's Book Committee at Bank Street College Children's Book of the Year
  • WINNER | 2007
    IRA Notable Books for a Global Society
  • WINNER | 2007
    New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
  • WINNER | 2007
    Newbery Honor Book
  • NOMINEE
    Iowa Children's Choice Award
  • NOMINEE
    Rhode Island Children's Book Award
  • NOMINEE
    Arkansas Charlie May Simon Award
  • NOMINEE
    Indiana Young Hoosier Award
  • NOMINEE
    Illinois Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Award
  • FINALIST | 2009
    Illinois Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Award
  • FINALIST | 2007
    Iowa Children's Choice Award

About

Jennifer Holm's New York Times bestselling, Newbery Honor Winner is the story of a summer of adventures and secrets that will change everything, at a time in America’s history, just after World War II, when being Italian-American meant confronting prejudice because you'd been the enemy not that long ago .

It’s 1953 and 11-year-old Penny dreams of a summer of butter pecan ice cream, swimming, and baseball. But nothing’s that easy in Penny’s family. For starters, she can’t go swimming because her mother’s afraid she’ll catch polio at the pool. To make matters worse, her dog, Scarlett O'Hara, is sick. Her favorite uncle is living in a car. Her best friend is turning into a criminal. And no one will tell Penny the truth about how her father died. 

Inspired by three time Newbery Honor winner Jennifer Holm’s own Italian American family, Penny from Heaven is a story about families—about the things that tear them apart and the things that bring them back together.

"Holm impressively wraps pathos with comedy in this coming-of-age story, populated by a cast of vivid characters."—Booklist

Author

© Photo provided by the author
Jennifer L. Holm is a New York Times bestselling children's author and the recipient of three Newbery Honors for her novels Our Only May Amelia, Penny From Heaven, and Turtle in Paradise. Jennifer collaborates with her brother, Matthew Holm, on two graphic novel series—the Eisner Award-winning Babymouse series and the bestselling Squish series. She lives in California with her husband and two children. View titles by Jennifer L. Holm

Guides

Educator Guide for Penny From Heaven

Classroom-based guides appropriate for schools and colleges provide pre-reading and classroom activities, discussion questions connected to the curriculum, further reading, and resources.

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

Awards

  • WINNER | 2007
    ALA Notable Children's Book
  • WINNER | 2007
    Children's Book Committee at Bank Street College Children's Book of the Year
  • WINNER | 2007
    IRA Notable Books for a Global Society
  • WINNER | 2007
    New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
  • WINNER | 2007
    Newbery Honor Book
  • NOMINEE
    Iowa Children's Choice Award
  • NOMINEE
    Rhode Island Children's Book Award
  • NOMINEE
    Arkansas Charlie May Simon Award
  • NOMINEE
    Indiana Young Hoosier Award
  • NOMINEE
    Illinois Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Award
  • FINALIST | 2009
    Illinois Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Award
  • FINALIST | 2007
    Iowa Children's Choice Award

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