The Melting of Maggie Bean (Paperback)

by Tricia Rayburn (Author)
Key Phrases: candy stash, red knit cap, Water Wings, Aunt Violetta, Pound Patrollers (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Maggie looked down and barely saw her toenails peeking out from the shadow of her stomach. She closed her eyes and slowly stepped onto the scale. Once she finally opened her eyes, Maggie almost fell off the scale.

Maggie Bean's having a tough year. Since her dad lost his job he spends more time watching TV than talking to his family, and her mom's totally stressed about money. So Maggie focuses on what she does best: keeping up her straight-A average and eating chocolate.

Lots and lots of chocolate.

But everything changes when Maggie gets a chance to try out for the synchronized swim team. Becoming a Water Wing has always been Maggie's dream -- who wouldn't want to have an instant circle of friends and wear that cute silver bathing suit? As a Water Wing, maybe she'll start believing she's more than just a socially awkward bookworm. Maybe people will see past the extra weight she's recently gained to the funny, cool girl hiding underneath. And maybe, just maybe, Peter Applewood will finally notice her.

It all depends on Maggie Bean, who thinks she knows who she is, but is about to find out for sure.

About the Author
Tricia Rayburn lives on eastern Long island with her fiancé and crazy shih tzu. She tries to eat vegetables instead of candy but, in her weaker moments, loves Reese's Pieces. The Melting of Maggie Bean is her first novel.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Aladdin (April 24, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416933484
• ISBN-13: 978-1416933489
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #223,001 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #21 in	Books > Children's Books > Issues > Weight
  #31 in	Books > Children's Books > Sports & Activities > Sports > Water Sports > Fiction

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, May 31, 2007

By	TeensReadToo.com "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

Maggie Bean is addicted to candy. She needs a few bags to get her through the pressures of the week. At her house, the tension adds up because her dad's been out of work for months and they're barely scraping by. Maggie's gained weight during this time - so much weight that it's embarrassing her family. And they've decided to take action.

Her parents force her to join a weight center with her aunt. Maggie can't believe the humiliation, but neither can she stop eating candy. Things turn around when two coveted spots on the swim team open up and both Maggie and her best friend decide to try out.

Only Maggie's too embarrassed to be seen in the local pool wearing a swimsuit that grandmothers and pregnant women also wear. So, she decides to train in secret, and no one knows except the other teen in her weight program.

THE MELTING OF MAGGIE BEAN takes a tale of a social outcast and creates a realistic outcome. Maggie has two main goals, but to accomplish them, she'll need to dig down deep and discover her inner strength. Maggie Bean will inspire readers everywhere to strive towards their own goals and make them a reality.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Rummel

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A student's review, May 6, 2009

By	M. Kelly "bookworm" (Eleuthera, Bahamas) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

My favorite book this year is called The Melting of Maggie Bean. It is a very good and fascinating book. Maggie loves to keep up with her average of an A, but one thing she gets an A+ in is eating chocolate. One of Maggie's friends thwarts her from eating chocolate for a week, but every time she sees the chocolate machine, she goes crazy! I recommend this book to nine to fourteen year olds because they can get a sense of what happens to them if they eat chocolate. If you like this book, you'll like The Secret Identity of Devon Delaney.

8 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars To be or not to be...., May 23, 2007

By	Little D (California) - See all my reviews

Maggie Bean is on the plump side with self esteem so low that she avoids looking into mirrors. Every week she sneaks into the drug store while her mother does the grocery shopping to buy that weeks supply of chocolate and candy. She realizes that being fat isn't what she wants. What she wants is to be popular, pretty, and thin. She thinks trying out to become a Water Wing is the way to get there.

I really loved this book. Whether your a bit too plump or on the skinnier side, I think there's a message for it you.