From Newbery Medalist Cynthia Rylant comes the charming story of nine-year-old Flora Smallwood and the eventful year she spends in the quiet community of Rosetown, Indiana.

For nine-year-old Flora Smallwood, Rosetown, Indiana, is full of surprises, many of the best of which happen at the Wing and a Chair Used Book Shop, where she loves to read vintage children’s books after school in the faded purple chair by the window.

But lately, those surprises haven’t been so good. Her dear old dog, Laurence, recently passed away. Not long after, her parents decided to take a breather from their marriage, and now Flora has to move back and forth between their two houses. Plus, she’s just begun fourth grade, and it is so much different than third.

Luckily Flora has two wonderful friends—one old and one new. And with them around to share thoughts and laughs and adventures big and small, life in Rosetown still has many sweet moments—and even some very happy surprises!

Excerpt

Rosetown 1
Wings and a Chair Used Books was where Flora Smallwood’s mother worked three afternoons a week. Inside, it had a purple velveteen chair by the window for anyone who wanted to stay awhile, and Flora, who sometimes felt quite acutely the stress of being nine years old, and sensitive, loved this chair. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays were her favorite days because of it.

The owner of the shop was Miss Meriwether, a tall woman with deep black hair pulled tightly into a ponytail. Miss Meriwether told Flora that in her younger days she had been a free spirit but that one day she’d decided to grow up and open a shop.

Flora tried to imagine Miss Meriwether as a free spirit, but it wasn’t easy, as the words “inventory” and “bottom line” sometimes floated through the bookshop air as Flora sat reading. But Miss Meriwether did like long flowery skirts, so maybe she was still free in her heart.

Flora’s family had been through a time of sadness, for their old, loving dog, Laurence, had passed away one spring night while everyone was sleeping. They all knew Laurence was fading. But no one believed, really, that he would ever not be with them anymore. Especially Flora, who had held on to his collar ever since she took her first steps.

But he did: he left them. And since then the idea of a new family pet sometimes had been mentioned. Yet never followed through on. Everyone was, in some way, still holding on to Laurence’s collar.

Flora was an only child, and her parents were, for now, living in separate homes. The challenges of this, of course, were many. And there was the practical challenge for Flora of having two homes, with her own bedroom in each, for since most things do not come in duplicate, often the one thing she needed right that minute was not in this home, it was in the other. Sometimes the thing was not that important, as in the case of her green scarf or striped coat. But sometimes even something small like that—a scarf or a coat—suddenly felt so vital to her, and she felt a great sad longing because it was not in this home but the other one.

Flora’s father, Forster Smallwood, worked for the Rosetown newspaper, The Rosetown Chronicle, and he was, Flora thought, a nice man, a good father, and a lost soul. She was not sure why she thought he was lost. Maybe it was the look she often saw on his face, that look that detached him from wherever he was and whatever he was doing and put him somewhere else. Maybe Neptune.

But he was a good father and a good photographer, too. He often allowed Flora to stand with him in his darkroom to watch a photograph slowly come into being. Standing under the red glow of the darkroom light, Flora watched the blank photographic paper bathe in the pan of chemicals. And then the formerly invisible face of a person would begin to materialize on the wet paper, his features becoming clear and strong, like a ghost who has suddenly found teeth and eyes and ears and put them on.

Both Flora’s father and mother had been very troubled by the war in Vietnam, and now American soldiers were being withdrawn from the fighting. Rosetown, Indiana, in 1972 was like any other small American town, its citizens sharply divided over the war and what it all had been about. Flora’s father once told her, when he was in a dark mood after the evening television news, “You were born into an angry world.”

But then he had smiled, as if he realized how harsh this might have sounded, and he added, “Thank goodness you showed up just when we needed you.”

It seemed to Flora that the purple velveteen chair by the window in Wings and a Chair Used Books was more important than ever these days. Laurence had passed on. Her scarves and coats were confused.

And fourth grade at Rosetown Primary School was so very different from third.

Reading Group Guide

A Reading Group Guide to

Rosetown

By Cynthia Rylant

Discussion Questions

1. Flora’s parents are separated, and now she has two homes with two bedrooms. Despite the fact that she’s gained more space to call her own, she still feels a great loss. Why do you think that is? Do you think it’s possible to gain something and lose something at the same time? What might you tell Flora to help her feel better about her situation?

