Call number
YA FICTION Auxier
Subjects
Publication
New York : Amulet Books, 2018.
Description
In nineteenth-century England, after her father's disappearance Nan Sparrow, ten, works as a "climbing boy," aiding chimney sweeps, but when her most treasured possessions end up in a fireplace, she unwittingly creates a golem.
User reviews
LibraryThing member BillieBook
Ack. I hate having the responsibility of being the first. I want to just walk away and come back later when other people have had a chance to review so that my thoughts can get lost in the crowd.
Sweep is wonderful. It reads as if Charles Dickens tried his hand at telling a Hans Christian Andersen
Sweep is wonderful. It reads as if Charles Dickens tried his hand at telling a Hans Christian Andersen
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fairy tale. It has a bit of a feel of Frances Hodgson Burnett and a bit of Oscar Wilde's The Happy Prince. It is, in short, much like the classic children's literature I read when young—at once both magical and moralizing, hopeful and heartbreaking. Nan and Charlie and even Toby are the kinds of book friends with whom I would have happily spent countless hours as a ten-year-old. Reading it was like rediscovering a much-loved old friend from childhood, but one that holds up and is just as delightful as you remember it being. Show Less
LibraryThing member krau0098
I got a copy of this book from NetGalley to review. Previous to this book I read Auxier’s “The Night Gardener” and “Peter Nimble and his Fantastic Eyes” and really enjoyed both of them. I ended up really loving Sweep as well and zipped right through it.
Nan Sparrow is a chimney sweep that
I loved the setting and characters in this book. I also really enjoyed the “monster” that emerges from the coal. Reading about the struggles that Nan and friends go through was also engagin. The book was perfectly paced, fun to read, and very well written. I learned a ton about chimney sweeps in historical London that I didn’t know about before.
Overall this was a spectacular book that I really enjoyed. So far, I have enjoyed everything I had read by Auxier which makes me want to go and pick up the few books of his that I haven’t read yet. Anyway, I would recommend to those who enjoy middle grade historical fiction with a touch of magical realism.
Nan Sparrow is a chimney sweep that
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was raised by an old chimney sweep (father figure) in a very unconventional way. When the old chimney sweep leaves, Nan is forced to take up work with another sweeping crew. The only momento Nan has from her old chimney sweep father-figure is a piece of coal that never gets cold. When Nan is trapped in a chimney fire she finds out that the piece of coal is much more than she expected.I loved the setting and characters in this book. I also really enjoyed the “monster” that emerges from the coal. Reading about the struggles that Nan and friends go through was also engagin. The book was perfectly paced, fun to read, and very well written. I learned a ton about chimney sweeps in historical London that I didn’t know about before.
Overall this was a spectacular book that I really enjoyed. So far, I have enjoyed everything I had read by Auxier which makes me want to go and pick up the few books of his that I haven’t read yet. Anyway, I would recommend to those who enjoy middle grade historical fiction with a touch of magical realism.
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LibraryThing member Carolibrarian
Thank you Librarything for a copy of Sweep by Jonathan Auxier. I have read other books by Auxier, and once again, Iwas not disappointed. Sweep is an enchanting story that you will want to read in 1 sitting.
Since she was born, Nan Sparrow knows all about being a chimney sweep. Having been raised by
Follow along on Nan's adventure as she grows into someone you will fall in love with. Learning about chimney sweeps in in historical London will shatter your image of the one we all remember from Mary Poppins. What these children had to endure will break your heart.
I would highly recommend this book to everyone.
Since she was born, Nan Sparrow knows all about being a chimney sweep. Having been raised by
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a mentor "the sweep" who teaches her every thing she needs to know, and so much more, Nan learns to be strong in mind and body. The old sweep leaves Nan a gift before he dies. A little piece of char.Follow along on Nan's adventure as she grows into someone you will fall in love with. Learning about chimney sweeps in in historical London will shatter your image of the one we all remember from Mary Poppins. What these children had to endure will break your heart.
I would highly recommend this book to everyone.
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LibraryThing member leoithne
A charming and wonderful story, and one of my favourites of this year. I feel like this is a great read for all ages and I would urge anyone to try it.
The writing felt seamless and drew me in immediately. The story goes back and forth between the past (told as a story) and the present, in which
Each character has a distinct personality and motives about them that made them easy to differentiate, and they all worked well together in the narrative.
I liked that this book kind of felt like a classic book, but the writing of course was a lot more smoother and easier for me to read. I was expected a lot more whimsy and happiness, but I'm very pleased with how this book actually wasn't so cheerful and actually had a lot of focus on child labour and the death of children through this practice, and even mentions of Anti-semitism.
