Keeper of the Doves

By Betsy Byars

Book Overview

Amen McBee, the youngest of five sisters, gobbles up words the way other children gobble up sweets. She couldn't be more different from her elder twin sisters Arabella and Annabella-called the Bellas. The mischievous Bellas constantly frighten Amen with stories of Mr. Tominski-the old recluse who lives in the woods nearby and mysteriously tends to a flock of doves. The Bellas insist that Mr. Tominski is a dangerous bogeyman who eats children whole, but Papa vows that the "keeper of the doves" wouldn't hurt a soul. When tragedy strikes the family Amen must decide once and for all who is right.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0142400637
• ISBN13: 9780142400630
• Release Date: February 2004
• Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
• Length: 121 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.0" x 7.8"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Good Start

I think this book has a good start but I also think that the dad overeacted when he found out that Amen was a girl!!

Keeper of the Doves

The book is very different than any book I have ever read. It is about a girl who has three sisters when she is born and her dad really wants a son. All of the children's names have to start with an A. So her name is Amen. She was the fifth one born after her older sister died after 9 days of living. Her and her sisters are all scared of their neighbor Mr. Tominski, a mysterious man that saved their father from death. Mr. Tominski is the keeper of the doves behind an old church. There are some sad parts. But I would still recommend this book any day.

The best book you will ever read

I loved this book!This book is about Amie and a man named Mr Tominski. He had doves in a nearby chapel. He trained his doves. This story is placed in 1899 in Kentuky. One day Amie meets Mr Tominski in the grave yard. Amie has a camera. Mr Tominski talks in German. He was pointing at himself. Amie said do you want me to take a picture of you? Mr Tominski shook his head. Amie took 2 pictures of Mr Tominski. This book is about differences. I recommend this book to anybody!!!