Scan barcode
mpclemens's review against another edition
4.0
I'm a fan of Richard Peck's YA novels, especially the "Chicago" series [b:A Long Way from Chicago|39963|A Long Way from Chicago|Richard Peck|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327990993s/39963.jpg|1207111] and [b:A Year Down Yonder|39980|A Year Down Yonder|Richard Peck|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1311648504s/39980.jpg|39678], and it's a real pleasure to see the seeds of those books -- and others -- presented here. Peck has an easy way with dialogue and giving his characters an appropriate, relate-able voice.
casehouse's review against another edition
3.0
Peck's young adult often resonate with me, so I wanted to check out this collection of short stories. The ghost stories are not my cup of tea. I guess I'm always looking for the lovely, nostalgic feeling and rollicking stories like those of Grandma Dowdel when I read Peck.
rachel_abby_reads's review against another edition
3.0
Good short stories, good tips for writing. I enjoyed it.
pkrawr's review against another edition
4.0
This is not only an entertaining book of short stories, but it also contains some useful insights on the process of writing short stories. I recommend this for any budding short story writer, especially if they hope to write for children or young adults.
juliannealkire's review against another edition
4.0
I adore Richard Peck's writing. It's readable and perceptive and filled with quirky characters that constantly make me laugh. Or, at least, that's what I would have told you before I read this collection of short stories. So when I spotted his name on the spine of a book at my library's latest book sale, I snatched it up faster than you could say, "snaggletoothed tomcat."
As expected, there were many hilarious and heartwarming stories that made me so, so happy to have found this little book. For example, the whole storyline of I Go Along made me sort of sad and wistful for high school. Not in a "Oh I miss high school so much!" way (who does?), but in a "Oh goodness I wish I could go back and re-do it and be less wrapped up in myself this time" way. You never know when something you say could help someone see themselves differently. You never know who people can be, or as Gene says, "It's weird, like there could be poets around and you wouldn't realize they were there."
And- also as expected- there were many characters I fell in love with and wanted to read more of their stories: Priscilla in Priscilla and the Wimps and Blossom in The Special Powers of Blossom Culp. So if you see me reading the somewhat unappealing (to me) titles of Secrets of the Shopping Mall or The Ghost Belonged to Me anytime soon, now you know why. I'm already a fan of their protagonists. Or, to quote Miss Cartwright, "I have hopes for your future, Blossom. You will go far in your own peculiar way."
However, I was not so big on the spooky stories section of the collection. They lacked much of the humor, warmth, and thoughtfulness that I expect from Peck's writing- and that's really the reason I'm torn between three and four stars as far as how to rate this book. Obviously, I'm not the target audience. I don't read stories for the sole purpose of being scared out of my wits- never have. And if I suddenly decided that I wanted to read something scary for the sake of being scared, I wouldn't pick a ghost story. I would just like ONE PERSON to explain to my why ghosts are supposedly so scary. What are they going to do? Make weird noises? Move the curtains? Tell me to take revenge on the person that murdered them and stole their throne, which I can then debate during a dramatic monologue? I mean, idk... None of that sounds very scary to me. So, by far, my favorite story in this part of the collection was Shadows, which was less of a story meant to scare you out of your wits and more a story about life that happened to have ghosts in it.
So, all in all, this is a lovely collection of short stories. Excuse me, I need to add another two novels (AT LEAST) to my ever-growing list of books I'd like to read in the future.
As expected, there were many hilarious and heartwarming stories that made me so, so happy to have found this little book. For example, the whole storyline of I Go Along made me sort of sad and wistful for high school. Not in a "Oh I miss high school so much!" way (who does?), but in a "Oh goodness I wish I could go back and re-do it and be less wrapped up in myself this time" way. You never know when something you say could help someone see themselves differently. You never know who people can be, or as Gene says, "It's weird, like there could be poets around and you wouldn't realize they were there."
And- also as expected- there were many characters I fell in love with and wanted to read more of their stories: Priscilla in Priscilla and the Wimps and Blossom in The Special Powers of Blossom Culp. So if you see me reading the somewhat unappealing (to me) titles of Secrets of the Shopping Mall or The Ghost Belonged to Me anytime soon, now you know why. I'm already a fan of their protagonists. Or, to quote Miss Cartwright, "I have hopes for your future, Blossom. You will go far in your own peculiar way."
