Libby on Wednesday [Paperback]

Zilpha Keatley Snyder (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

Libby is sent to public school to be  "socialized" after years of being educated at  home.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

According to PW , Snyder's story of a girl's adjustment to a new school is presented "with sympathy and understanding. Offering deft writing and a cast of endearing characters, this thoughtful tale provides insight into preteen relationships and concerns." Ages 10-14.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-7 --Self-assured Libby has always been adored and admired by her eccentric family. Educated at home, she has had no contact with her peers--until her actress mother decides that it's time for Libby to attend a public middle school. It's obvious (to her) that she's intellectually superior to her classmates, and just as obvious (to them) that she's socially inferior, an object of ridicule. Writing has always been Libby's refuge; through her journal entries and a third-person narrative, her story unfolds. The two styles mesh perfectly; from Libby's voice, readers gain insight into her thoughts and feelings, and from the narrative they see her in her broader surroundings. The classmates with whom Libby interacts, all members of a writers' club that meets on Wednesdays, have serious problems of their own, and yet the group seems neither contrived nor unlikely. Their writing, too, contributes greatly to the development of their characters. Libby's family members may not be the stuff of real life, but they add a touch of levity that keeps the story from becoming a clinical study of the effects of family expectations, child abuse, and physical disabilities. Vivid descriptions and clear portraits of the characters give an honest, forthright picture of these classmates-turned-friends who come to accept their difficulties and to care about each other. It's an absorbing story, filled with real young people and genuine concerns. --Trev Jones, School Library Journal
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Yearling (August 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440404983
• ISBN-13: 978-0440404989
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,249,178 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Really Good Book, April 11, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Libby on Wednesday (School & Library Binding)

I think that Libby On Wednesday is a really good book. Libby is a girl who is completely unsocialized and accidentally wins a writing contest. She and five other students that win, start a writing club. The other students are a bully named Gary Greene who everybody calls G.G. (Gary the Ghoul), Alex a geeky boy who is physically challenged, Wendy a popular cheerleader who thinks she's a queen, and Tierney a chunky girl who's into punk. The students start a writing club and read their stories to the other members and say what they liked and give constructive suggestions. Wendy likes to write about teens and their love life, Alex writes parodies, Tierney writes detective stories, G.G. writes gruesome stories about killing, ang Libby writes all kinds of stories that are so good that the other kids think that her famous grandfather wrote them for her. The students all dislike each other. They say mean things about stories that people share with each other. As you read on, you will find that each student has a secret. I recommend this book to anyone over the age of eight.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Libby on Wednesday, January 22, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Libby on Wednesday (Paperback)

I usually enjoy Zilpha Keatly Snyder's books and this was no exception. In this book the main character, Libby, has been homeschooled all her life by her eccentric relatives until her mother decides she must be "socialized." Libby is very different from everyone else at Morrison Middle School and hates the school. Libby enters one of her stories into a writing contest and wins. All the winners must join a creative writing group, which is later in the book named FFW, or the Future Famous Writers. Almost the entire book is centered on the relationships between the FFW members.

The FFW members were not just your ordinary nerds, bullies, and cheerleaders, either. It was very interesting to see how the FFW members' views of each other changed during the book. One of the characters, that intriged me the most was Gary Greene, otherwise known as G.G.. All the other characters actions were explained throughout the book. Only at the end did you find out why G.G. acted so strangely. I really enjoyed this book and I strongly recommend reading it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Five very different kids and their writing club, January 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Libby on Wednesday (Paperback)

This book is about a girl named Libby, who struggles to make friends, but finally makes friends in the end. The book opens up as Libby stops home-schooling and goes to Morrison Middle School. She has a hard time fitting in because of the way she looks and the way she acts. There is a writing contest and Libby wins it because of her excellent writing. The other winners are G.G., a mean bully; Alex,a wierd boy in special classes; Tierney, a punk and detective girl and Wendy, president of student council and cheerleader. A famous writer who was head of the contest, decides that they should meet every week and talk about their writing. The five teens are not very nice to each other in the beginning. As they meet every week, they become good friends, best friends at that. I felt that this book was very good and told a true story that happens in real life.