Ernestine & Amanda [Hardcover]

Sandra Belton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1996 | Series: Ernestine & Amanda

Amanda and Ernestine are not the best of friends and do not like how their paths constantly cross at piano lessons, church, and parties, but when a strange twist of fate occurs, the girls discover they may actually grow to be friends.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Amanda adores piano lessons at Miss Elder's house. It's only Ernestine, another piano student, whom she can't stand. For her part, Ernestine thinks Amanda is stuck-up and mean. Neither girl, however, understands that her "enemy" is struggling with a private problem: Ernestine is ashamed of being overweight, and Amanda worries, with good reason, about her parents' marriage. Belton's (From Miss Ida's Porch) picturesque novel delicately details the prickly relations between two 10-year-old African American girls during the 1950s. Each girl tells in alternate chapters the story of their conflict, focusing on a piano competition whose winner gets to play for the noted visiting pianist Miss Camille Nickerson. That Miss Nickerson has earned her reputation for recording African Creole music from her childhood in Louisiana allows Belton to explore, unobtrusively and easily, Ernestine and Amanda's own pride in their African American heritage. Lots of texture and perceptive writing (when Amanda finds out her parents are separating, she confides, "I could feel the freezing little feet coming across my shoulders and down into my chest") make this a winner, and readers will be glad to know that Belton is working on another book about Ernestine and Amanda. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6-Told in the alternating voices of two fifth-grade girls, this novel gives readers a glimpse into the middle-class black world of the 1950s. Both piano students of Miss Elder, Amanda and Ernestine circle each other warily throughout the book and compete for the friendship of a fellow student because they misperceive one another's intentions and motivations. Each girl in alternating chapters gives her perspective, often on the same event, so that readers see what Ernestine and Amanda don't: how very much they actually have in common. In the end, it is not clear if they'll ever become close friends, but that possibility is held out because of their love of music and their pride in who they are. This is a gentle, sweet, simply told tale of family, community, and friendship. It's also a book that will enhance any library's collection.
Carol Jones Collins, Montclair Kimberley Academy, NJ
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing; 1st edition (October 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689808488
• ISBN-13: 978-0689808487
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,422,229 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Tale of Enemies and Friendship, July 4, 2001

By 

Jess (Texas, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ernestine & Amanda (Hardcover)

This book is a wonderful story about two completely different girls who find themselves brought together through several incidents. After stolen friends, fights, competitions, and more, Ernestine and Amanda have come a little closer to being friends, while remaining in an "in-between" zone as not yet friends, and not yet enemies. The story continues in, "Summer Camp: Ready or Not!" which is another excellent addition to the series. I enjoyed this book, just because of the "well-writteness" of the story. Ernestine and Amanda are like real people almost, experiencing real life issues, real hate, and real friendship.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Tale of Enemies and Friendship, July 4, 2001

By 

Jess (Texas, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ernestine & Amanda (Hardcover)

This book is a wonderful story about two completely different girls who find themselves brought together through several incidents. After stolen friends, fights, competitions, and more, Ernestine and Amanda have come a little closer to being friends, while remaining in an "in-between" zone as not yet friends, and not yet enemies. The story continues in, "Summer Camp: Ready or Not!" which is another excellent addition to the series. I enjoyed this book, just because of the "well-writteness" of the story. Ernestine and Amanda are like real people almost, experiencing real life issues, real hate, and real friendship.

4.0 out of 5 stars Sabas13, October 2, 2011

By 

Floretta O'brien "Proud Grandmom" (NYC) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ernestine & Amanda (Paperback)

This is another book which contains my granddaughter's name that we're both very satisfied with. Excellently written, it also teaches some valuable life lessons as well. We're both delighted with the story.