Reviewed by Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

PENNY FROM HEAVEN, a new offering by author Jennifer L. Holm, is an excellent pick for middle grade readers. Set in the early 1950's, it tells a story of everyday life and rich Italian heritage.

Penny lives with her mother and her grandparents. At the start of the novel, she's almost twelve. Most of her time is spent hanging out in the neighborhood with her cousin and best friend, Frankie.

Bike riding would be fun, but Penny's bike was unfortunately backed over in the driveway. Going swimming in the city pool or taking in an afternoon matinee sounds like quality entertainment, but Penny's mom believes those places are breeding grounds for the dreaded polio everyone seems to be contracting. That doesn't leave much to do, but Penny and Frankie always seem to find something to get into. It might be an attempt to fix the leaky toilet that turns into a major repair job, or the secret mission to discover if great-grandma Nonny wears black underwear to match her old-fashioned black dresses.

Penny is surrounded by tons of Italian aunts and uncles, but she misses her father. His death years ago is still shrouded in mystery, one that Penny seems unable to uncover. Her mother is becoming interested in Mr. Mulligan, the milkman. Penny's attempts to pair her mother up with favorite Uncle Dominic fail miserably.

Day-to-day life is pretty predictable for Penny and her family until the unthinkable happens. After a tragic accident, Penny finds herself making plans for a very different life. Readers' emotions will be tested as Penny's story unfolds.

Jennifer L. Holm is also known for Newbery Honor book OUR ONLY MAY AMELIA and her BOSTON JANE series, which is my personal favorite. ( )

Penny from Heaven by Jennifer L. Holm is a very sweet novel. Barbara Falucci, better known as Penny, is an 11 year old girl growing up in New Jersey in 1950s America. Her Italian father is deceased so Penny lives with her American mother and grandparents. While she loves them, she really enjoys spending time with her father's eccentric extended family. From really delicious meals to her favorite Uncle Dominic, spending time with the Falucci's and all of their cousins is a true treat!

The summer Penny turns 12 is filled with time working at Uncle Ralphie's store, adventures with her sarcastic yet loving cousin Frankie, bad hair days, Nonni's food, her cat passing away, her mother dating the milk man, and baseball games. One unfortunate event causes Penny to be in the hospital for many weeks. It is during this time that Penny truly grows as a person and receives needed answers about her father.

Penny from Heaven is a nostalgic read with great well-rounded characters. If you have any Italian heritage, then you will really connect with this story because the characters are so authentic. I listened to this story on Audio CD, and Amber Sealey does a wonderful job with the Eastern and Italian accents! This is a fun and well-written historical fiction novel...enjoy! :) ( )

This is a story set in the 1950's about a girl whose father is dead and a series of events leads her to realize more about the death of her father. It had a nice twist to it and really kept your attention while reading. ( )

As she turns twelve during the summer of 1953, Penny gains new insights into herself and her family while also learning a secret about her father's death.

Awesome book!! a must read! It's about life, death, family, and love ( )