Full review posted on Across the LitoverseIn truth, Jane is one of four Moffat children, meaning she shares her middle child status with an older brother; however, she coins her title after noticing her mother simply introduces her as just Jane. Sylvie is the eldest child; Rufus, the youngest; and Joey is the oldest son. But what about Jane? I would argue her stance in this matter exemplifies a middle-child mindset, so I'll let the the four-child status slide this time.What follows in this second novel from The Moffats series is a collection of short stories profiling one year in the life of the feisty, fun-loving Jane after she and her family moves across town to a house on Ashbellows Place. In a new setting with a host of neighbours to meet, Jane wants to greet the world with a new persona—and the mysterious middle Moffat seems an excellent place to start. But being in the middle is a lot harder than it looks…Jane's adventurous spirit and her endless search for fun leads her to befriend and secretly protect Mr. Buckle, Cranbury's oldest inhabitant, to hold her first disastrous organ recital, to help the girls' basketball team win their championship, to stand up to the frightful mechanical wizard Wallie Bangs, to learn about losing and finding best friends across town, and so much more. Throughout her travels, Jane dedicates herself to upholding the honour of the Moffats, and helps her mother and siblings as best as she can. Overall, a lovely book about a fellow Moffat[t] child. In particular, the book lends itself well to classes studying children's lives during the Second World War and offers a nice, light read to middle readers in general.Ideal for: Middle readers who like episodic, small-town adventures; Educators looking to capture a child's life in the Second World War for their classes; Older readers looking to reconnect with the classics of their childhood; Members of the Moffat clan.
The tone of the text is absolutely charming. Written in the 1940's, the story spans a year in Jane Moffat's life. She is the middle child, hence the title in the book.I enjoyed reading her dilemmas in:1) how to have good manners 2) how to help her neighbor3) how to keep her brother from being disappointed Christmas morning4) how the show must go on5) how to have integrity even though your best friend now calls you a pain...and others. I laughed at some of her antics and thought processes. My favorite:"Daylight was gone. Tomorrow they were going to begin saving daylight. Daylight saving time. And how could they save daylight, Jane wondered? When she first heard about saving daylight she had thought, "What a wonderful idea!" She envisioned an enormous storage box where the daylight could be saved and let out bit by bit as needed, particularly during the cold winter afternoons when an extra bit of daylight would come in very handy. If the gas meter ran out, and the Moffats did not have a quarter in the house, and the oil for the lamps was gone, all they would have to do would be to let a little daylight out of the box.However, that was not what daylight saving meant. It meant pushing the clock ahead an hour, calling it four o'clock when it was really three. Mama said this too saved quarters. But Jane was disappointed there would be no big box of daylight."As you can see, not only quaint, but also gives readers a peep into what life in the 1940's was like. I enjoyed it, and have already recommended it to family. I have not read the rest of the series yet - I picked this book up at the library because I recognized Eleanor Estes' name from The Hundred Dresses, a girlhood favorite. I wasn't disappointed.
What do You think about The Middle Moffat (2001)?
My all-time favorite children's author for ages 7-10 - but read it to or with your child until they get comfortable with occasional old-fashioned vocabulary. After Jimmy got to know (and love) the characters, he read all the other Moffat (and many other books by Eleanor Estes) by himself. To me the characters are timeless - children who know how to play, imagine, create, but also are good kids who love their families, help their neighbors, etc. The Middle Moffat is my favorite - perhaps because I was a middle child. :)
—Laurie
My goal for this week was to read The Middle Moffat and i did reach my goal it took me about tow in a half months to read this book.This book was retty long but i did meat my goal and i hope i can reach my next goal as this week. In the book The Middle Moffat there was 234 pages thats why it took me a long time reading this book and my goal for myself is to read 1-2 chapters every day thats how i finished my goal. The main character in this book is Jane Moffat she is a girl thst every one thinks she's boring. One reson why it called the midddel moffat is because she is the middel one in her family. Jane is helping the girls bascket ball team win the championship,and stand up to fightful mechanicla wizerd Wallie bangs. Jane is so busy that she doesnt have time for her slef. But overall Jane is a out going person than she use to be. My goal for next week is to read 1-2 chapters evey day as i did. Also read books in my level and just try my vest evey day!!
—LULU♥
As usual, Estes does not disappoint.The Middle Moffat passed the most important test: My kids loved it. Both the 8yo and the 4yo said several times a day, "Read more Moffats, Mommy!" I found myself wondering what my 21st-century children see in these World War I-era books.I think what makes the Moffat books timeless is the way Estes portrays the children. The books seem very true to the way a child thinks. I really love Jane's perspective, and I enjoyed being in her head. Reading Jane's internal conflict when trying to make decisions really endeared her to me. It's lovely to read a character who is imperfect but trying so hard to do the right thing while receiving conflicting messages (like whether or not to take the last pork chop in a home with a maid).Estes also incorporates some cultural critiques (and gentle ribbing) that help adult readers look at themselves less seriously. I especially loved the chapter where the women of the town hear a talk about Henry David Thoreau and then go through and declutter their homes. That really hit close to home. I had no idea people were decluttering in the early 20th century. And the means by which the organ---but not the piano bench---comes into the Moffat's home highlights the way that some people feel compelled to declutter without really internalizing the reasons for doing so.The relationship between Jane and the oldest inhabitant of Cranbury was incredibly sweet, the way she cared for him, and he treated her as an equal. I found myself wishing our town would have a parade for every inhabitant who reached the century mark.There are so many golden moments in this book. The only trouble I had with it is that the chapters are a tad long for a read-aloud. That didn't stop us, though.
—Charity
