The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place facts for kids
Front cover, hardcover edition
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| Author | E. L. Konigsburg |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Young adult novel |
| Publisher | Atheneum Books |
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Publication date
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2004 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 296 pp |
| ISBN | 0-689-86636-4 |
| OCLC | 52478648 |
| LC Class | PZ7.K8352 Ou 2004 |
The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place is a young adult novel written by E. L. Konigsburg and published in 2004. A young adult novel is a book written for readers aged 12 to 18. This book is like a partner story to her earlier novel, Silent to the Bone, even though it was published four years later. The publisher, Simon & Schuster, suggests it for readers aged 10 and up.
Contents
Where Does the Story Take Place?
The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place is set in the summer of 1983. Most of the story happens at 19 Schuyler Place in a made-up place called Epiphany. This town is located in Clarion County, which is part of the larger New York metropolitan area.
Another book by E. L. Konigsburg, Silent to the Bone, also takes place in Old Town and near Clarion State University. Some background stories in The Mysterious Edge of the Heroic World are also set here.
What Is the Book About?
The story follows a girl named Margaret Rose Kane, who is 12 years old. She spends her summer vacation with her great-uncles, Alex and Morris Rose. For 45 years, her uncles have been building three tall towers in their backyard at 19 Schuyler Place. These towers are made from old metal, glass, and ceramic pieces.
The house at 19 Schuyler Place used to be company housing for workers at the Tappan Glass Works. The uncles stayed there even as the area changed. Now, new people have moved into the neighborhood. They want the towers to be torn down because they see them as junk.
Margaret's uncles have tried to save their towers but have lost hope. Margaret decides to fight for them. She starts a plan to stop the demolition.
Margaret's Plan to Save the Towers
Margaret first teams up with a young boy named Jake Kaplan. She also gets help from two adults who knew her mother and lived near the towers when they were kids. These are Peter Vanderwaal, who directs an art museum, and Loretta Bevilaqua, a lawyer.
Margaret and Jake's first goal is to stop the towers from being destroyed. Loretta advises Margaret to buy the towers for just one dollar. Margaret then takes a bold step and occupies the towers herself. Jake also brings his mother and her friends from Camp Talequa to help.
The Towers' Future
Because Margaret occupied the towers, the media reported on the story. This gave them more time. Peter Vanderwaal, who saw the towers as amazing pieces of outsider art, got experts to support saving them. Loretta Bevilaqua realized the towers could be useful. She convinced her phone company, Infinitel, to buy them.
The towers were moved to a new park on a hilltop. They were even topped with cell phone antennas!
Margaret was happy about saving the towers, but her victory was also a bit sad. She realized her parents' relationship was ending, and her family would soon change. The area around Tower Hill later became a new housing area.
Who Are the Main Characters?
Margaret Rose Kane is the 12-year-old main character. Her parents are away on vacation for most of the story. Margaret was named after her grandmother, Margaret Rose.
Alex and Morris Rose are Margaret's great-uncles. They are brothers to Margaret's grandmother. They moved to America from Hungary a long time ago. They used to run a shop called "Jewels Bi-Rose," selling crystal, jewelry, and watches. Now, they mostly sell digital watches at the mall. Morris is very good at fixing watches.
Jake Kaplan is the son of Mrs. Kaplan, who owns Camp Talequa. He is an artist and used to paint billboards. He helps Margaret with her plan.
Peter Vanderwaal grew up next door to the towers. He is an art museum director in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The towers inspired him to work in art.
Loretta Bevilaqua also grew up near the towers. She is a lawyer and an executive at a mobile phone company in New York City. She gives Margaret important advice.
