The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney

 Cooney, Caroline B. The Face on the Milk Carton.

Delacourt for Young Readers; 1994,

ISBN: 038532328X.

Reader’s Annotation

When 15-year-old Janie recognizes the picture of a young girl on her milk carton at school, it starts a chain of events that leaves her questioning her very identity, and the true character of her loving parents.

Plot Summary

“Have you seen this child?” was the question on the milk carton next to a picture of three-year-old Jennie Spring.  Then 15-year-old Janie sees the picture, recognizes the polka dot dress, and then the face as her own!  As the implications start to sink in, Janie must explore the unthinkable—that her own loving parents could, in fact, be kidnappers!  Sorting out the truth is not nearly as tricky as wrestling with the complex issues of identity, and what she owes her biological family—the family that lost her mysteriously twelve years before.  Her next-door neighbor Reeve helps Janie through the process, and as they unravel the mystery together, they find themselves drawn closer together.  With the support of her mother, Janie finally makes contact with her biological family, and neither she, nor the reader, is sure what to expect next.

Critical Evaluation

Cooney starts with a common teenaged fantasy: “What if I really came from another family and this isn’t my ‘real’ family?”  From there, she manages to take readers on a ride right from the start as Janie sees her own picture as a missing child on a milk carton.  Cooney beautifully conveys Janie’s agony of trying to reconcile newly resurfacing memories with the home and parents she’s grown up loving.  The budding romantic relationship between Janie and Reeve, her friend and neighbor, takes place after Janie confides in Reeve and he helps her to sort out the truth.  The pace of the novel is one of the best features, as the reader is immediately captivated by the mystery that faces Janies, and is just as eager to uncover the truth.

About the Author

Caroline Cooney was born in Geneva, NY in 1947, and was raised in Old Greenwich, CT.  She’s a mother and grandmother, and enjoys imparting her love of reading to her grandchildren fans alike.  Cooney has written more than 75 suspense, mystery, and romance novels for teenagers which have sold over 15,000,000 copies and are published in several languages. Writes Cooney, “I went to several colleges (I’m still going to college! I love taking classes; I still daydream more than I listen) but graduated from none.” For more information, go to: http://www.carolinebcooneybooks.com/

Genre

Realistic Fiction

Mystery

Curriculum Tie-ins

None

Booktalk Ideas

1. What would you say is Janie’s responsibility to the Spring family?
2. If you were in Janie’s situation, would you confide in your parents?

Reading level/Interest age

Young Adult (Grade 9-adult)

Challenge Issues/Challenge Response Ideas

Discussions of underage sexuality

• Present the library’s selection policy
• Be familiar with similar works in the collection
• Refer to the Random House website for a list of awards: http://www.randomhouse.com/teachers/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780385323284

Why I included this work

The whole concept of this novel intrigued me—the idea that everything you thought you knew about your heritage is false would be shattering.  This book hooked me.

Awards:

Winner     1996 - Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award
Winner     1993 - Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award
Winner     1994 - Tennessee Volunteer State Award
Winner     1993 - Indiana Young Hoosier Book Award
Winner     1992 - Iowa Teen Book Award
Nominee 1994 - Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award
Nominee 1993 - Illinois Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award
Winner     1993 - Iowa Children's Choice Award

Great Quote from the Book:
"The girl on the carton was an ordinary little girl.  Hair in tight pigtails, one against each thin cheek.  A dress with a narrow white collar.  The dress was white with tiny polka dots.
something evil and thick settled on Janie, blocking her throat, dimming her eyes.  'Sarah-Charlotte,' she said.  She could hear herself shouting Sarah-Charlotte's name, yet her lips were not moving; she was making no sound at all."