Gypsy Rizka

Lloyd Alexander

Dutton Children's Books, 1999 - Juvenile Fiction - 195 pages

Living alone in her wagon on the outskirts of a small town while waiting for her father's return, Rizka, a Gypsy and a trickster, exposes the ridiculous foibles of some of the townspeople. Library of Congress Summary. Living alone in her wagon on the outskirts of a small town while waiting for her father's return, Rizka, a Gypsy and a trickster, exposes the ridiculous foibles of some of the townspeople. Best Books for Young Teen Readers. A delightful adventure story featuring Rizka, a young gypsy who lives alone in her wagon & becomes involved in a series of hilarious situations with the neighboring townspeople. Annotation. Master storyteller Lloyd Alexander centers his newest tale around a clever, engaging gypsy girl who, with her feline sidekick, is always at the center of everything. Jaunty, outspoken, and unable to suffer fools, Rizka is the kind of person everyone in town has strong feelings about--she is either loved or despised. Since no one can ever get the better of her, certain "respectable" citizens of their small old-world hamlet want to rid the town of the troublemaker. If only someone had the brains to think up something that could do the trick. Laced with laughs throughout, the novel is told through episodically linked chapters about the absurd inhabitants of the town and their interactions with Rizka. Full of foibles, farce, fun-poking, and buffoonery, it is high comedy as much as a celebration of Rizka's brains and brassiness, her flouting of conventions, and her own brand of magic. Despite the foolishness, the book is infused with Alexander's recognition and respect for the rich and good heart of its main character and the human truth of accepting others' differences. Bowker Authored Title code. Rizka, who is an outcast living on the edge of town, draws the good elements in the area together to fight the stupid authorities.

Contents

• A Blot on the Fair Name of Greater Dunitsa: 5
• 2 A Meeting of the Town Council: 9
• Big Franko: 14

About the author

Lloyd Alexander, January 30, 1924 - May 17, 2007 Born Lloyd Chudley Alexander on January 30, 1924, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Allan Audley and Edna Chudley Alexander, Lloyd knew from a young age that he wanted to write. He was reading by the time he was 3, and though he did poorly in school, at the age of fifteen, he announced that he wanted to become a writer. At the age of 19 in 1942, Alexander dropped out of the West Chester State Teachers College in Pennsylvania after only one term. In 1943, he attended Lafayette College in Easton, PA, before dropping out again and joining the United States Army during World War II. Alexander served in the Intelligence Department, stationed in Wales, and then went on to Counter-Intelligence in Paris, where he was promoted to Staff Sergeant. When the war ended in '45, Alexander applied to the Sorbonne, but returned to the States in '46, now married. Alexander worked as an unpublished writer for seven years, accepting positions such as cartoonist, advertising copywriter, layout artist, and associate editor for a small magazine. Directly after the war, he had translated works for such artists as Jean Paul Sartre. In 1955, "And Let the Credit Go" was published, Alexander's first book which led to 10 years of writing for an adult audience. He wrote his first children's book in 1963, entitled "Time Cat," which led to a long career of writing for children and young adults. Alexander is best known for his "Prydain Chronicles" which consist of "The Book of Three" in 1964, "The Black Cauldron" in 1965 which was a Newbery Honor Book, as well as an animated motion picture by Disney which appeared in 1985, "The Castle of Llyr" in 1966, "Taran Wanderer" in 1967, a School Library Journal's Best Book of the Year and "The High King" which won the Newberry Award. Many of his other books have also received awards, such as "The Fortune Tellers," which was a Boston Globe Horn Book Award winner. In 1986, Alexander won the Regina Medal for Lifetime Achievement from the Catholic Library Association. His titles have been translated into many languages including, Dutch, Spanish, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Serbo-Croation and Swedish. He died on May 17, 2007.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Gypsy Rizka; Fiction on cassette; William G. Lockwood Collection of Romani Ethnology and Gypsy Stereotypes
• Author: Lloyd Alexander
• Edition: reprint
• Publisher: Dutton Children's Books, 1999
• ISBN: 0525461213, 9780525461210
• Length: 195 pages
• Subjects: Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General; Juvenile Fiction / Fantasy & Magic; Juvenile Fiction / Humorous Stories; Juvenile Fiction / People & Places / General