Skip to main content

Module 5 Historical Fiction: FULL OF BEANS - Written by Jennifer L. Holm

 


Module 5 – Book Review 4 

Review of Jennifer L. Holm’s Full of Beans 

*This review was written for a course through Sam Houston State University. 

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Holm, J. L. (2018). FULL OF BEANS. Yearling, An Imprint Of Random House Children’s Books. ISBN: 978-0-553-51038-6 

2. PLOT SUMMARY 

“Full of Beans,” written by Jennifer L. Holm, is a story set in the 1930s Depression Era and is about a young boy named Beans who lives in Key West. With the backdrop of the New Deal’s Key West experiment, Beans is going through his daily life with the aspiration of becoming a successful businessman. He is always trying to find ways to make money in order to help his family. Holm touches on what it means to be a child but be resilient and find maturity during times of hardship; Beans is characterized as clever as he creates various schemes and works within relationships with his family and friends. This is where the audience encounters themes of perseverance, community, and, above all, the importance of family. "Full of Beans" is a funny but still touching story that is appropriate for all audiences, including children and adults. 
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS  

“Full of Beans” by Jennifer L. Holm is set during the Great Depression about a young boy named Beans who lives in Key West; it includes various characters who show resilience and creativity as young people trying to survive. The plot itself is realistic and gives historical context to the 1930s. Holm makes sure to show the economic hardships and challenges society faced in the era, all while highlighting Beans’ creative spirit as he searches for ways to financially help his family during the depression. The setting of Key West is described in detail, which actually contributes to the story’s authenticity and truly helps the reader understand what is happening in society through the descriptions of the culture and environment.    

The book touches on themes of perseverance, community support, and the innocence and resilience of children; speaking to the strength of children, Holm focuses on how they are able to adapt and even thrive in the midst of tough situations. The reader is able to be fully immersed in the world of Key West in the 1930s through the authentic dialogue and speech patterns. The story is just what it should be as a historical novel, being both historical and relatable to modern audiences which allows the reader to truly connect with Beans’ journey. Of the historical novels I have encountered, this novel did not have additional resources but was still authentic to the time period. 

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S) 

Booklist starred (May 15, 2016 (Vol. 112, No. 18))  

Key West, Florida, wasn’t always a vibrant tourist destination. Holm (The Fourteenth Goldfish, 2014) turns back the clock to the 1930s, when the Great Depression had the island in its grip, leaving jobs scarce, feet bare, and houses in disrepair. Times may be tough, but they aren’t getting down Beans Curry, an enterprising 10-year-old who will do most anything to earn a dime.  Interesting family and small-town dynamics further enrich this fascinating account of a young boy’s life in Florida’s “Recovery Key.” 

Horn Book Magazine (July/August, 2016)  

With his dad out of work and his mom taking in laundry to help make ends meet, Beans looks for odd jobs where he can find them. Beans's earnest voice shows a young boy trying so hard to help out and to do the right thing, but getting caught up in dubious circumstances over which he has no control. Short episodic chapters, perfect for reading aloud, adroitly incorporate the historical background and flavor of Key West during the Great Depression, but never at the expense of character or story. 

Kirkus Reviews starred (June 1, 2016)  

Beans Curry, first cousin of the title character in Holm's Newbery Honor book Turtle in Paradise (2010), gets his own wonderful story, also set in Key West during the Great Depression. A crooked con man and a New Dealer sent from Washington to refurbish the town to attract tourism galvanize Beans into actions, though of different kinds. Filled with humor, heart, and warmth; readers can only hope to hear more about the Curry clan. 

Publishers Weekly (May 16, 2016)  

In this excellent prequel to the Newbery Honor-winning Turtle in Paradise, Holm recounts the origins of the Diaper Gang, the group of barefoot boys who have the run of Key West during the Great Depression. Period details-like keeping Sears and Roebuck catalogues handy in outhouses, "marble mania," people with leprosy hidden by their families, and the Shirley Temple craze-make for entertaining and illuminating historical fiction. 