Every moment of the 15 years it took Auxier to write this were definitely worth it. And I'll definitely be checking out his other works.
The writing felt seamless and drew me in immediately. The story goes back and forth between the past (told as a story) and the present, in which
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everything draws together in the end perfectly. Each character has a distinct personality and motives about them that made them easy to differentiate, and they all worked well together in the narrative.
I liked that this book kind of felt like a classic book, but the writing of course was a lot more smoother and easier for me to read. I was expected a lot more whimsy and happiness, but I'm very pleased with how this book actually wasn't so cheerful and actually had a lot of focus on child labour and the death of children through this practice, and even mentions of Anti-semitism.
Every moment of the 15 years it took Auxier to write this were definitely worth it. And I'll definitely be checking out his other works.
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LibraryThing member SheilaCornelisse
Little Nan Sparrow loved the life she had working beside The Sweep, her guardian. However, tragedy strikes when she is left orphaned and sold of to a cruel, abusive sweep who owns a group of young children whom he forces to work for him under very adverse conditions. Nevertheless, Nan refuses to
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give in. When she discovers a small lump of char that The Sweep left behind for her, she takes comfort in the warmth and dreams it provides. One day Nan gets trapped in the chimney of a girls boarding school. One of her fellow child sweeps lights a fire in the chimney, out of jealousy. This act leads to a series of events that will change Nan's life forever. The fire acted like a catalyst and brings the char to life. I loved this book. The characters are well defined and brought to life just like the char, Charlie. Nan is a strong female and child character. Her resilience is inspiring. The story takes you through a range of emotions... both laughter and tears. Show Less
LibraryThing member calicok3
Wow, I was really impressed with this book by Jonathan Auxier. The book has a lesson, imagination, characters that you love, and a great plot! In 'Sweep', Nan a female chimney sweep strikes out on her own after a near fatal experience. Unbeknownst to her she carries a bit of magic in her pocket
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which gives rise to her protector and friend Charlie. The book is a work of fiction but Auxier manages to describe what life might have been like as a chimney sweep in Victorian England. 'Sweep' is uplifting, thrilling, and heartbreaking at times. While it is a YA book, the author doesn't shy from difficult topics like death, which is an important topic to broach with children. I loved this book and have bought several copies to give to my nieces and nephews for Christmas. I would highly recommend it. Show Less
LibraryThing member HandelmanLibraryTINR
Sweep is the story of a girl and her monster. Together, these two outcasts carve out a new life—saving each other in the process. Lyrically told by one of today's most powerful storytellers, Sweep is a heartrending adventure about the everlasting gifts of friendship and wonder.
LibraryThing member BooksRLife4Me
This is a great book and the hubby loved it as well, we had to fight over whose turn it was to read. Very cute
LibraryThing member authorjanebnight
Synopsis:
This story is about a little girl, name Nan, who is a chimney sweep. She becomes stuck in a chimney and is saved by a golem. Nan soon befriends this golem and they go off and have adventures together, ultimately raising awareness about the plight of chimney sweeps in Victorian England.
My
5/5
I really loved this book. It has been one of my favorite reads so far this year.
It was amazing and emotional. It just punched me in the gut and gave me all the feels. It is a fairly short read but I cried the majority of the time I was reading it.
The primary focus of this book is on the mistreatment of chimney sweep children and I loved how the author brought us into their world. My heart broke for the sweep children and the details were absolutely immersive. I loved the exploration of child labor and the treatment of children during that era of history.
While I enjoyed the fantasy elements, such as the golem, it was really the picture of the time period that endeared this book to me as well as Nan's story.
The only complaint I have about this book is that there were some places I felt that more information could have been given. I can't say too much here without spoiling bits of the story, but I felt like there were secondary characters who I would have liked to know more about their back story than we were given. Nan was the point of view character and in many instances these were things Nan could not have known so I understood why they weren't included but I would have really liked more exploration in a few places and regarding a few characters.
This is a really amazing book but be aware that it is very emotional to read and there is child abuse and mistreatment throughout the book so if you find that triggering this book might not be for you. But, if you love history I think this book is well worth the read to explore the challenges faced by child laborers of the time. Though this book is technically middle grade, I think I would only give this book to a mature child who can handle the potentially upsetting content.
This story is about a little girl, name Nan, who is a chimney sweep. She becomes stuck in a chimney and is saved by a golem. Nan soon befriends this golem and they go off and have adventures together, ultimately raising awareness about the plight of chimney sweeps in Victorian England.