2. Flora wonders if there’s really a cat hiding under the steps of the barbershop. Yury agrees that the cat exists, saying, “‘Unless I am delusional . . . my father says that sometimes I am a master of grand delusion.’” Flora decides that she’s “glad to have a friend capable of grand delusions.” What does Flora mean by this? How might Yury share his delusions with her?

3. Standing in the field after meeting Zowie, a parachuting dog, Flora has a feeling that she identifies as “expectation.” How would you describe that feeling? What might happen when something doesn’t meet your expectations? What might happen when it does? How might either experience change your perception of future expectations? Flora’s father did not feel what she felt; he had his “work eyes.” Do you think your parents’ expectations are different from your own?

4. Although Yury was missing his cat who had passed away, he wanted Flora to have the new cat they’d found. Flora thinks, “it is a rare thing when a friend wants, really wants, you to be happy.” Name other scenes in the book that show evidence of Yury, Flora, and Nessy’s close friendship. What does it mean to be a good friend?

5. Why does Yury choose “Friday” for his puppy’s name? What kind of qualities and personality do you think Yury hopes his puppy will have? Did Friday live up to his name?

6. What does Flora mean when she says she and her mother both loved “good words”? What might they love about the word “thrifty”? Think about whether this is a word you hear often. What are some of your favorite words? How do you learn new words? What do you do when you come across a word and you don’t know what it means?

7. When Flora’s mother signs her up for piano lessons, Flora realizes that “she had always wanted to play the piano. She just had not known this about herself until now.” Have you ever felt this way? How do you learn about your likes and dislikes? Nessy discovers she is also musically talented. What does this discovery mean for Nessy? Why does it make her feel like she belongs to something?

8. What does it mean to be a survivalist? How do Yury and Flora learn more about becoming one? How does Yury use those skills to come to the rescue when Flora and her mother need to get to Wings and a Chair Used Books?

9. Mr. Cooper’s “Encyclopedia Hour” fills Flora with a wealth of information about the world. Why is this so exciting to Flora? Why does she plan to use the encyclopedia to learn about whales and dolphins?

10. Yury and his family are from Ukraine. Why did they leave? Is it possible for them to go back? What does Flora learn about his native language, customs, and Christmas celebrations?

11. Miss Meriwether travels to Paris and sends Flora a postcard that says Bonjour, mes amis! which means “Hello, my friends!” in French. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? What language do they speak there? Flora and her mother visit Miss Meriwether’s house and learn that she also used to live in Nepal. What does she teach them about Nepal?

Extension Activities

1. Yury and Flora like to make up stories together by alternating words or phrases. “‘I would like to go there, Yury said, pointing to a book about Key West. ‘I would sail a sailboat.’ ‘And follow an octopus,’ said Flora. ‘To South America,’ said Yury. ‘To a town filled with . . .’ Flora said, then waited for his answer. ‘Elephants,’ finished Yury.” Start a story with your class, having students take turns adding words or phrases as you write them on the board or piece of paper. Once all students have participated, read the full story aloud. Then put a different writing prompt on the board, and have students work individually to write a short story based on that prompt. Have interested students read their short stories out loud to the class. Discuss the differences between collaboration and individual work, and how students found both experiences. Was it harder working in a group to create a story, or working on their own? Did the first activity help spur creativity for the second? Which activity did they prefer? Relate their experiences to the variety of projects the characters of Rosetown plan to embark on at the end of the book. Group endeavors include Flora’s parents working together on a new business and Yury helping at his father’s office and joining Good Manners for Good Dogs dog school; largely solo endeavors include Flora writing a story and Nessy learning to ride a bike. What are some of the challenges the characters might face? What are some of the benefits of working alone or working together?

2. Flora’s name means “flower,” and Vanessa’s means “butterfly.” Have students look up the origin and meanings of their names, and share them with the class. Discuss the history behind them, and whether they think the name reflects their personalities.

3. Flora and Yury read many vintage books at Wings and a Chair Used Books. Break students into groups and assign each one to a vintage book mentioned in Rosetown. Print out the book covers and book summaries for them. Then have them go to the school library and find a book in a similar genre for the same age group. Have them compare and contrast the modern and vintage books, looking at the covers, the content, the characters, the setting, and the writing style. Why do they think Flora and Yury loved reading vintage books? How have children’s books changed? What might a young reader from the 1970s be surprised to read about in our books?

4. Rosetown is set in 1972, just after the Vietnam war. Reread the first chapter where Flora’s father talks to her about being “born into an angry world.” Why might he have said that? Is the time period important to the story? Is it important to Flora’s role in her family? Have students research events that happened in the month or year they were born, and make a time line as a class. Discuss the importance of these events, and how they may have affected their families or the country.

5. Flora, Yury, and Nessy try many different activities—some which they enjoy, and others they decide aren’t the best fit for them. Have students create charts with three columns: Activities I’ve Tried, Activities I Love, and Activities I Want to Try. Then have them fill out each column. If needed, help them brainstorm a list of activities on the board before beginning. For an additional challenge, have them set goals for trying new activities.

This guide has been provided by Simon & Schuster for classroom, library, and reading group use. It may be reproduced in its entirety or excerpted for these purposes.

About The Author

Photograph courtesy of the author

Cynthia Rylant

Cynthia Rylant is the author of more than 100 books for young people, including the beloved Henry and Mudge, Annie and Snowball, Brownie & Pearl, Motor Mouse, and Mr. Putter & Tabby series. Her novel Missing May received the Newbery Medal. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

Product Details

Publisher: Beach Lane Books (May 8, 2018)
Length: 160 pages
ISBN13: 9781534412774
Ages: 8 - 12
Lexile ® 920L The Lexile reading levels have been certified by the Lexile developer, MetaMetrics®

Raves and Reviews

Nine-year-old Flora experiences the loss of a pet, the separation of her parents, and the start of fourth grade, but a year of good changes is in store for her.It's 1972, and Flora Smallwood loves growing up in the small town of Rosetown, Indiana. She especially enjoys reading three times a week in the purple velveteen chair at Wings and a Chair Used Books. Flora needs the respite: She just lost her dog and is dealing with her parents' recent separation. Fourth grade is starting, and everything seems different. Flora finds comfort in her old routines with Nessy, her best friend, and new routines with Yury, her new friend from Ukraine. As the year goes on, there are nice changes in store for her family and friends, such as new pets, lessons, and interests. From a third-person point of view, readers get a glimpse into Flora's quaint, small-town life as she deals with all the changes, good and bad. Rylant shapes Flora's experiences and thoughts such that they are accessible to all children, as Flora tries to hold on to the old and comfortable while adjusting to the new and different. The narrative is a lovely story of Flora's daily life interlaced with hints of the 1970s. The book assumes a white default. A sweet story for children dealing with change. (Historical fiction. 8-12)

– Kirkus, 3/15/18

A sensitive and perceptive girl searches for balance and order in this taut, graceful novel from Rylant, set in small-town Indiana in 1972. Flora, “who sometimes felt quite acutely the stress of being nine years old,” is grappling with the death of her beloved dog and with her parents’ separation, and wonders where her fellow fourth-graders found their “sudden confidence.” A comforting constant in her off-kilter life is Wings and a Chair Used Books, where her mother works; Flora is happiest curled up in the store’s eponymous armchair, reading “extra-vintage” children’s books. She shares the bookshop, and the worlds and words its books contain, with Yury, a compassionate new classmate from Ukraine, who in turn “shared his cleverness” with Flora and makes her “feel more certain.” Serenity, the stray cat she adopts, brings another affirming change to Flora’s life, as does her parents’ reconciliation and their decision to purchase an 1890 letterpress and open a paper and printing shop. Eloquent and resonant, Rylant’s writing is as timeless as the deceptively simple story she relays, which celebrates objects and relationships both old and new, and poignantly underscores the significance of family, friendship, and home.

– Publishers Weekly *STARRED REVIEW, February 26, 2018

Gentle and old-fashioned in the best sense, this story introduces nine-year-old Flora Smallwood, who loves living in Rosetown, Indiana. Not everything is perfect. Her dog Laurence has recently passed on, and her parents have decided to live in separate houses, at least for a while. But Flora has two good friends that support her: Nessy, who she’s known since they met at the library storytime, and Yuri, from Ukraine, who likes to read as much Flora does. Simply written, the book’s leisurely pace belies the fact that quite a bit happens during this school year. Flora finds a new pet; learns some new skills; and is surprised when her teacher informs her she might have the makings of a real writer, urging her to send her poetry to the newly launched Cricket magazine. All the characters, children and adult, get their due, but Flora’s dad is especially finely drawn. Set in 1972, this references some of the issues of the era—environmentalism and the end of the Vietnam War, though not civil rights—but in many ways, this could as easily have been set in 1952; some readers may hardly recognize the setting's enduring calm. Rylant, a Newbery medalist, seems to polish each word she writes, and here offers a little gem about small-town life. — Ilene Cooper

– Booklist *STARRED REVIEW*, May 1, 2018