''Pictures of Hollis Woods'' is a 2002 young adult novel by

Patricia Reilly Giff Patricia Reilly Giff (April 26, 1935 – June 22, 2021) was an American author and teacher born in Brooklyn, New York, United States. She was educated at Marymount Manhattan College, where she was awarded a B.A. degree, and St. John's Univers ...

. The novel received a Newbery Honor Award in 2003. It was adapted for television in 2007.

Plot summary

The adventures of a 12 year-old foster girl with a talent for drawing, who moves from family to family.

Characters

Hollis Woods - Young foster girl. The Regans - Old man, Izzy, and Steven. They want Hollis to be a part of her family even though she pushes them away. Josie - An elderly retired art teacher who adores Hollis, but is forgetful, so Hollis is afraid that the agency will find out and make her go to a different foster home, so she takes her to the Reagans summer cabin/house. Beatrice - Josie's cousin with whom she is very close. She is also a retired art teacher (like Josie) and now owns a movie theater. Henry - Josie's cat. Steven - Hollis's older foster brother Christina - Hollis's younger foster sister The Mustard Woman - The lady who took Hollis to Josie.

Critical reception

Critics praised Giff's work in this book. According to the ''

School Library Journal ''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with ...

'', "Giff masterfully weaves these two strands together in a surprising and satisfying ending. Strong characterization and a solid sense of place are the strengths of this heartfelt story that will appeal to fans of

Sharon Creech Sharon Creech (born July 29, 1945) is an American writer of children's novels. She was the first American winner of the Carnegie Medal for British children's books and the first person to win both the American Newbery Medal and the British C ...

's '' Ruby Holler'' (2002),

Katherine Paterson Katherine Womelsdorf Paterson (born October 31, 1932) is an American writer best known for children's novels, including '' Bridge to Terabithia''. For four different books published 1975-1980, she won two Newbery Medals and two National Book Aw ...

's ''

The Great Gilly Hopkins ''The Great Gilly Hopkins'' is a realistic children's novel by Katherine Paterson. It was published by Crowell in 1978 and it won the U.S. National Book Award next year.HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News Cor ...

), and

Zilpha Keatley Snyder Zilpha Keatley Snyder (May 11, 1927 – October 7, 2014) was an American author of books for children and young adults. Three of Snyder's works were named Newbery Honor books: '' The Egypt Game'', '' The Headless Cupid'' and '' The Witches of ...

's '' Gib Rides Home'' ( Delacorte, 1998)".

Kirkus reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...

states that Giff "expertly portrays the intense, heartfelt emotions Hollis experiences and gives her talent and spunk; she is in no way pathetic, despite her perennial foster-childhood. The secondary characters are also completely drawn and are likable without being too good to be true. This touching story will leave readers pleasantly drained, satisfied with the happy ending, and eager for more about Hollis's future". ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...

'' also stated that "Giff intersperses tender scenes demonstrating Hollis's growing affection for Josie with memories of the Regans, whose images Hollis preserves in her sketchbook". The ''

Horn Book Magazine ''The Horn Book Magazine'', founded in Boston in 1924, is the oldest bimonthly magazine dedicated to reviewing children's literature. It began as a "suggestive purchase list" prepared by Bertha Mahony Miller and Elinor Whitney Field, proprietres ...

'' has reviewed the book as "a remarkably well-observed novel, weaving gracefully back and forth in time and replete with humor derived primarily from Hollis's candor and tough talk. The tracing of Hollis's relationship with Josie and her foster brother, Steven Regan, is especially well-drawn". ''

Booklist ''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is av ...

'' has also described the novel positively by stating that "Veteran author Giff has a sure hand with language, and the narrative is taut and absorbing".DeCandido, GraceAnne A. "Pictures Of Hollis Woods." Booklist 99.4 (2002): 404. Academic Search Complete. Web. 26 Nov. 2014.

Awards

Newbery Medal The John Newbery Medal, frequently shortened to the Newbery, is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to the author of "the most distinguished contr ...

Honor Book in 2003.

Film adaptation

The ''

Hallmark Hall of Fame ''Hallmark Hall of Fame'', originally called ''Hallmark Television Playhouse'', is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City-based greeting card company. The longest-running prime-time series in t ...

'' film ''

Pictures of Hollis Woods ''Pictures of Hollis Woods'' is a 2002 young adult novel by Patricia Reilly Giff. The novel received a Newbery Honor Award in 2003. It was adapted for television in 2007. Plot summary The adventures of a 12 year-old foster girl with a talent for ...

'' debuted on CBS December 2, 2007. It was directed by Tony Bill and stars

Jodelle Ferland Jodelle Micah Ferland (born October 9, 1994) is a Canadians, Canadian actress. She debuted as a child actress at the age of four in the television film Mermaid (2000 film), ''Mermaid'' (2000) for which she won a Young Artist Award and received ...

as Hollis Woods.

References