Customer Reviews

My Life in Pink & Green

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I absolutely love girly-girl middle grade fiction! I guess it's a good thing that I have a daughter in that age range because it gives me a good excuse to read it. My latest favorite MG book is MY LIFE IN PINK AND GREEN by Lisa Greenwald. I admit that I was probably a little biased going into this book because I just love the cover. I thought it was adorable and extremely eye-catching; and what young girl could resist it? It wasn't until I finished this delightful book that I realized just how terrific the cover was -- it captured the essence of the story perfectly.

This book is going to appeal to so many young girls. My daughter hasn't had a chance to read it and chime in with her thoughts yet, but I can pretty much guarantee that she's going to love it! Lucy, the main character and narrator, is absolutely adorable. While she's an extremely sweet young girl and has some terrific insight into life, she also has a great sense of humor. She's a wonderful choice to tell this story, and girls are definitely going to relate to her. Lucy experiences many of the same insecurities and concerns that all tweens face on a daily basis. Yet how she chooses to deal with adversity is what really makes Lucy and this book so special. Lucy is a great example of how a young girl is supposed to act in so many ways. She doesn't lower herself to that middle grade cattiness that many girls revel in (I speak from experience here!) and she is constantly trying to do the "right" thing. I sincerely hope that many readers of this book will see Lucy as a role model and try to shape their actions around Lucy's behavior.

As a mother, I am so excited that there are good, clean books out there for my 10 year old daughter to read. I'm totally of the mindset, "Why rush to read all the YA books when there are so many wonderful MG books?" I loved that MY LIFE IN PINK AND GREEN had a great story and characters who were so sweet. However, I also thought it was wonderful that the author chose not only to tackle the "normal" middle grade girl issues, but she also covered some broader, more universal issues such as the decline of small businesses and the need to take care of our environment. Lucy wanted to help her grandmother and mother save the pharmacy, and she worked very hard to come up with ideas to generate more business. She also became active in an after-school group that focused on "green" ideas. I loved that Lucy had the resourcefulness to merge her passions together into a wonderful way to save the pharmacy! If only we all had Lucy's desire to make the world a better place!

My Life in Pink & Green is an inspiring story about a girl with big dreams anda passion for make-up. Twelve-year-old Lucy Desburg has a plan. A plan to save her family's pharmacy. The problem is nobody thinks she can do it. So Lucy takes matters into her own hands. And with a little help, can she be able to turn things around? All ages will love this fresh, new, fantastic book, and you might learn a few beauty tips along the way.

Review Written By B. Ankerson

Lisa Greenwald has a nice combination of things going on in her debut novel MY LIFE IN PINK & GREEN. Put together "green" living to save the earth, the trials and tribulations of being a 7th-grade girl, and the financial stress of running a family business, and you have a real page-turner.

Lucy will be the third generation owner of a family pharmacy - that is if her mother and grandmother can keep the store going against the competition of large chains and consumers only looking for one-stop shopping options. She hears their constant arguments about which direction is best for the business her grandfather started years ago.

Lucy's mother's objections are that the store is stuck in the 80's, while her mother, Lucy's grandmother, says her own daughter is the downfall of the business because of her poor money management skills. All Lucy knows is that she doesn't want to lose the family business, and she thinks she just might have the answer.

Being a 7th-grader is also a challenge for Lucy. Her older sister is away at college, but thanks to Claudia, at least Lucy knows how to look her best, and with the help of good grooming she maintains a high level of self-confidence in the face of middle school stress. She has always been interested in make-up, and growing up in the pharmacy with its make-up aisle so easily accessible, she has developed a certain knack for making people look their best.

When people begin realizing her talent, she finds herself running a makeover business that is bringing in needed cash for the store.

In an effort to boost her friend Sunny's confidence with boys, Lucy joins the school's Earth Club. Membership in the club revives Lucy's interest in recycling and promoting some of the more nature-friendly make-up products she uses with her customers. When an afternoon of research for the club causes Lucy to stumble across a city grant offering some major money help for local businesses who "go green," she believes she has truly found the way to save the family business.

