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The Unfinished Angel (by Sharon Creech)

common sense media says

Charming and uplifting story is even great to read aloud.

parents & educators say
  • 100% say there are positive messages
  • 33% say there are positive role models
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What parents need to know

Parents need to know this is a great book to share aloud. The main character is a great role model and there are strong messages of caring, cooperation, and acceptance.

Educational value: Not applicable.
Positive messages: Stong messages of cooperation, caring, and acceptance.
Positive role models: Zola, the main character, is self-confident and compassionate. She expects the angel, and the adults of the community, to take care of the children who need it, and will not accept less from them. The adults pull together and live up to her expectations, and her parents are building a school for all the children. The angel, who only feels unfinished, is of course angelic and full of love, along with some earthly exasperation.
Violence: Not applicable.
Sex: Not applicable.
Language: Not applicable.
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.
Our ratings and reviews are informed by child development guidelines. Learn more.

More on The Unfinished Angel

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
  • Families can talk about the existence of angels. Can we seem them? What do they really look like? 
  •  Zola thinks she is an angel; could people be angels? Doesn’t Zola do as much good as the angel?

What's the story?

What's the story?
There is an angel living in a Swiss village where life is quiet and good -- until a small American girl named Zola arrives with her papa. Unlike everyone else, Zola can see the angel, because she has dealt with angels before. And she has high expectations for what angels can do. When Zola discovers some homeless children who need help, Zola and the angel help each other, and help the villagers become a closer community in the process.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
This charming book is vintage Creech. Humor and warmth fill this story of a Swiss mountain village and its angel -- living quietly in the past while contemporary problems such as homeless children are right under their noses. The difficulties the village angel has dealing with her task (“Peoples! They are so strange! Did their brains fall out of their heads?”) lead the angel to a better understanding of life on earth. And Zola and her mama and papa also come to the village with plans to make it a better place for everyone. 

Book themes & details

Book Details
Author: Sharon Creech
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
Publication date: October 1, 2009
Number of pages: 176
Hardcover price: $15.99
Read Aloud: 8
Read Alone: 9
This review was written by Debra Bogart
 
 

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What parents & educators say

9
Based on 3 parent & educator reviews:
  • 100% say there are positive messages
  • 33% say there are positive role models
  • 33% say it's educational
Read the reviews

Most useful reviews by all members

Sam Scarmon
adult
10
 
I absolutely adored this book and found it so cute with the language from an angel's perspective and it related so well with kids of all ages. The depth it brings to the characters in a simple short book is truly amazing. Creech is one of our tops children's literature writers. How this was left off children's book awards this last year is beyond me. Thank you Sharon Creech.
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susan ks
parent of 10 year old
9
 
Good for Elementary school kids
Great characters, exciting plot.
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dragonsrule
kid, 12 years old
8
 
Sharon Creech does it again!!!
I really enjoyed this story. The angle tells the story in very bad grammar, as that is what the angle knows, I found this a little irritating, but the story itself is very enjoyable. I feel this story is good for kids aged 8+.
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lschlezinger
parent of 8 and 8 year old
8
 
A quiet but engaging book... read aloud for 8-10 year olds
My girls loved the book, and I enjoyed reading it aloud. We giggled at the angel's foibles with Engles (e.g, "peoples" instead of "people"). This is one of those quiet stories that packs a punch. It's very deep. So deep, in fact, that I feel like I need to go back and reread.
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MyNinjaBuddy
kid, 12 years old
10
 
ENGAGING STORY :)
It is such a great story! ENGAGING STORY! I could become an advertiser for this book and earn a bunch of people to come over and read :). Thanks to Sharon Creech! Write more!
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ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
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