Customer Reviews

Amy and Laura

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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!

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.

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.

This book, discontinued for quite a while, is a landmark in sisterhood. Know this now that it is no "Little Women", or other sisterly-love books, and only that it is a work of Marilyn Sachs, who is not a popular author. The book takes place in the late 1930s' in New York. The Sterns', mostly Amy and Laura Stern, are the main characters in this book. They're different as night and day, but one thing makes them grow together. And that's Mrs. Stern, who got hit by a car... but lived.... and has come home as a whole different mother to the girls.... which causes problems. Amy is having trouble in school with a teacher that is extremely cruel. Laura's now hall monitor, and her main problem is Amy. Amy can't stand it when Laura won't help her anymore with schoolwork. Laura learns how to ride a bike and almost kills herself. What are they to do? Things get worse in the final chapter. Amy gets a great grade on her progress report - which makes Laura feel as if she's the jealous one now - and that she's not smart anymore, and the brains of the Stern family have escaped from her and into Amy's brain. Laura's report is fine, too... but somehow that's not good enough for Laura... and she gets ANGRY. Amy gets angry too, when she realizes how much Laura doesn't "care" about her anymore and would rather ride her bike - and Laura just explodes about it, saying that if Amy's so smart, why is she so stupid, which makes Amy just feel so angry she can't be so "outshadowed" anymore, so instead of saying that she's not stupid but Laura is, she scratches up Laura's face, which makes Laura hit Amy hard, which makes the girls end up rolling on the floor and pulling hair and biting. There is no exact ending to this story, but you would enjoy this story if you had a sister.

A great ending to the three part series. I love the way that Marilyn Sachs "brings Anne back". It's also nice to see Laura come out of her shell and for Amy to shed her "dumb/goofy" image.

Smart, sensible Laura is constantly getting annoyed with her little sister Amy. As cute and blonde as Laura is tall and plain, Amy is constantly getting her own way! It doesn't help matters any that their mother has just returned home from months in the hospital after a serious accident, and the entire family struggles to keep a constantly happy atmosphere for her recovery.

Nonetheless, it's Laura who comes to Amy's rescue when she has trouble with her schoolwork, or when their father scolds her. She can't help it...no matter what happens, Amy is still her little sister, and she's bound to stick with her.

But when Laura attracts the wrath of Veronica Ganz, the school bully, who will help *her*?

i read this book as a young adult. it has been over 30 years since i've read it - but the faint memories have remained with me. it is one of the only books i read as a young child i remember and i remember how much i loved the story. i plan on buying the book so i can re-read it to refresh the memories and pass it on to my nieces to read.