School Library Journal (June 1, 2016)  

Beans Curry and his family are down on their luck. Their whole town of Key West is; it's the Great Depression, and jobs and opportunities are scarce. Holm weaves a charming combination of old family stories into the history of the New Deal's Key West experiment, including further information about the history of the project at the end of the book.  

5. CONNECTIONS  

  • Related Books - Other books about the themes of the Great Depression, resilience, and family 

  • Ryan, Pam Munoz. ESPERANZA RISING. ISBN 978-0439120425 

  • Taylor, Mildred D.. ROLL OF THUNDER, HEAR MY CRY. ISBN 978-0142401125 

  • Enrichment Activities -    

  • Character Interview – Have students write and perform an interview with Beans or another character to focus on what life was like during the Depression and how they faced and handled the challenges of the time. 

  • New Deal Posters – Have students research real WPA posters and then ask them to design one that Beans might have seen that promoted jobs, tourism, or even civic pride.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Module 2 Traditional Literature - THE LION AND THE MOUSE - Written by Jerry Pinkney

  Module 2 – Book Review 3   Review of J erry Pinkney ’s THE LION AND THE MOUSE   *This review was written for a course through Sam Houston State University.     1. BIBLIOGRAPHY   Pinkney , J erry . ( 2009 ). T he Lion and the Mouse . Little Brown and Company . ISBN: 978 0316013567     2 . SUMMARY   Pinkney’s illustrated retelling of Aesop’s fable “The Lion and the Mouse” does an incredible job of telling the story of a mighty lion and his unlikely friendship with a mouse. The tale happens when the mouse accidentally wakes the lion, who is quite angry and is captured. However, the lion lets the mouse go, who is grateful and promises to help the lion when he needs it in the future. The lion eventually needs help when he finds himself trapped in a poacher’s net. The mouse comes to help by gnawing through the ropes of the net to free the lion. The lion sees that even the smallest of animals can help and recognizes the importance of kindness ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Module 6 Fiction, Fantasy, YA: When Stars are Scattered - Written by Victoria Jamieson

  Module 6 – Book Re view 3   Review of Victoria Jamieson’s When Stars are Scattered   *This review was written for a course through Sam Houston State University.   1. BIBLIOGRAPHY   Jamieson, Victoria (2 0 20 ). WHEN STARS ARE SCATTERED . Dial Books for Young Readers . ISBN: 978-1-72548-313-2   2. PLOT SUMMARY   Victoria Jamieson's graphic novel "When Stars Are Scattered" is a story about two brothers named Omar and Hassan. The brothers live in a refugee camp in Kenya they moved to after fleeing their home in war-torn Somalia. Jamieson writes about their struggles as refugees and how they dream of a better life while living in the camp. They face constant uncertainty and focus on their desire for education. As the older brother, Omar takes on caring for his younger brother and must face the circumstances of survival and the hope of a better future for both. Jamieson manages to use her storytelling along with illustrations in the graphic novel to ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Module 6 Fiction, Fantasy, YA: Echo - Written by Pam Munoz Ryan

  Module 6 – Book Re view 1   Review of Pam Munoz Ryan’s Echo   *This review was written for a course through Sam Houston State University.   1. BIBLIOGRAPHY   Ryan, P. M. (2 01 5 ). ECHO . Scholastic Pres s . ISBN: 978-0-439-87402-1   2. PLOT SUMMARY   In "Echo” written by Pam Munoz Ryan, a story connects three main characters through the space of time in the years from the Nazi Germany, through the Great Depression in America, and finally California in the 1940s. Each time period is connected by a magical and mysterious harmonica and the interactions of three different main characters, Friedrich, Mike, and Ivy, respectively. First, the harmonica finds its way into the hands of Friedrick who struggles with his love for music in Nazi Germany and has a magical encounter with the harmonica on his journey to escape the oppressive regime to find freedom. For him, the harmonica symbolizes hope and resilience. Next the harmonica connects with Mike who is ...
Post a Comment
Read more