Just Don't Make a Scene, Mum! (Leehampton Quartet) [Paperback]

Rosie Rushton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 20, 1995 | Series: Leehampton Quartet

Parents – Aaaaargh! Jemma’s are out of date. They still think she should wear the hand-knitted jumper with little bears on it to school – and they call her petal in public! Laura’s are divorced. Gone is the lovely big house. Now it is a grotty little one. And her mum was seen kissing Melvyn outside Tesco . . . Sumitha’s want her to keep their cultural traditions – which don’t include boys, make-up or a trendy hair cut . . . Jon’s keep bragging about his academic brilliance – but in reality it’s not stellar, nor is it where his heart is . . . Chelsea’s mum is a writer of ghastly features for the local paper, an agony aunt and a wearer of mini-skirts . . . The five teenagers’ paths (and those of their mortifyingly embarrassing parents) cross and part throughout this hilarious book set in Leehampton.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Rushton's new The Fab 5 series starts off as a veritable Bridget Jones's Diary for teens, with all its witty Briticisms intact. Readers will be snagged from the beginning, when a phone-in on the Moan Line of "Hot FM" invites listeners to dial in with "just what's bugging you this week." The five teens here have much to be bugged about. Chelsea is mortified that her mumAhost of the Moan Line, Ginny GeeAwears fuchsia and orange miniskirt ensembles. Laura would like to disappear when her single mother is spotted "snogging" (making out) with her "geek" boyfriend in public. Jemma's mother stocks her wardrobe with clothes "better suited to an unimaginative nine-year-old than a teenager." Jon's father wants him to go on to Cambridge while Jon dreams of attending art college. Sumitha complains that her parents raise her as if they were still living in Calcutta. All five simply must go to under-18 night at the local disco, The Stomping GroundAagainst their parents' wishes. How they get there and the aftermath of their conjoining provide much fodder for entertainment and hilarity, with plenty of pokes at etiquette on the side. The parents are as colorful as their kids, and the generations unite in a common goal: "just don't make a scene." As the novel ends, the quintet heads out for summer holidayAproviding just as meaty a premise for the next installment, I Think I'll Just Curl Up and Die, also releasing in June. Ages 10-up. (June)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 7-10-Two series paperbacks first published in the U.K. in 1995. Book one introduces the "Fab 5": Chelsea, whose mother is a radio "Dear Abby" type; Laura, an overly dramatic budding writer; Jemma, who is new in town and has a mother who can't quite clip the apron strings; Jon, an aspiring artist whose overbearing father has other plans for his career; and Sumitha, a beautiful girl with a strict and traditional Bengali father. This title centers primarily on the teens' subterfuge in escaping to The Stomping Ground, a favorite disco. Will they make it? Will Sumitha's parents find out that they lied? Will the girls get the boyfriends that they want? Will Jemma's mother ever stop calling her "Petal"? So it goes. There is not a lot of depth in this novel, but the plot does move quickly. The next installment is not as lighthearted. Laura's mother is about to have a baby with her "geek" boyfriend. Sumitha falls in love with Bilu, a proper Bengali boy, which pleases her father tremendously. Unfortunately, he is a phony and a cad. Late-bloomer Jemma finally gets a boyfriend-and subsequently dumps him-while spiraling downward into anorexia. Jon fears that his mother is having an affair. The books are typical series fare, and the dialogue-which is full of British slang-seems forced and unnatural. The plots are decent, but not terribly engaging.
Roxanne Burg, Thousand Oaks Library, CA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 172 pages
• Publisher: Piccadilly Press Ltd (April 20, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1853403601
• ISBN-13: 978-1853403606
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,268,341 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is hilarious!, August 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Fab Five: Don't Make a Scene, Mum - Book #1 (Paperback)

I love it the characters act their age. They're not 8th graders acting like sophmores. The problems are strung together- their parents. I like it that the author rotates the story around 5 different characters. Plus, i like the way she incorporates the English words to the story and added the glossary in the back. Most of all, I love the way Rushton had the character's handwriting on the notes in the book. That was a cool touch.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You must read this book! Repeat, MUST., July 11, 1999

By 

Claire Hennessy (Dublin, Ireland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fab Five: Don't Make a Scene, Mum - Book #1 (Paperback)

Talented author Rosie Rushton introduces us to five teenagers trying to cope with life in the 90's and frustrating parents. Laura, Chelsea, Jemma, Sumitha and Jon are all totally fed up with their parents. Laura hates her mum's new toyboy boyfriend; Chelsea's embarrassed by her mum, local agony aunt, trying to be cool and fashionable; Sumitha wishes her parents would let her do what she wants; Jemma wants her mum to let her wear cool clothes and make-up; Jon longs to go to art college after school but his dad's hopes that he will go to Cambridge stand in his way. This book is brilliant and is followed up by "How Could You Do This To Me, Mum?", "I Think I'll Just Curl Up And Die" and "Does Anyone Round Here Ever Listen?" They are all absolutely brilliant and I think you should definitely read them!

3.0 out of 5 stars Christine L. Miller Place, NY, November 3, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Just Don't Make a Scene, Mum (Leehampton Trilogy) (Hardcover)

Just Don't Make a Scene, Mum - by Rosie Rushton

This was a very realistic, dramatic book, full of embarrassment. Although the age of the girls in the book were a bit younger than me I could still think back and relate to how they were feeling. The age difference did have an impact on my views of the book very much and that is why I gave it such a low rating. I do not recommend this book to my age group (15 years and older), but do recommend it to younger girls. Although my age does not differ many years from the characters in the book, the issues of 13-year-olds are very different than that of 15-year-olds.

The teenagers in this book went through some very embarrassing moments, which made me feel a little better about some of my moments like theirs in the past. This book showed me the parents side of situations, and it gave me an understanding on why they make the decisions that they do, yet the book also proved parents to be a little out of hand with their choices on how to raise a child. After reading this book I thought about maybe having my mom read it, so that she could see my side of things.

If you have been embarrassed or are having problems with your family I suggest that you read this book to see that other people do experience the things that you go through, and that your not alone. This book might even make you feel that your problems aren't half as bad as you thought they were.