Book reviews:
"Fully realized characters and setting definitely make this one morning on Orange Street amazing."
- Kirkus Reviews, starred
"...realistic, evocative novel, which features a warm and believable community of adults and children... culminating in a confrontation that resolves several mysteries and brings out the best in everyone."
- Publishers Weekly
"In one marvelous chapter the tree tells its own history...This deceptively simple book reminds us how important the things we sometimes take for granted are: friendship, family, love, and the interconnectedness of our everyday world."
- New York Journal of Books
Discussion Questions:
1. Have you ever had an experience that you'd consider "magical"? Perhaps it involved an amazing coincidence, or something you'd been wishing for, or a connection of the past with the present that surprised you.
2. "A street is like a book of stories, all different but bound together." Does this quote from the book apply to you in any way? How are the people on your street or in your neighborhood important to you and your family?
3. Can you think of a day in your life that seemed "ordinary" as you were living it, but has changed your life in some way, as you look back on it?
4. The orange tree in ONE DAY AND ONE AMAZING MORNING ON ORANGE STREET could tell many stories if it could speak. Is there something on your street that would be the repository of your neighborhood's history-- something in nature, or a building, perhaps? What stories would it tell, if it could? Do you have any historical information about your street or neighborhood?
5. Discuss how the characters in the novel were able to surmount each of their private worries on one amazing morning. Have you ever had a similar moment or experience?
AUTHOR CALL-IN INFORMATION: Joanne Rocklin is happy to call-in to or Skype with your club. She can also meet with your group if you live in the Northern California area, within driving distance of Oakland. Occasionally she visits Southern California as well. Email Joanne Rocklin to submit your request.