Bringing Up Beauty [Mass Market Paperback]

Sylvia McNicoll (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1999

As if bathtub floods, chewed homework, and accidents on the floor weren't enough! Being saddled with so much responsibility for bringing up Beauty only adds insult to injury. With a flapjack tongue and oversized feet, this is the ugliest puppy Elizabeth has ever seen. It will be easy to resist loving her. And since Beauty is only staying until she can be trained as a guide dog, there is no room for love in this relationship... At the age of twelve, with busy parents, a sister who's too cool for words, and two best friends suddenly dating each other, Elizabeth could use a little unconditional love.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A story of love, responsibility, growing up and letting go." -- School Library Journal

About the Author

Winner of the 1996 Silver Birch Children's Choice Award and the 1997 Manitoba Young Reader's Choice Award for Bringing Up Beauty, Sylvia McNicoll has written over 20 books, including short stories, first chapter books, fiction for middle-grade and reluctant readers, and novels for young adults.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 204 pages
• Publisher: Fitzhenry and Whiteside; 1 edition (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0773674799
• ISBN-13: 978-0773674790
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,898,604 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bringing up Beauty, June 3, 2000

By 

Alex - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bringing Up Beauty (Mass Market Paperback)

"Im not going to love you" are the first words Elizabeth Kerr says when she sees the black Lab puppy sitting in front of her cocking its head.

Bringing up Beauty is written by Sylvia McNicoli. It's a story about a 12 year old girl named Elizabeth. When her family decides to foster a black Lab puppy for the Canine Vision Center, thats when the trouble starts. From messed up art projects to accidents on neighbors carpets Elizabeth knows that bringing up Beauty will not be easy.

Elizabeth family just dont't have the time to help. Her mother is a enviromentel freak,older sister Debra is an artist and is to obssed with her boyfriend to care about what goes on in Elzabeth's life and her dad, well let's just say he loves computers.

Elizabeth sometimes feels that Beauty is her only friend, and she know soon she will have to give Beauty up.

I think it's a heartwarming tale about a girl and her dog who share more then just walks in the park This book is for ages 9-12 and specially priced 4.97 at Amazon.com published by Stoddart kids.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Book by Sylvia McNicoll: "Caught In A Lie", January 7, 2003

By 

Diana (Marysville, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bringing Up Beauty (Mass Market Paperback)

Caught in a Lie is a phenomenal book. The great author of this fiction book is, Sylvia McNicoll. When McNicoll writes she puts herself in the main character's position, first person. Honesty is the best policy and beauty is only skin deep are two of the themes in this book.

Caught in a Lie is about a teenage girl named Kimberly Rainer. Kim's desire is to be in the modeling/ fashion business. By following her dreams Kim gets herself into difficult situations. Some of them include, hiding information from her parents. Friends help her lie to her parents and keep secrets from lots of people. She never really cared how her grades were in school. At the end of the book Kim has to make a big decision but will she make the right choice? You have to figure that out for yourself.

"`Take an apple from the car then. Did you get your homework done? You know if you have trouble with math you can ask Dad.'
At the mention of homework my shoulders bunch. I hate when that happens. Deep breath, shoulders back, head up. `I didn't have any trouble,' I answered her. That's because I copied Steph's math. I have to say that my numbers were much neater - you could hardly read hers."

The two quotes above show how Kim tried to weasel her way out of school and she didn't really care what her grades were.

"I gave you glamour birthday shots just for fun, and always hoped that would be enough for you. You are beautiful and you don't have to prove it by modeling. Constantly competing with your looks only makes you feel less and less pretty."

This is a true statement because when you compete with your looks or try to look the prettiest it just doesn't work. One day you could have gained a couple pounds and your clothes don't fit right or you may have a pimple on your face. You will never look the prettiest but you can look your best.

There is also fashion quizzes occur throughout the book that Kim and her friends read. I enjoyed this because I am not into the reading fashion magazines but now I had a taste of the quizzes and they are ok, once in awhile. While you are reading the question you ask yourself , will I choose the same answers as Kimberly, or even fall into the same category?

I thought Caught in a Lie is the perfect title, because at the end Kimberly finds out a great life lesson that will be useful throughout her life. If Kim had listened to one of her best friends in the first place she wouldn't be living a lie.

So you are not left hanging to make your own assumptions about the book. Read the outstanding fiction book, Caught in a Lie, today!!!