Earth to Audrey

By Susan Hughes

Book Overview

Audrey comes into Ray's life like an earthbound star. Everything about her is a bit far-out. And she's always in her own little world. So Ray decides that this unusual girl who has dropped into his neighborhood for the summer must be an alien. As they become friends, Audrey takes Ray on a journey of discovery --- one that enables him to see his own planet in a new light. Soon, Ray can't imagine life on Earth without her. Susan Hughes' poignant, gently humorous text and St phane Poulin's evocative, heartfelt illustrations capture the long childhood summer of discovery in a small town and depict a friendship that changed the lives of two lonely dreamers.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1554531659
• ISBN13: 9781554531653
• Release Date: February 2007
• Publisher: Kids Can Press
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 10.0" x 9.9"
• Age Range: 6 to 9 years
• Grade Range: Grades 1 to 4

Customer Reviews

nice

this is a whimsical little story about a boy who thinks a girl he sees is an alien. the girl, audrey, is a free spirited, hippy child who earthily (for lack of better term) interacts with the world around her. the boy is intrigued by the girl so, since his friends are at summer camp, he befriends her and spends time with her. in one instance they were lying on the grass under a tree and audrey says that she can feel the earth holding her, and the boy agrees, so she turns around and gives the earth a hug right back, these kinds of things. something that kind of bugged me about the book was how the author tried to bring about a climax with the big bang theory. i'm not upset about this because it was the big bang theory, but because the book up to that point was so whimsical and detached in a way, so i was expecting something less... grounded.. as a concluding climax. the author kind of ties it into the meeting between the boy and audrey, nothing and then something, and tried to turn it into a metaphor of sorts, but i guess it didn't really do it for me. the illustrations were great though and the book is worth the read overall.

Earth to the Earth Hugger

This book is a beautiful piece of art. Audrey's character is a shining example of how free our minds can be when we give in to what our hearts feel, and are open with the world. It will spark a excitement and leave you with a smile on your face for days. You may even start finding yourself relating to Audrey and giving Earth Hugs to the world. A modern day classic. This book is for all ages. I strongly recommend it for the child inside of us all.

Educators Recommend!

The narrator of this elegant, entertaining story is a young boy named Ray. The book opens with him reminiscing about the first time he saw Audrey: "[S]he was sending signals. There couldn't have been anyone up there answering back . . . could there? When I saw Audrey again, she was training grasshoppers. Her antennae had to be fake. But the grasshoppers didn't seem to think so. After that, I kept my eyes peeled for Audrey. I never knew where she'd turn up. I never knew what she might be doing. She might be creating a strange concoction. She might be building an odd contraption. Lots of times, she was just lying down looking up. I began to wonder. Was she from another planet? Was she an alien?" Audrey, after all, seemed not quite of this world. She was quirky. She was quiet. She "had not learned many Earth manners." Slowly Ray slowly gets to know Audrey-who claims to be an ordinary girl who was staying with her father for the summer. As their friendship evolves, Audrey shows Ray-through words and actions-how amazing Earth is. The next time I saw Audrey, she was taking off her shoes and socks. She saw me, but she didn't say anything. Still no Earth manners. "I went over and took off my shoes and socks too. We stretched out our arms and legs, starfish-like. 'I can feel the Earth holding me,' Audrey said, smiling. 'Me too,' I said, surprised. Audrey rolled over and pressed her cheek against the hot grass. She hugged the Earth back." As summer ends, Audrey must leave with her mother. Ray asks her to stay. "I can't stay," she replies, "but I'll come back next summer . . . I wouldn't miss it for anything in the whole universe." At heart, this is a story about the joys of friendship and imagination and discovery. The full-spread illustrations-done in oils-are lively and luscious and capture the beauty of this funny, tender tale. Classroom Use: We took this book into a second-grade classroom to read aloud. The students loved both the story and the illustrations. They especially loved Audrey. The class unanimously gave it a "10," their highest rating. An excellent choice for a read aloud or independent reading. Highly Recommended. District-wide purchase encouraged.

A Story to Enlighten your Imagination...

Finally, a picture book for children and adults to awaken the imagination of stories. Audrey is a one of a kind girl who makes a friend with Ray. They experience all the great kid stuff summer has to offer and Ray makes some associations about her alien personality. The illustrations are extraordinary and you'll wish you could dream stories with these pictures.