Sam,+Bangs+and+Moonshine




 * Book Review by: Marisa Donenfeld **

Title: //Sam, Bangs and Moonshine// Reading Level: Grades 2 and up Publisher: Holt Publication Date: 1966 Language: English Author/Illustrator: Evaline Ness ISBN: 0-8050-0315-0
 * Bibliographic Data **

Evaline Ness was born in [|Union City, Ohio] and grew up in [|Pontiac, Michigan]. She studied at [|Ball State Teachers College] 1931–1932 to become a librarian, then at [|Chicago Art Institute] 1933–1935 to become a [|fashion illustrator]. Evaline married Eliot Ness in 1939. Evaline studied at the [|Corcoran College of Art and Design] 1943–1945 and taught art classes for children there. After divorce she moved to [|New York City] and worked 1946 to 1949 at [|Saks Fifth Avenue] as a fashion illustrator. Around 1950 she traveled to Europe and Asia, concluding in Italy, where she spent 18 months sketching until her money ran out. In [|Rome] she studied at Accademia de Belle Arti 1951–1952. She studied with the [|Art Students League] and she taught art to children at [|Parsons The New School for Design] 1959–1960. Ness died 1986 in [|Kingston, New York].
 * Author Biography **

Sam is a motherless child and her dad is a fisherman. She pretends that her mother is a mermaid and that Bangs, her cat, can talk to her. Sam also claims to have a pet kangaroo. Sam loves to live in her fantasy world but her father calls her tales "moonshine" and warns her that moonshine will one day get her into trouble. Her neighbor, Thomas believes every word Sam says. One day Sam tells him about a cove where he can find her mermaid mother. Bangs follows Thomas on a journey to the cove when they are caught storm and lost. At home, Sam becomes very frightened when Thomas and Bangs don't return and she asks her father for help. Thomas and Bangs are both found but Thomas is now ill. Sam finally understands the importance of telling people about things that are real, as opposed to things that are moonshine. Sam apologizes to Thomas and cheers him up by showing him something that is both real and fantasy.
 * Summary **

// Sam, Bangs and Moonshine // is a great way for children to understand the importance of telling the truth. When you do not tell someone something important, something bad may happen. It is imperative for children to have an imagination and creativity but there is a time and place for it. Thomas ended up very sick but something worse could have happened.
 * Review **

The theme of //Sam, Bangs and Moonshine// is trust and friendship. Thomas trusted Sam and believed everything she said. Sam and Thomas had a bond and friendship as well as Sam and Bangs even though he was a cat. At the beginning of the story, Sam lived in her own fantasy world but at the end same realized the importance of telling the truth and that there is a time and place for letting her imagination run wild. The illustrator uses pictures to describe the scenes from the book. The pictures are very detailed and show the creative scenes from Sam’s imagination.
 * Analysis of Literary Elements **


 * Related Links **

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http://www.amazon.com/Sam-Bangs-Moonshine-Owlet-Book/dp/0805003150