Customer Reviews

The Luckiest Girl (An Avon Camelot Book)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Beverly Cleary rightfully occupies the pedestal of supreme excellence; her books were my girlhood favorites (I'm 49) and my daughter's girlhood favorites (she's 14). Beverly Cleary's characters are more real to me than some people, along with Elizabeth Enright's Melendys and Eleanor Estes' Moffats. No one writes books like these anymore...a tragedy! Like many Beverly Cleary fans, I'm sure, I remember all of her books vividly, and though I'm a library mom all the way, I actually BUY Beverly Cleary books because I want to own them for all time. But this one fell a bit short. First, it's so dated, unusual because her books mostly transcend time. The dialogue sounds so stilted, maybe because there are precious few contractions used. Has our speech really become that much more casual? Also, I agree with the reviewer who observed that Shelley Latham's experiences are a bit too perfect. New girl... instantly popular...snags the coolest guy in school...it seems like such a cliched and dated definition of success/happiness. My daughter told me, though, that girls still become popular through the boys they attract...guess we haven't come that far after all! I noticed also that most of the kids reviewing this book gave it glowing 5-star reactions, which makes me think girls today probably long for a more innocent, more civil time, when they weren't expected to be sexualized by 5th grade (chiefly by the media's relentless bombardment). I still felt like Shelley, Philip, Hartley, etc. were very real people, just antiquated and living in a world long gone, whereas Jane, Stan, Marcy, etc. from "Fifteen" seem to ring more true even today. Oh well, like all Beverly Cleary books, this one had me looking forward to reading each night, and I finished it this morning when I should have been cleaning the bathrooms! The master still retains her magic touch, even if a bit off kilter in "The Luckiest Girl."

I adored this charming book! relates alot to teen/ preteen girls. It shows what things are to come in the teen years, i loved it! STRONGLY RECCOMENDED! No sexual scenes NOT EVEN KISSING! No violence or anything! I LOVE Beverly Cleary's books and i feel this one is her best to date! ;)

Sincerley,
Amanda [14 years old]

The Luckiest Girl by Beverly Cleary is a good book. The main character is Shelley Latham, who is sixteen. Shelley lives in Oregon, but her mother's friend from college, Mavis Michie, has sent a letter inviting Shelley to spend the school year in California with the Michies. Shelley goes to California. She feels like she is in fantasyland. Oranges are growing on trees, and flowers are blooming in the winter, and there are palm trees! And now she is going out with Philip, the cute star of the basketball team, and the other girls are all jealous. To find out what happens to Shelley, read this book, which I would reccomend to anyone who likes to read.

In the Book The Luckiest Girl,16 year old Shelly has had it! Her mother knew she wanted a yellow slicker but, NO, she had to go and buy her the pink slicker with the matching hat.
Shelly only wanted a slicker, but what she got was the trip of a lifetime!
Shelly Lafthem decides to spend the school year in Sunny Sabastion, California. She stays at her mom's friends house with the family. Shelly feels free without her parents and is enjoying life. Life even gets better when she dates the Sabastian's All_star basketball player: Phillip. Everything is going smoothly until Shelly gets a D in Biology and Phillip fails! Shelly finally realizes that she only likes Phillip because of his looks. She finds that her true love is someone who had always been there whenever she needed someone to talk to. Her time in Sabastion is almost up, so she takes in every precious moment she has left and dreads the day that she is to leave.
I thought that this book was one of the best books I've ever read. Beaverly Clearly writes in a different way than in her RAMONA books. The story made me cry and laugh and even made me feel jealous of Shelly. Many girls would die to go on an adventure like this, I know I would! I would reccommend this book to any girl nine years old or older. I think even some moms might like it too! Shelly Latham is truly, The Luckiest Girl!

Sixteen-year-old Shelley Latham is happy with her life the way it is. Sure, she isn't too crazy about her boyfriend Jack, and she doesn't have the kind of slicker that would make her cool, but other than that she's happy. That is, until her Mother purchases a pink and velveteen raincoat for her, which causes her to blow-up, and stuff a bunch of fresh-cut roses down the disposal in the kitchen. Now Shelley realizes that she needs some time to grow up, and get away from her parents for a bit, so they send her to spend the new school year with her Mother's old college roomate, Mavis, and her family, all the way in San Sebastian, California. Shelley quickly adores everything about California, and shows people to look at the things around them - trees, fruit growing, flowers - in a new way. But that's not the best thing about California. The best thing would have to be the two wonderful boys Shelley has met, both of whom like her very much. There's handsome Philip Blanton, the basketball star; and fun Hartley Lathrop, an aspiring journalist. Between the two of them, Shelley can't choose who she likes more, and quickly embarks on a yearlong adventure filled with love, heartbreak, and much, much more.