My
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rating:5/5
I really loved this book. It has been one of my favorite reads so far this year.
It was amazing and emotional. It just punched me in the gut and gave me all the feels. It is a fairly short read but I cried the majority of the time I was reading it.
The primary focus of this book is on the mistreatment of chimney sweep children and I loved how the author brought us into their world. My heart broke for the sweep children and the details were absolutely immersive. I loved the exploration of child labor and the treatment of children during that era of history.
While I enjoyed the fantasy elements, such as the golem, it was really the picture of the time period that endeared this book to me as well as Nan's story.
The only complaint I have about this book is that there were some places I felt that more information could have been given. I can't say too much here without spoiling bits of the story, but I felt like there were secondary characters who I would have liked to know more about their back story than we were given. Nan was the point of view character and in many instances these were things Nan could not have known so I understood why they weren't included but I would have really liked more exploration in a few places and regarding a few characters.
This is a really amazing book but be aware that it is very emotional to read and there is child abuse and mistreatment throughout the book so if you find that triggering this book might not be for you. But, if you love history I think this book is well worth the read to explore the challenges faced by child laborers of the time. Though this book is technically middle grade, I think I would only give this book to a mature child who can handle the potentially upsetting content.
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LibraryThing member AMQS
If you have never climbed inside a chimney, perhaps you are wondering what it's like. Imagine holding an open book. Maybe you are holding one right now? Imagine a black tunnel exactly that size - an endless, winding tunnel with no light at the end.
Imagine that the walls of the tunnel are sharp
Now imagine placing a cloth over your head.
Take a deep breath, if you still can.
And crawl inside.
Little Nan Sparrow lived a hard but charmed life with the Sweep. He cared for her, kept her safe, shared their paltry food, and told her stories, including Story Soup, which they had on nights there was nothing to eat, but was somehow comforting and nourishing. But one day the Sweep disappeared, leaving Nan with nothing but a little bit of char, mysteriously warm. Nan at 6 years old becomes indentured to a brutal master and is a climber - a child that climbs from a hearth through to the chimney on the roof, cleaning while he goes - a very real and very dangerous job for poor and orphaned children in Victorian times. Nan becomes stuck in a chimney fire and is saved by her little piece of char, which comes to life when it catches fire. Nan and Charlie - her bit of char fashions a body for himself - make a life together. Nan scours storybooks to see if she can find anything like Charlie, and comes across a golem - monsters and protectors formed of clay and designed for obsolescence. The obsolescence part worries Nan - the idea that Charlie exists to fulfill a purpose and will die when he does fills her with fear and dread, and she devotes her life and energies to protecting her protector.
"That's what it is to care for a person," Toby said. There was not even a hint of mocking in his voice. "If you're not afraid, you're not doing it right."
Love and friendship is woven throughout the book, a heartwarming counterpoint to the bleakness of Nan's life on the streets of Victorian London. The book is pretty much perfect - adventure, harrowing danger, historical setting, and love. Like Mr. Auxier's other novels, it celebrates stories and their power, and has references to Dickens, Tolkein, Shelley (Frankenstein), William Blake, The Water Babies, and more. I loved it.
Imagine that the walls of the tunnel are sharp
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enough to cut your skin bloody. Imagine some of the walls will crush you if you touch them wrong. Imagine some of the walls are on fire.Now imagine placing a cloth over your head.
Take a deep breath, if you still can.
And crawl inside.
Little Nan Sparrow lived a hard but charmed life with the Sweep. He cared for her, kept her safe, shared their paltry food, and told her stories, including Story Soup, which they had on nights there was nothing to eat, but was somehow comforting and nourishing. But one day the Sweep disappeared, leaving Nan with nothing but a little bit of char, mysteriously warm. Nan at 6 years old becomes indentured to a brutal master and is a climber - a child that climbs from a hearth through to the chimney on the roof, cleaning while he goes - a very real and very dangerous job for poor and orphaned children in Victorian times. Nan becomes stuck in a chimney fire and is saved by her little piece of char, which comes to life when it catches fire. Nan and Charlie - her bit of char fashions a body for himself - make a life together. Nan scours storybooks to see if she can find anything like Charlie, and comes across a golem - monsters and protectors formed of clay and designed for obsolescence. The obsolescence part worries Nan - the idea that Charlie exists to fulfill a purpose and will die when he does fills her with fear and dread, and she devotes her life and energies to protecting her protector.
"That's what it is to care for a person," Toby said. There was not even a hint of mocking in his voice. "If you're not afraid, you're not doing it right."