MY LIFE IN PINK & GREEN grabbed my attention right from the start. Lucy is portrayed as a fun, upbeat 7th-grader not afraid to test out her innovative ideas. The addition of the financial stress in the family business brings this story into the here and now of our economic woes and will help hold the interest of readers dealing with their own tough times. By adding humor and a bit of young romance, Lisa Greenwald has really hit the mark with this novel.

I look forward to reading what I hope will be a long line of her YA work.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

My Life in Pink and Green is a very good book that 10 to 14 year old girls should read. Lucy is the main character. Her mom and grandma are going to close the family pharmacy. Lucy tries to save the pharmacy by making a make-up business. Lucy also tries to save the environment.

Kids should read this book because the personalities of the characters are fun to read about. You can really relate to the book and the plot is a great story. BUY THIS BOOK NOW!!!!!!

This was an absolutely charming book. It addressed several issues important to young teenage girls. The book involved the importance of friends and family, intellectual maturation, responsibility, creativity, and safeguarding the environment. I am an adult who read the book to screen it as a possible choice for a school book club meeting for adolescent girls. I would highly recommend it.

Caryn

The book was for my daughter's "Summer Reading" and she loves it! Not only did the book come before promised, but it looked brand new! Wonderful & thanks!

Even though I am not the typical age range for YA fiction (I'm twenty-something), I really enjoyed this story. Its cute, fast paced, the characters are likeable and its is all around fun to read. Highly recommended for all ages!

The Old Mill Drugstore, owned by twelve year old Lucy Desberg's family, is going to close down unless some miracle happens to save it. As if this wasn't enough, now Lucy also has to handle her best friend's first crush. But when she helps Courtney Adner, the Homecoming Queen, fix her hair disaster, the word gets out and people start lining up for their own makeover. Would turning the pharmacy into an eco-spa save it? Would her mother and grandmother stop fighting long enough for them to seriously listen to her idea?

The characters are well-defined . The main character, Lucy Desberg, is a twelve year old bursting with ideas to save her family's pharmacy which in turn helps to save the environment too. She has an inborn ability of doing makeovers. She is a natural trouble solver. She helped her friend, Sunny, deal with her first crush. Unfortunately I could not connect to Lucy's character as I found her a bit selfish and too mature for her age. The character I could actually relate to was Sunny. I too had the same feelings when I was her age. She is sweet in nature and a girl I would have loved to have as a friend.

The story makes us travel back to the time when we were twelve. Storyline is a bit predictable but this book is a sweet and enjoyable read. Every chapter has a beauty tip which the readers may find useful. Those who have just entered their teens would love it and even those who want to relive their childhood. This book is a cute little one time read.

Favorite Quote:

"Makeup isn't supposed to make you look like a clown or like a Broadway star or anything. It's supposed to enhance your natural beauty!"

Overall:

Cute and enjoyable

Recommended?

To Younger Teens

Here's to every tween girl getting her own copy of "My Life in Pink and Green." At first, I was skeptical when my daughter picked up this novel in the bookstore, because I thought it was a novel about make up. But as she dove in enthusiastically, I got curious.

Lisa Greenwald is a great writer -- dialogue is her forte --- and I really appreciated that she tackled so many real life issues, such as money stress and family relationships. This novel will book open up doors to talk with your daughter.

I would recommend this book to a friend or to my reader because this book was about following your dreams and how much just one girl can do.

This books storyline is, Lucy greenwalds family's pharmacy is closing down and Lucy is in love with her family's pharmacy, shes played there since she was a child. While her mom and grandma fight Lucys trying to find a way to save her family's pharmacy, finally Lucy figures out a way to save her family's pharmacy she comes up with the idea of a Eco-spa with her college sister on her side can Lucy save the pharmacy?

I think its a good book for 9 and up