Makeovers by Marcia (West Creek Middle School) [Hardcover]

Claudia Mills (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: West Creek Middle School

Pretty is as pretty does

Pretty, popular Marcia Faitak is not her usual self. Over the summer she gained five pounds, and when school begins, Marcia, desperate for an invitation from Alex Ryan to the October dance, goes on a diet. In art class, she's supposed to bring a red apple to life on paper, but all she wants to do is eat it. Mr. Morrison doesn't like her work anyway: disdainfully, he calls her drawing of a beautiful girl "Barbie." Worse than art is social studies. This is the year that kids have to choose their community service project. When Ms. Williams signs up Marcia to work at the local nursing home, she's aghast. What can she possibly do for a bunch of old people in wheelchairs? Since experimenting with makeup is Marcia's favorite activity, her half sister suggests "Makeovers by Marcia."

In the fifth and final story in Claudia Mills's funny, philosophical series about the West Creek Middle School kids, Marcia discovers the nature of true beauty - and even learns to draw it.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8 - Marcia Faitak enters eighth grade with pimples and five extra pounds, the latter due to her immobility over the summer from a broken ankle. Her immediate goal is to improve her self-image and make Alex Ryan invite her to the October school dance. She gathers advice from books, friends, and her sister, but her efforts to impress Alex are clumsy, and she reminds him that he caused her injury. Marcia has other challenges - her incredibly picky art teacher, her disgruntled French teacher, and community service at a local nursing home. While her friend Lizzie records the residents' histories, Marcia offers the ladies makeovers and learns that beauty has more to do with personality and outlook than with physical appearance. This lesson carries over into her own life and helps her to become a better artist, more comfortable with herself, and more empathetic. Best of all, Alex finally asks her to the dance. As she gets ready for the big night, she receives news that one of her friends at the home suffered a heart attack, and Marcia makes the tough decision to be with the dying woman. This humorous, appealing tale is realistic, touching, and evenly paced. Pair it with Ben Mikaelsen's Petey(Hyperion, 1998), another intergenerational friendship story. - Alison Grant, West Bloomfield Township Public Library, MI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-7. In the last of the five books about kids in West Creek Middle School, the focus is on pretty, popular Marcia Faitak. Already distraught that she has gained five pounds and has two pimples that won't go away, Marcia is also worried that Alex won't invite her to the school dance. It seems an extra irritation when her social studies teacher requires students to do a community service project in a nursing home. Who wants to work with "senile, drooling old people"? Meanwhile, Marcia's demanding art teacher tells her to stop drawing Barbie pictures and to find inner beauty. Marcia offers the old people beauty makeovers, and most are thrilled to get their nails done and tell their stories. Of course, she does find individual truth behind the stereotypes, but the message is never heavy because Mills' realistic characters--kids, teachers, parents, and the elderly--show anger, sadness, humor, and surprise. Readers new to the series will want the other books, too. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); 1st edition (February 24, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374346542
• ISBN-13: 978-0374346546
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,284,768 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A sweet read, November 30, 2007

By 

W.S. Viitala "writers attic" (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Makeovers by Marcia (West Creek Middle School) (Hardcover)

This sweet, simply written book (probably not for deep readers) shares some good lessons about how painful life can be, how frightening it is to go out of your comfort zone, and how complicated it is to grow up -- but also how fulfilling. I'd recommend it especially for girls, from 11 to young teens.

4.0 out of 5 stars Got to read., February 22, 2008

By 

K. Mantych "is the teacher for this NMS student" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Makeovers by Marcia (West Creek Middle School) (Hardcover)

Makeovers by Marcia is a fantastic book that teaches girls, like me, to be honest and be brave. Maricia was brave when she started to talk to Alex, her crush, a lot more. Marcia was also honest when she told Alex about herself and her secrets. I give this book a 4/5 stars because i think i needed more intersting events to happen in the story. Sence i'm a 13 year old girl i think girls my age would love this book very much. It is full of secrets and surprises that made me keep reading on.


Makeovers by Marcia is about a girl that has a Socail Studies project to do. They all have to choose a community service activty to do. Marcia loves to paint and draw so she thinks of makeovers for people in a nursing home.

5.0 out of 5 stars Shedding some light on the "snob" Marcia, January 2, 2008

By 

Michaele L. (Fort Lauderdale, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Makeovers by Marcia (West Creek Middle School) (Hardcover)

AS it turns out, Marcia really isn't a snob...

It's nice to see how she has grown from the first book in the West Creek Middle Series (Losers, Inc). Marcia has become a better person in those two years as a result of many factors including friends, teachers, family and life circumstances.

Marcia goes through an epiphany of sorts (for lack of a better word) when she realizes where true beauty is found. She also learns the meaning of KINDNESS. One of the nicest things in my opinion is how Marcia and Lizzie are now friends demonstrating that forgiveness for a prank (played in Losers, Inc) is powerful. The story is inspiring and is sure to please. There are some very touching scenes and, of course, a wonderful ending!

Claudia Mills has a talent for understanding what goes on in the minds of middle school age students.