Amy and Laura [Paperback]

Marilyn Sachs (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1984

In the final book in a series about a poor family living in the Bronx in the 1940s, two sisters come to grips with their own envy, resentment and love for each other.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Marilyn Sachs is the author of over thirty-five books for children and young adults. Her books have won numerous awards and have been highly praised for their realism and humor. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Scholastic (October 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590401424
• ISBN-13: 978-0590401425
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Back in print! Great news!, May 19, 2001

By 

Abby J. Lyon (Maryland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Amy and Laura (Paperback)

Great for both the big and little sister, Amy and Laura concludes the three part "Amy and Laura" trilogy that has been out of print for years. Now back in print, it's a chance for all sisters to read this book and really understand the meaning of sisterly love.

Amy is ten and a half, her sister Laura twelve. They don't look alike and don't act alike either: Laura's a bookworm, Amy is loud and boisterous. She makes friends with the wrong crowd, Laura's friends are mainly her books and her refuge isn't the schoolyard, it's the library.

But they share something in common. Mama's coming home from the hospital after a long stay, and both girls are excited to see her again. But when Mama comes home, she's changed -- and Laura and Amy aren't used to the changes. But through it all, they learn just what it's like to have a sister that looks up to you or you look up to her, and how they are friends underneath all that.

Glad it's in print again -- you'll love it!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sisterly love, December 12, 1999

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Amy and Laura (Library Binding)

This last book in the Amy and Laura series, sort of wraps up the first two books. The chapters alternate between both Amy and Laura's point of view. Amy and Laura may be sisters, but they are as different as night and day. Laura is heavy-set, shy and awkward, and Amy is scrawny, gregarious and outgoing. Laura is smart and Amy is, well, a lazy scholar. Laura has always protected Amy from bullies, and done her homework for her. I first read this book when I was 11. I had seen it in my friend's hands in 3rd grade when i was 8 and was interested, checked it out later but didn't really get into it. One day I was in a used bookstore with my mom and she handed me a book called "Amy Moves In" and I recognized the name and the picture of the frizzy-haired girl on the cover, and the author's name, Marilyn Sachs. And my name is Amy, too. My mom remembered me reading Amy & Laura, so I started that series. Later I bought this one at Dalton Books and really enjoyed it. Amy has a mean teacher and Laure takes up a bicycling interest and becomes hall monitor, and is too busy to help Amy with her assignments. Both sisters discover new things about each other and themselves, and the ending has lots of surprises; I only wish Sachs would continue this series. It is so good.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very believable sibling rivalry!, March 26, 2010

By 

Privacy, Please (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Amy and Laura (Paperback)

This story about two sisters living in NYC in the late 1930s has aged very well (with the exception of the photograph on the cover of the pictured edition, which makes the two girls look younger than they are in the book and not much like "themselves" if you ask me! Phooey on that, stick to the original line art!)

Older sister Laura is the clumsy, bookish intellectual, while younger sister Amy is prettier, more outgoing, but also heedless and a lazy student. As the story begins, the girls' beloved Mama, who has been in an accident, is coming home from the hospital, but she's "changed" - still physically disabled and in a wheelchair. The girls also have to cope with the daily grind at school, including Amy's "mean" new teacher and the threats of the school bully, Veronica Ganz. The book shows both girls learning new things and breaking out of their established roles, as clumsy Laura learns to bike ride and Amy becomes more successful in school. Naturally, this growth doesn't come without conflicts, and the sibling rivalry and resentment over the changes in the household is very realistically portrayed. Even if you haven't had a sister, you'll understand the feelings portrayed because the author does such a nice job of explaining them.