However, I was not so big on the spooky stories section of the collection. They lacked much of the humor, warmth, and thoughtfulness that I expect from Peck's writing- and that's really the reason I'm torn between three and four stars as far as how to rate this book. Obviously, I'm not the target audience. I don't read stories for the sole purpose of being scared out of my wits- never have. And if I suddenly decided that I wanted to read something scary for the sake of being scared, I wouldn't pick a ghost story. I would just like ONE PERSON to explain to my why ghosts are supposedly so scary. What are they going to do? Make weird noises? Move the curtains? Tell me to take revenge on the person that murdered them and stole their throne, which I can then debate during a dramatic monologue? I mean, idk... None of that sounds very scary to me. So, by far, my favorite story in this part of the collection was Shadows, which was less of a story meant to scare you out of your wits and more a story about life that happened to have ghosts in it.
So, all in all, this is a lovely collection of short stories. Excuse me, I need to add another two novels (AT LEAST) to my ever-growing list of books I'd like to read in the future.
missemmaj's review against another edition
3.0
Very good short stories, didn't read all of them, but the ones I did read had me gripped to the end! If I were to list my favorite stories, all of these would be on the list!
pussreboots's review against another edition
5.0
Past Perfect Present Tense is a collection of short stories by Richard Peck for tween readers. Some of the stories are reprints and some were newly written for this collection. The book ends with two how-to essays to encourage creative writing while giving practical advice.
Most of the stories have a supernatural or surreal twist to them. Sometimes the twist is only just a tiny hint at the end of an otherwise ordinary but well written story. For instance in "Priscilla and the Wimps" (1984) the male protagonist recounts how his school was run by Monk Clutter, the school bully. His career comes to an end with the help of an unlikely heroine, Priscilla.
At the other extreme, there are the ghost stories like "Girl at the Window" and "The Most Important Night of Melanie's Life." Both of these are in the vein of The Twilight Zone, with hints dropped throughout for observant readers. These two were my favorite of Past Perfect Present Tense.
Sometimes Peck plays with unexpected characters or unusual points of view. The best examples of this type of story are "Fluffy the Gangbuster" and "The Kiss in the Carry-on Bag." Of those two, I prefer "The Kiss" where the fish out of water is a prince playing hooky from his royal family. "Fluffy", a tale of a tough cat was too much like trying to read a plot into those dogs playing poker paintings.
Richard Peck includes short explanations to about half of his stories in Past Perfect Present Tense. Most of these introductions come with the reprinted stories. They help to give insight into his creative process and to the ways in which his style has evolved over time.
The stories in here are:
* Priscilla and the Wimps
* The Electric Summer
* The Special Powers of Blossom Gulp
* By Far the Worst Pupil at Long Point School
* Girl at the Window
* The Most Important Night of Melanie's Life
* Waiting for Sebastian
* Shadows
* Fluffy the Gangbuster
* I Go Along
* The Kiss in the Carry-on Bag
* The Three-Century Woman
The stories in here are:
* How to Write a Short Story
* Five Helpful Hints
Most of the stories have a supernatural or surreal twist to them. Sometimes the twist is only just a tiny hint at the end of an otherwise ordinary but well written story. For instance in "Priscilla and the Wimps" (1984) the male protagonist recounts how his school was run by Monk Clutter, the school bully. His career comes to an end with the help of an unlikely heroine, Priscilla.
At the other extreme, there are the ghost stories like "Girl at the Window" and "The Most Important Night of Melanie's Life." Both of these are in the vein of The Twilight Zone, with hints dropped throughout for observant readers. These two were my favorite of Past Perfect Present Tense.
Sometimes Peck plays with unexpected characters or unusual points of view. The best examples of this type of story are "Fluffy the Gangbuster" and "The Kiss in the Carry-on Bag." Of those two, I prefer "The Kiss" where the fish out of water is a prince playing hooky from his royal family. "Fluffy", a tale of a tough cat was too much like trying to read a plot into those dogs playing poker paintings.
Richard Peck includes short explanations to about half of his stories in Past Perfect Present Tense. Most of these introductions come with the reprinted stories. They help to give insight into his creative process and to the ways in which his style has evolved over time.
The stories in here are:
* Priscilla and the Wimps
* The Electric Summer
* The Special Powers of Blossom Gulp
* By Far the Worst Pupil at Long Point School
* Girl at the Window
* The Most Important Night of Melanie's Life
* Waiting for Sebastian
* Shadows
* Fluffy the Gangbuster
* I Go Along
* The Kiss in the Carry-on Bag
* The Three-Century Woman
The stories in here are:
* How to Write a Short Story
* Five Helpful Hints
michaelavk's review
4.0
Found this little gem at Powell's in Chicago. While his name was familiar, I didn't know his work. Good inspiration for getting into the Young Adult frame of a writerly mind. I especially like the ghost stories.
lyriclorelei's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
This is a fun collection of stories and I now want to reread A Long Way From Chicago.
More...