Book Descriptions
for The Van Gogh Cafe by Cynthia Rylant
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Truly amazing things happen at the Van Gogh Cafe in Flowers, Kansas. Clara, the owner's ten-year-old daughter, knows why: the Van Gogh Cafe is magical. It is a place to find hope even when one's heart is broken, or miracles in the wake of a lightning strike. Seven lyrical stories comprise this unusual novel in which the visit of an aging movie star, a romance between a cat and a seagull and other memorable, mysterious occurrences blur the lines of impossibility and define the shape of wonder. (Ages 10-13)
CCBC Choices 1995. © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 1995. Used with permission.
From the Publisher
Magic things happen at the Van Gogh Cafe in Flowers, Kansas. No one quite knows why, but people think it s because the cafe building was once a theater. They figure the walls absorbed enough magic during those years of lights and costumes and opening nights to last forever. Ten-year-old Clara is another reason for the magic. She believes anything might happen--and it always does. Newbery Medalist Rylant breaks new ground in producing this whimsical tale, dextrously weaving extraordinary events into the fabric of ordinary life. As she gently guides her characters toward their magnificent destinies, the strength of her imagination and the depth of her sensitivity will impress even the reluctant reader. --"Publishers Weekly"
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Publisher description retrieved from Google Books.