Pictures of Hollis Woods

Pictures of Hollis Woods

Patricia Reilly Giff

Pictures of Hollis Woods may be one of the most intriguing and obscure children's books I have ever written. Although this is a chapter book with little to no illustrations, I believe the front cover makes a striking impression on readers and has them wondering what on earth this book could be about from the get-go. The image of the bottom half of a little girl baffled me before I opened the book: could this be a horror story, like something similar to the Blair Witch Project? Is this a fun children's book, or is it supposed to be eerie and creepy like some might interpret the front cover to be? What exactly do "pictures" and "hollis woods" refer to, anyway?

We soon learn that there are actually several interpretations of the title that arise in the book, which is a factor that I think really makes it multi-dimensional. "Pictures" here can mean actual artwork done by the little girl named "Hollis," or they can mean snapshots of her life throughout this book as a wandering foster care child trying to find the meaning of family. "Hollis Woods" is the name the little girl takes on as a young, abandoned child, but "Hollis woods" also refers to an actual forest after which she believes she was named. Just this simple analysis of the title reveals that this book contains some complex themes for an elementary schooler.

I feel that both the plot and the layout of the book itself are very unique and different. I like how the author intersperses the past with the present: Hollis's "pictures" of her life with the Regan family before the accident, and the chapters on her present day "Time with Josie." It's an interesting format that really challenges the minds and imaginations of young readers as they read. Each section is filled with rich language, especially for independent elementary readers. I especially love how she describes places, such as the houses that Josie has lived in, and people, upon first impressions. For example, when the "mustard woman" from the agency takes Hollis to live with Josie, a stark painting is set to describe our first look at Josie: "I did blink then, of course I did. Anyone getting a first look at Josie Cahill would do the same. It wasn't just that she was movie-star beautiful, or that she was wearing a blue dress made of filmy stuff that floated around her, and rings on eight fingers. It was this: She had a knife in one hand. She held it in front of her so it caught the glint of the late-afternoon sunshine and became a silvery light itself" (7). With words like these, Giff does a wonderful job of capturing the eerie seriousness of the situation, but also in a childish way through Hollis's perspective.

I really love how the author relates the child's life so much to art: I think that Hollis's pictures and Josie's wood-carving really convey the heart-wrenching themes contained in this book and help make them more relatable to children. Though I do not have a personal connection with being homeless or working through the foster care system, I do have experience with my grandfather's alzheimers, which I feel is a topic that a lot of children reading this book may not fully understand. However, I think that Giff captures the emotions beautifully, as she displays Hollis's desperation and worry versus Beatrice's light-heartedness and hope for the best attitude. Even though Hollis feels like her world is crumbling and she has been forced to take on the role of cartaker, Beatrice easily agrees to come home to live with Josie at the smallest request: "Don't worry. I'll move right in with Josie...I'm already sick of painting the desert. I need some snow in my life." I believe Giff does a perfect job of introducing children to these issues through literature in a meaningful and productive way, and not with the intention to scare them, but rather as a growing experience.