And You Give Me a Pain, Elaine [Hardcover]

Stella Pevsner (Author)

Book Description

Andrea feels her parents unfairly focus most of their attention on her trouble-making older sister.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Stella Pevsner is the author of many popular books for middle-grade readers, most recently IS EVERYONE MOONBURNED BUT ME? She lives in Chicago, Illinois.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 182 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books/Seabury Press; First Edition edition (1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395288770
• ISBN-13: 978-0395288771
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,935,639 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wild-child sister, March 11, 2008

By 

Joanna Mechlinski (CT, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: And You Give Me a Pain, Elaine: And You Give Me a Pain, Elaine (Paperback)

Although there are three Marshall children, the entire household revolves around middle daughter Elaine. On any given day, the rebellious teenager might decide to skip school - or take off on a cross-country trip with her boyfriend. And since eldest brother Joe is off at college, it's always up to 13-year-old Andrea to keep the family from falling apart.

All Andrea wants is to be a normal teenager - hang out with her best friend Robyn, practice her gymnastics and maybe obsess over her new crush Chris. Instead, she spends most of her time trying to soothe her parents as they try to navigate through Elaine's latest act of insanity.

Just as it seems things are already bad enough, the Marshall family is hit with a tragedy that rocks Andrea to her core. It's then that she will need Elaine like never before.

Pevsner does an excellent job, taking the relationship between two sisters, one volatile and one a peacemaker, until the tension is often tangible. Readers will identify with the Marshalls in this very realistic story of growing up.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sparring Sisters, April 19, 2005

By 

BeatleBangs1964 (United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: And You Give Me a Pain, Elaine (Mass Market Paperback)

Andrea, 13 considers her 16-year-old sister Elaine her biggest problem and her 19-year-old brother Joe her biggest ally. Elaine skips school; she lies and causes strife in the household. On one occasion when Elaine is late returning home, Andrea lectures her along with their parents, who wisely send her out of the room because her interference is only making things worse with Elaine.

Andrea displays the classic survivor sibling syndrome. Eager to avoid trouble, she compensates by doing well in her classes and being actively involved in the school play. She meets a boy with a wonderful sense of humor named Chris and just as she feels things are looking up, Elaine upsets the apple cart by running away. Elaine's disappearance causes even more tension in an already-strife filled household and yet it takes a tragic accident to bring the family closer together.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sparring Sisters, April 19, 2005

By 

BeatleBangs1964 (United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: And You Give Me a Pain, Elaine (Paperback)

Andrea, 13 considers her 16-year-old sister Elaine her biggest problem and her 19-year-old brother Joe her biggest ally. Elaine skips school; she lies and causes strife in the household. On one occasion when Elaine is late returning home, Andrea lectures her along with their parents, who wisely send her out of the room because her interference is only making things worse with Elaine.

Andrea displays the classic survivor sibling syndrome. Eager to avoid trouble, she compensates by doing well in her classes and being actively involved in the school play. She meets a boy with a wonderful sense of humor named Chris and just as she feels things are looking up, Elaine upsets the apple cart by running away. Elaine's disappearance causes even more tension in an already-strife filled household and yet it takes a tragic accident to bring the family closer together.