Common Sense Media Review
By Darienne Stewart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Heartbreaking story of motherless girl's grief, healing.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
THE WARDEN'S DAUGHTER, Cammie, is being raised by her father in living quarters at the prison he oversees, with an inmate named Eloda as her latest caretaker. She's haunted by the death of her mother, who was struck and killed by a truck after shoving Cammie out of harm's way. Cammie feels motherless and adrift with bitter grief: She tries to provoke Eloda with increasingly outrageous behavior, she needily basks in the attention of female inmates (particularly Boo Boo, a shoplifter who smothers Cammie with affection), and she fights with her best friend, who's intent on boosting her own popularity. When a sudden, shocking loss knocks her into a deep depression, it takes an act of great empathy for Cammie to realize she isn't so alone.
Is It Any Good?
Newbery medalist Jerry Spinelli's story about a girl imprisoned by her own grief and anger is an achingly realistic story about confronting our demons, despite its contrived, too-easy ending. The Warden's Daughter is at its best as it follows Cammie furiously pedaling through the streets or holed up in the prison, nursing her wounded heart. The backward-looking narrative assures us that bad times do indeed pass. Spinelli dials up the sense of perspective with a strong historical setting: an era when the TV show American Bandstand is all the rage, girls don't play ball, and white kids steer clear of the black part of town.
Spinelli (Stargirl, Eggs) takes problematic shortcuts to clean up after Cammie's "bad time" -- post-epiphany, she swiftly goes from angry outcast to well-liked classmate, and the absence of nurturing adults is portrayed as deliberate and helpful. Another misstep is the stereotyping of Boo Boo, a joyful, obese black inmate who showers attention on Cammie.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Cammie's efforts to provoke her father and Eloda in The Warden's Daughter. Do you -- or people you know -- sometimes act out to get attention when you're feeling hurt or lonely?
Cammie rides her bike when she's feeling angry. What do you do when you're overwhelmed by emotions such as anger?
Which caring adults in your life can empathize with what you're going through?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Coming of Age
- Topics : Friendship , School ( Middle School )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Knopf Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : January 3, 2017
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 9 - 12
- Number of pages : 352
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate