Binny for Short

For fans who are missing the Cassons, the Cornwallis family will just as easily charm you. There's Clem, the oldest - thoughtful, kind, beautiful, selfless. Then there's Binny - a stubborn dreamer, a bit of a misfit, but always fiercely determined. And James will steal your heart as quickly as young Rose did - utterly unconcerned with how any one in the world might view him, James is unapologetically his tenacious and mischievous self. Like the Cassons, you'll find yourself easily wishing you could be adopted into their world. Hilary McKay writes her Binny books with the same light-hearted, yet thought-provoking voice that readers have grown to love. There's a true magic in her words.

I have loved all of Hilary McKay' s books. Her characters are wonderfully endearing, funny, flawed people who muddle through as best they can. Binny is as brave as Rose and as eccentric as the Exiles. She possesses all the traits I have come to love in a McKay heroine. The story is by turns silly and sad, full of determination and hope and with a touch of something that might just be magic. A fantastic read.

Cute story, likeable yet realistic characters, the right amount of humor versus gravity. I loved that Binny told her Aunty Violet, "I hope you're next.". At a funeral. Yes, it did wrap up very nicely, but I personally thought that was very, well, nice.

I really like the beggining of this book.I definitely rate it five star it is interesting.Customers should read it.I love to read but this is a book I will always remember and treasure forever.

McKay somehow perfectly grasps the feelings at that age. Funny and smart, this series is a must read for young and old.

Good story for 4th- 5th grade students, a fun read.

It's all about before and after for Belinda (Binny);Before Max, and after Max.Before Dad Died and After Dad Died.Before Aunty Violet Died and After Aunty Violet Died.Because there are lots of Befores and Afters in Binny's life . . .Before Dad Died, he gifted Binny the perfect puppy, Max, just like a dog she saw in a book once. She loved Max terribly, and he was the best dog. But then dad died, and the family had to move; Binny, her mum, older sister Clemency `Clem' and little brother, James. They moved two times after dad died, and Max didn't fit into any of their new places - so he went to live with Granny. But then Aunty Violet gave him away, said he was too much trouble for Granny and Binny hated Violet ever since.But it was After Aunty Violet Died that they inherited her house by the seaside and finally started a proper new life since dad died.At first, Binny was reluctant to settle into this old house where Aunty Violet's ghost still lived. But Clem and James settled in right away - Clem when she found her friend Kate, who works at a local cafe, and James when he pulls an old pink wetsuit out of the bin and discovers his love for chickens.But Binny doesn't really start settling in until Gareth arrives. He lives in a holiday house next door, and from the first time their eyes lock it's war for Binny and Gareth.`Binny for Short' is the middle grade book by Hilary McKay. I read the UK version (unillustrated, though the US edition includes drawings by Micah Player).I absolutely, thoroughly and unabashedly adored this book, and was absolutely delighted to learn that this is just the first book McKay intends for young Binny.We first meet Binny at age 8, when she is gifted Max the puppy and her father dies. This marks the beginning of the first big shift in Binny's life, and while she has fond memories of her father and imagines she was very sad after he died (though she can't remember being as sombre as Clem or throwing tantrums like James did) she more sharply remembers how sad and angry she was when Max was taken away from her. Because even after dad died, Binny had Max and he was the best dog. But then they had to move to a small house Max couldn't fit in, so they gave him to gran to look after. But then Binny learns that her Aunt Violet decided gran couldn't look after Max, so she took it upon herself to rehome him with a new family.When Binny learns to this she is distraught, and so begins many years of missing and trying to look for Max, and her hatred of Aunt Violet (which she lets her know about!).Then Aunty Violet dies and leaves her old Cornwall house for Binny (specifically) and her family to move into. Binny wants to refuse any `gifts' from Aunt Violet (especially one she imagines to be haunted by Violet's vengeful ghost) but the rest of her family look forward to a bit of stability since dad died, and happily move into the house.And it's here, when Binny is eleven-years-old, that the story really kicks off. She develops her first crush on a local boat-owner who takes tourists out to view the seals. She finds a new enemy in next-door neighbour boy, Gareth. Clemency settles back into her music, and mum gets a job at the local old people's home, and she brings James along to charm the little old ladies and admire their chickens.Interspersed with Binny and her family's settling into Cornwall are scenes of Binny and Gareth, somewhere in the very near future, stuck out in high-tide in the middle of a Cornwall beach. A moment that may move them from enemies to proper friends, if they survive . . .The book is really a beautiful, third-person rambling narrative about one family's up's and down's in the year their lives start to settle but grief and change occasionally creep in to unsettle things. And for Binny, the constant memories of Max are her trigger to larger sadness.There's a lot of beauty and laughter in this novel too, like little brother James who tries to break his high-peeing record on the back fence and requires a behavioural list to abide by.I absolutely loved this family and Binny - she's a charming character trying to fit into her own skin. She's attempting to come to grips with a loss that feels like it could be rectified, her burgeoning love for an unkind teenage boy and this fiery need she has to antagonise her next-door-neighbour. She's quite a character, and I can't wait to read more of her adventures. `Binny for Short' is actually one of my favourite novels to come out of 2013.

This book starts strong with wonderful writing and such fun details as a beloved bookstore,a story-telling father, and a nemesis.When Binny's dad dies, the family struggles financially which means moving schools and apartments each year, and giving up some things that they've been used to, including Binny's beloved dog Max. Granny was going to take him, but Aunt Violet thought it was too much for her. When Granny dies and Aunt Violet comes to the funeral, Binny tells her off, resulting in wholly unexpected consequences. Aunt Violet leaves her seaside cottage to the family, and "especially" to Binny. Her family is all for settling in, but Binny holds out for a bit. Once she's convinced, she is glad to be there, with an enemy Gareth next door, a cute boy at the docks working on one of the boats, and lots of adventures to be had.This book is sure to please fans of the Penderwicks. The similarities hit me when I was about 2/3 of the way through. The family is lovely and smart, the English seaside setting is fun, and Binny and Gareth challenge each other to be the best -- or worst -- they can be.Like the Penderwick girls, Binny has lost a parent, and it's definitely affected her life, but I like the way that the whole thing is processed on her level. It's part of who she is, but this book is not about that. And like the Penderwicks' sidekick Jeffrey, Gareth has trouble at home as well, and hanging with Binny and her family helps him forget.This is a sweet story about friendship, family, growing up, and stretching boundaries. The characters were lovable and lovely. Six-year-old James was the most memorable. It's not exactly stated why, but he's not "quite right." He insists on wearing a lime green and pink wetsuit he found in the trash (and if anyone thinks he's a girl, he's willing to show them proof that he's definitely not). He greets his mom and sisters with "Hello. Don't kiss me," every day. He made me smile, and Binny and her older sister Clem's patience and love for him made me proud.In spite of the cover, I think this is a book that could appeal to boys and girls, perhaps as a read-aloud.

Superb story of regrowth, family, love and acceptance. Brilliant characters and a salty setting so real you can breathe it in. Loved it!

Hilary McKay is my favourite children's writer - and I read a lot of children's fiction! It is laugh out loud funny for both children and adults whilst dealing with big issues.

Not much in the way of plot but interesting portrayal of family relationships.

I absolutely loved this book - such a moving and perfectly crafted story. I couldn't recommend it enough.

And it all came right in the end. Even for Aunt Violet who wasn't as bad as we thought after all