The Little Blue House

by Comino, Sandra; Zeller, Beatriz; Wald, Susana

• ISBN13: 9780888995032
• ISBN10: 0888995032
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2003-07-22
• Publisher: Groundwood Books

Summary

In the forgotten little town of Azul in rural Argentina, there is a magical house. No one has lived there for almost as long as anyone can remember. But once a year, at midnight, the house turns blue, and twenty-four hours later it turns white again. The mystery of the little blue house has kept the town guessing for years. Twelve-year-old Cintia lives with her father and stepmother. Her real mother left town long ago, and Cintia can hardly remember her. But Cintia finds great comfort at her grandmother's house, where she is fed delicious food, is told stories and is loved. She needs the comfort, because her father is a very angry man, and his anger is often directed at her. The little blue house is Cintia's refuge. She is drawn there repeatedly even though her father has told her not to go, and the town mayor, who exploits the house as a tourist attraction, forbids anyone from visiting the place without paying. She goes there to read, to dream, and to spend time with her best friend, Bruno. But when their refuge is suddenly threatened, Cintia and Bruno set themselves the task of protecting both the house and the town's heritage from the corrupt and unscrupulous mayor. A mysterious voice on the radio, which has been telling stories about a native family and an old Spaniard, may provide the clues they need. This prize-winning novel is a very Argentine mixture of the personal, the political and the magical. It is a story that has a great deal to say about what is happening in that Latin American country today. Winner of the 2001 Para Leer el XXI Prize. Book jacket.

Author Biography

Sandra Comino, winner of the 2001 Para Leer el XXI Prize and the Orilla del Viento Prize, is a writer, teacher and active member of ALIJA (the Argentine section of the International Board on Books for Young People). She organizes writing and reading workshops and trains teachers and librarians throughout her native Argentina. She also works as a journalist and literary critic. Sandra's novels and short stories have been published in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and now in Canada and the United States

Table of Contents

The Little Blue House	p. 9
	p. 10
A Winter Sunday	p. 12
Visitors	p. 19
The Train Station	p. 24
Him	p. 27
Blue Spaghetti	p. 33
Punishment	p. 41
Him Again	p. 48
Don Simon	p. 52
Disappointment	p. 58
Anger	p. 63
	p. 65
Invitation	p. 67
One Week Later	p. 72
Entanglement	p. 76
	p. 78
Blows	p. 82
The Long Wait	p. 86
News	p. 89
The Treasure	p. 95
	p. 101
Interest	p. 103
Absence	p. 107
The Dance	p. 109
	p. 110
The Radio	p. 112
Chance Meeting	p. 117
Discovery	p. 122
More News	p. 126
	p. 130
Big Lunch	p. 132
More Things from the Chest	p. 140
Questions	p. 142
	p. 144
Later	p. 148
The Most: Beautiful Night in the World	p. 152
Glossary	p. 155
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