Reviews

I wish I could remember more of my reactions to this book as a child, because even though I was a smart kid, I doubt that I got all of the subtle adult hilarity throughout this book. Anastasia is a smart, independent thinker who doesn't shy away from asking uncomfortable questions or standing up for herself, and at the same time is unintentionally hilarious and fickle in her tastes as ten year olds will be. She makes lists throughout the book, something I loved to do at 10 as well. She is very curious about love affairs, very displeased with the idea of a baby brother, excited about becoming a Catholic if she gets a middle name out of the deal, and troubled by her grandmother with dimentia and the idea of getting old. There's some character development as the book goes on, and slice of life episodes that ring true for a precocious ten year old. The parents give her plenty of respect and consideration and space, and everything about their messy, intellectual home is just as it should be.

Also, for a book that takes place in the 70's, this holds up pretty well except for A's first crush, a sassy black boy who wears a comb in his Afro and gets in trouble for gyrating his hips and flashing a t-shirt with an obscene message at school. Hellooooooo 1979.

maries_shelf's review against another edition

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4.0

Book #3 in my Summer of Lois Lowry series.

This book was really cute and funny. Though written in 1979, its theme and characters are still relevant today.

foggy_rosamund's review against another edition

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5.0

When I reread this as an adult, I still find Anastasia as charming and vivid as ever. She remains one of my favourite children's characters, and I'm still so impressed by how Lowry writes dialogue. Aspiring writers could learn a lot from her.