Here's the Thing about Me

Lucy Rose is a charming book that not only make parents and children laugh out-loud together, but also sends the important message that parents can get divorced, children can be moved and life can change in profound, hard ways - and still be wonderful. It is a book where children get to be smart and funny and independent; where parents are not the enemy and grandparents are an extra, if eccentric, blessing. It is a book for people with a sense of humor, who know how to find the joy in life. It is not for the grim or the maudlin. I not only recommend this book, I give it to as a gift - because it is one. Lucy Rose: Here's the Thing About Me (Lucy Rose)

Lucy Rose is a delightful read about an 8 year old girl and her every day adventures. Written as journal entries, the story truly captures the character and independent spirit of Lucy Rose. The story is set in Washington, D.C. which was of particular interest to my daughter since our family lives in the DC area. It was a "just right" book for those young readers (second and third grade) who are ready for the next step in reading chapter books. Lucy Rose has become one of my favorite "birthday gifts" for my daughter's friends and I would highly recommend it.

If you liked Junie B. Jones, Amber Brown or Ramona, you will love Lucy Rose, a spunky eight year old girl who has moved to Washington D.C. from Ann Arbor, Michigan after the separation of her parents. She is an "original thinker" who wears red cowboy boots, hates being teased by Melonhead, and loses the classroom pet gerbil when she takes him home during a vacation from school. With sage advice from Madam and Pop (her grandparents) Lucy Rose tackles life's little problems in an indomitable fashion. Written in diary form, the 3rd grade voice of Lucy Rose comes through loud and clear.

Here's the thing about Lucy Rose Reilly: She moves to a new town and starts third grade at a new school. She makes a friend and also an enemy. She struggles to deal with her parents' separation. She is obsessed with palindromes. There are also a big lie and a guinea pig, though the two are not related. Watch as Lucy Rose keeps it all together by recording her thoughts (only the interesting parts, mind you) in her new red journal. To those who love Junie B., Lucy Reilly has the same sort of voice and shenanigans (without being a rip-off), but since she is older, she also has some weightier issues (the aforementioned enemy, the lie, and her parents' separation.) Full of wit, Lucy's story is one both boys and girls will enjoy. I marked it down on literary merit just because of the run-on sentences; it is, after all, in the voice of a third-grader.

This is a charming book told in a child's voice -- but very hip. As someone waaaay beyond the suggested age range, I am loving it. This would be especially useful for a kid whose parents are seperated or divorced. Margo Howard