A Corner of the Universe
By: Taylor, Alexa, Austin, Autumn, and Wyatt
Will Hattie adjust to her new uncle coming to town, or will she crack under the pressure?
Book Cover Analysis-Austin
I think that author choose this cover because of one of the main characters, Adam. In the story he was very brave and went on a ferris wheel for the first time. He was super scared and did all these weird actions. On the book cover one of the carts is not blurred out and all the other ones are blurred out, so that could be were he sat for the first time.
I also believe that the author chose the title to be A Corner of the Universe because of Hattie. Hattie was really, really close to Adam. When Hattie meets Adam it was a big deal and just like the universe is so big the smallest thing can be the biggest deal. So that means that the smallest things mean so much to Hattie.
About the Author-Taylor
Quotes- Autumn
“You are not an alien, Hattie. I am the only true alien.” (page 58) Adam says this to Hattie when there talking. I chose this because Adam is telling hattie how different he is. But being different is okay, and Hattie knows that.
“We are the sun and this is our Universe.” (page 129) Hattie says this on top of the ferris wheel. Hattie, Leila, and Adam are all on the ferris wheel, enjoying the most beautiful view. I chose this quote because she’s kind of talking about how it’s okay to be different. Hattie is the main character of the book, her uncle, Adam, has disabilities. At first, everyone was embarrassed of him. But not Hattie, her and Adam were very good friends.
“It’s about changing what’s handed to you, about poking around a little, lifting the corners, seeing what’s underneath, poking that.” (page 189) Hattie thinks this at the very end of the book. Adam taught Hattie all about lifting the corners of the universe. During the book Hattie says a lot about the universe and how she gets what Adam meant. Hattie and adam talked a lot. They always hung out , laughed, Adam even told her his secret.
Book Review- Alexa
The book A Corner of the Universe by Ann M. Martin, is a very intriguing book because of the theme and plot of the story. This book clearly portrays the struggles of someone who is mentally disabled. This book also does a very good job creating the scene and building the characters for example, when everyone is at the carnival the characters emotions are described and the author also describes the beauty of the carnival. Also, this book was influential because it showed me a point of view of a disabled person very well. This book is perfect for anyone who wants to get a peek about what it’s like for the mentally disabled.
I rate this book 4.5 stars because it was very inspiring about the emotions of others and the disabled, but in the beginning the book was somewhat slow.
“Bringing back memories of her extraordinarily moving yet quietly told novel Belle Teal, Ann M. Martin (who also pens the popular Baby-Sitters Club series) takes us back to the 1960s, where we spend a not-so-typical summer with one girl and her mentally ill uncle.”
-Barnes and Nobles
“A novel with a flavor similar to Kate DiCamillo's Because of Winn-Dixie or Kimberly Willis Holt's When Zachary Beaver Came to Town,this absorbing look at a shake-up of one family's small-town normalcy will bring you to tears but leave you feeling ultimately triumphant. Martin paints her characters masterfully, letting Uncle Adam's unsure energy carry an unpredictable foreboding beneath the story while Hattie builds a gradual rebelliousness against the denial and unspoken truths that surround her. A powerful work that presses all the right emotional buttonsand touches on all-too-human themes, A Corner of the Universe is one book that should not be missed.
-Matt Warner
“Martin (Belle Teal; the Baby-Sitters Club series) hints at a life-changing event from the first paragraph of this novel narrated by a perceptive and compassionate 12-year-old, and set in the summer of 1960.”
-PW
Cast of Characters by Wyatt Cook
The book, A Corner of the Universe contains amazing and relatable characters. But there are 3 main characters that I find relatable, essential to the plot, and well made all together. I’ll show you these 3 characters and why they’re such good and important characters.
Hattie is the main character of A Corner of the Universe. Hattie Owen is a girl who lives in their parents boarding house located in the small town of Millerton. Now keep in mind Hattie's life isn’t exactly what you’d call normal. She is always surrounded by others who live with her, not just her parents. Not to mention she has a grandma with high expectations and is very fancy. But one day during the summer her life gets a whole lot weirder. Her parents tell her about her uncle Adam whose existence the family has denied for years. Till now, anyways. But the thing about Adam is that he has mental problems. Adam is going to stay with Hattie’s grandparents because his special school is closing for good. Throughout the book, Hattie really does her best to help Adam and keep him out of trouble which she generally does good at. We see a lot of character development from her throughout the story. Despite that, her personality generally stays the same. She’s still kind and caring but a bit shy. She can be stubborn at times but not to the point where it’s redundant. But i have to admit, there were times where I found her kind of annoying and whiny. I could see why she is because there is a reason, but it gets a bit old. She’s obviously relevant to the plot because without her the story would be very bland. She is overall very kind, considerate, caring, and generally relatable despite how she can be whiny here and there. Overall, she’s still a good character and it was interesting to read the story through her perspective.
Next we have Adam, another major character to this book. Adam was introduced when he was brought home. Her parents are Hattie’s grandparents. Throughout the book, he does some crazy things without knowing how crazy they really are. He’s been called a freak, he’s been treated like he doesn’t even exist, and is very crazy. (In a good way.) He sees his crush, Angel Valentine sleeping with another man. Adam is later, unfortunately, found dead. He hung himself in the back of his parents shed. Adam is generally hyper and happy personality wise. He has good manners where it counts and frequently brings up quotes from I Love Lucy. Adam is the type of person who can put a smile on your face whether he tries to or not. However, when he gets mad it’s not pretty. One time, Hattie snuck him into the carnival without her grandparents permission. She did this because she feels he’s mistreated. Though in some ways this is true that will be a decision she will soon regret. When they go on the ferris wheel it gets stuck near the top. Adam then freaks out and attempts to escape. Hattie and her friend, Leila keep him from doing that till the ride gets fixed and gets to the bottom. Adam is later taken to a mental hospital. Hattie was bruised and a bit beat up but no injuries. Adam can be unpredictable as you can see. His table manners are atrocious as well. He once attempted to drink from a bowl like you would do with a milk carton. Without Adam, Hattie wouldn’t have had any real character development and wouldn’t have learned any life lessons. Overall, Adam is generally happy and wild. (Again, in a good way.) But if something bad happens to him he can be unpredictable. He could also be dangerous when he’s in a state of panic or rage…
Third and lastly, we have Leila. Leila is part of Fred Caramels Circus. She is a nice girl who wants to have friends. She's not introduced till later in the story. Throughout the story, her and Hattie often spend time at the circus.Without her, Hattie wouldn’t have had such a good friend and a good party. Overall, she's a nice girl who wants friends.