I've been a fan of Beverly Cleary since the RAMONA books - which I read when I was 6, and adored. I then began reading Beverly Cleary again a few years ago, when her teen romances were reprinted. I adored FIFTEEN, and thought that I would give THE LUCKIEST GIRL a try. It was not a surprise to see that THE LUCKIEST GIRL was another fabulous effort on Cleary's part. While I am still partial to the characters and situations featured in FIFTEEN, I found the premise of THE LUCKIEST GIRL to be great. Shelley is a cute character, who happens to be a bit forward, and self-conscious, which is nice to see in a female lead character. The boys she encounters are both great in their own ways, and really help to bring the story to life. Overall, this is a wonderful book that should be read by all pre-teen and teen girls.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

Like many teenagers, Shelley Latham thinks her life is boring. An only child, with loving parents, she finds herself sick of Oregon winters, sick of the predictability of her boyfriend Jack, who could only be described as "nice."

Then, a longtime friend of Shelley's mother invites the girl to spend the school year with them in California. Shelley is thrilled - not only will she get to experience all new things, but she'll get to experience them on her own. Finally, she thinks, she'll get to live like an adult and not the sheltered child her parents think she is.

While many things in California are indeed wonderful, Shelley discovers that life with the Michie family - much more laidback than her own - takes some getting used to. She also learns that there's something to be said for old friends and familiar routines, when she's thrust among a sea of unfamiliar new classmates. But within a short time, Shelley begins to adjust. She finds new friends, a new boyfriend, and even enjoys her place as older sister in the Michie's family. With every new step, there's something for Shelley to learn...

I really loved this book! This was a great book to read as an eleven year old because it talks about when you are thirteen and sixteen.I would tell anyone about this book and to read it. From ages 10-16. This is also a great book for parents to reflect on because it talks about parents too, so don't feel left out. If you like books of realistic fiction and of a girl's life at home then read this book!!! It is excellent. It is such a great book to understand because it is like today and what a girl's life really is about. I hope that you take my advice and read this wonderful book by Beverly Cleary. Enjoy!!!

I think this book is preety good. It is funny, sad, and exciting. I enjoyed reading this book very much. If you are craving adventure and want to know what it would feel like to leave your home and change schools for one year I highly suggest this book. The reason I gave it 4 stars is because it was good, but there are things I would change. Over all this was a realistic book and Beverly Cleary is an superb writer with a lot of talent!

Moving to California involves many firsts for everything. Shelley Latham was invited to live with her mom's friend in California for her junior year in high school. When she gets there, she fits in respectfully. She instantly makes friends and starts dating the hottest guy in school. How much more lucky could she get? We'll just say that Shelley Latham has what every girl wants: the cutest boyfriend, a best friend that she can trust, and a (second) family who loves her as if she were their own child. In my opinion, this is a very good book. This book is good enough to read over and over again.
The Luckiest Girl, by Beverly Cleary, is a wonderful book full of new experiences that teach the reader what to expect in life. When Shelley moved to California, she instantly fell in love. She didn't know what to expect since she had only dated one boy in her life and he was a total loser. Shelley learned how to care for another person as she cares for herself. Shelley has also never gotten a grade lower than a B and it was a complete utter shock to her when she received her first D! She had always excelled in biology. Shelley was very disappointed in herself.
This book is also worth reading because it teaches you to never take anything for granted and always take notice of the wonderful things in life. Shelley Latham had never noticed how wonderful nature is until she moved in with the Michie's. Your everyday trees never have looked so marvelous before in her life. Olives have never tasted so good and school had never been so important to Shelley. Shelley was amazed by you everyday stuff that she saw/did in Oregon because she never took the time to realize how awesome everything really is.
If you enjoy reading mushy-gushy love books, then this book is the book for you! Shelley falls in love for the first time with a boy named Phil. But she later realized that Hartley was the one for her. Just because Phil was popular and good-looking didn't mean that Phil was better than Hartley. Because in reality, she and Hartley had more in common, he was smart, and he always made her laugh. Her and Hartley were the perfect couple.
Overall, this book by Beverly Cleary is a really good one! It is worth reading and worth your time. You can learn a lot from this book and you can experience life in a different perspective. So just take the time to find this book and read it. You won't regret it. I guarantee.

This was a great book! She gets a crush on the basketball star. After his grades drop, his father bands him from seeing her. Then she finds out she was wasting her time on the wrong guy. I rcomend this book to 11 year olds till whatever age.