Love and friendship is woven throughout the book, a heartwarming counterpoint to the bleakness of Nan's life on the streets of Victorian London. The book is pretty much perfect - adventure, harrowing danger, historical setting, and love. Like Mr. Auxier's other novels, it celebrates stories and their power, and has references to Dickens, Tolkein, Shelley (Frankenstein), William Blake, The Water Babies, and more. I loved it.
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LibraryThing member raizel
I was most appreciative of the Historical Note at the end of the book: it saved me having to do immediate research. Once we know one of Charlie's special skills, we know that something will require his using it---sorta like the shotgun above the mantelpiece in a play. The Jewish element is
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understated: there is a teacher, Esther Bloom, who left her Orthodox life and a mudlark who befriends the main character. Show Less
LibraryThing member ewyatt
Nan was raised by a Sweep until one day he was gone. Leaving her a hat and a mysteriously warm piece of coal/ash. She's taken in by a master until one day when she is stuck in a chimney. They light a fire to try to either get her out or kill her. Charlie (the aforementioned piece of ash) is a golem
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who comes to life to save her! The two of them hide out in an abandoned house as they try to figure Charlier out, make sense of their paths, and change the path of child labor in England. Show Less
LibraryThing member ashleytylerjohn
Wonderful story, firing on all cylinders, and moving me to tears (and then following up with an almost-as-moving author's afterward). Yes, it's a bit manipulative (want to make your audience weep? Have their characters get married, or die, or achieve their life's ambition, or fail miserably to
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s).
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achieve their life's ambition) but it only works if you have also made your audience fall in love with your characters, and that's the tricky part, which Auxier manages nicely. (Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s).
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LibraryThing member MontzaleeW
Sweep
The Story of a Girl and Her Monster
By: Jonathan Auxier
This is a story about a little girl as a chimney sweep. She was with a man who raised her and loved her all her life. Then when she was 6 years old, he just left. She has friends, and enemies. She ended up being a indentured slave
The story picks up at age 11 when something happens to cause the special stone the sweep man left for her, along with his hat, that changes her life. It becomes alive. It grows.
It's a very heartwarming story and heartbreaking story. I have to say I shed A few tears in here a couple of times.
The Story of a Girl and Her Monster
By: Jonathan Auxier
This is a story about a little girl as a chimney sweep. She was with a man who raised her and loved her all her life. Then when she was 6 years old, he just left. She has friends, and enemies. She ended up being a indentured slave
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practically to a cruel man, along with many others about her age.The story picks up at age 11 when something happens to cause the special stone the sweep man left for her, along with his hat, that changes her life. It becomes alive. It grows.
It's a very heartwarming story and heartbreaking story. I have to say I shed A few tears in here a couple of times.
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Awards
A Horn Book Fanfare Best Book (Fiction — 2018)
Texas Bluebonnet Award (Nominee — 2021)
Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award (Nominee — 2021)
Mythopoeic Awards (Finalist — Children's Literature — 2019)
Great Stone Face Book Award (Nominee — 2020)
Sydney Taylor Book Award (Winner — Older Readers — 2019)
Utah Beehive Book Award (Nominee — Children's Fiction — 2021)
National Jewish Book Award (Finalist — Children's Literature — 2018)
Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award (Nominee — Grades 6-8 — 2020)
Governor General's Literary Award (Finalist — 2018)
Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader's Choice Award (Nominee — Junior — 2021)
William Allen White Children's Book Award (Nominee — Grades 6-8 — 2021)
Vermont Golden Dome Book Award (Nominee — 2020)
Judy Lopez Memorial Award for Children's Literature (Honor Book — 2019)
Garden State Teen Book Award (Nominee — 2021)
Oregon Reader's Choice Award (Nominee — 2021)
Silver Birch Fiction Award (Nominee — 2020)
California Young Reader Medal (Nominee — 2021)
Black-Eyed Susan Book Award (Nominee — Grades 4-6 — 2020)
Volunteer State Book Award (Nominee — Intermediate — 2021)
YouPer Award (Honor — 2019)
Red Cedar Book Award (Nominee — Fiction — 2020)
The Willow Awards (Finalist — 2019)
E.B. White Read-Aloud Award (Honor Book — 2019)
Charlotte Huck Award (Winner — 2019)
TD Canadian Children's Literature Award (Finalist — 2019)
Rocky Mountain Book Award (Nominee — 2020)
Nerdy Book Award (Middle Grade Fiction — 2018)
Los Angeles Public Library Best of the Year (Children's Books — 2018)
Tome Society It List (2021)
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best: Kids (Fiction for Older Readers — 2018)
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Status
Available
Call number
ISBN
9781419731402