The Pistachio Prescription (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Pistachio nuts, the red ones, cure any problem..." (more)
Key Phrases: Paula Danziger, Cassandra Stephens, Cassie Stephens (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Cassie Stephens is dealing with a lot. She’s got asthma. World War III is waged daily in her home, beginning at the breakfast table and ending with slammed doors at night. She’s running for freshperson class president. The pressure is mounting, and there’s only one thing that can make Cassie feel better. Pistachio nuts. No matter how weird it sounds, those little red nuts are just the prescription for Cassie’s troubles. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Publisher

Cassandra (Cassie) Stephens is thirteen, a "mousy-brown" in a family of blonds and redheads, a totem pole among shapelies, a nonentity in a world of achievers. On top of that, she's got asthma.

World War III is waged daily in her home, beginning at the breakfast table and ending with slammed doors at night. "Operation Overthrow" is under way at school, with Cassie running for freshperson class president. Pressures mount from all sides until Cassie, the first "teenage bomb in captivity," thinks she just might explode. But it isn't Cassie who explodes--it's her family.

To find out who wins the election at school and what happens to Cassie's family at home, tune in to this book!

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 154 pages
• Publisher: Laurel Leaf (October 15, 1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 044096895X
• ISBN-13: 978-0440968955
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,028,100 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic YA story!, November 29, 2006

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

This review is from: The Pistachio Prescription (Paperback)

At home, 14-year-old Cassie lives amidst a daily World War III; her parents won't stop fighting, her older sister is catty and mean, and her little brother is trying to make himself invisible.

So, Cassie figures, she's got to eke out a great life at school. With the support of her new boyfriend and her best friend, she runs for "freshperson" class president. (And as a direct result of an unfortunate personal grooming incident, she gains the entire school's respect as a cool girl who doesn't care what the teachers tell her...)

However, Cassie can't ignore her home life altogether. Whenever things get especially bad, her asthma flares up, and the only thing that makes her feel better is her beloved pistachio nuts, which she hides in her bedroom. The time comes, however, when Cassie admits she can't keep relying on pistachios; she needs to work with her family to make a change that will result in a better, healthier life for all of them.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Page Turner!, January 25, 2002

By	eugenia (El Salvador,San Salvador) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Pistachio Prescription (Turtleback)

The Pistachio Prescription, written by Paula Danzinger was an excellent and entertaining novel about a teenage girl dealing with the troubles of being one. Let me introduce you to Cassandra Stevens Brown hair, brown eyes, very tall, 14. She has two siblings, Stephie, the typical seventeen-year-old sister; she has blonde hair, blue eyes. She has a smaller green-eyed red haired brother. Her mom is identical to her brother, and Stephie is identical to her father.
Paula Danzinger talks about Cassie (short for Cassandra), a girl just about to enter high school. As typical, there's a "cool" crowd, the student council people.
But this year, Cassie has a plan. An intelligent,deviousplan. Her friends all got together for a meeting discussing what they'll do, whom they will elect, and who will lead. Guess who gets chosen? Cassie for president! She feels quite insecure and does not want to do it, but gets convinced afterwards.
If you are wondering about the tittle, whenever Cassie feels angry, mad or sad, she eats red pistachios, a prescription of them is sure to get her joy back in an instant, the only bad part is tat her parent's don't like the idea of her eating them. Her mother says it's not ladylike, and her father agrees with her. Cassie has to hide her pistachios wherever she can.
When Cassie enters school, there's a new kid in town, Scott. They start talking and he is part of the plan to too. This book talks about teamwork, teenage troubles, school, and friends. It's a great page-turner that everyone is sure to enjoy. The pistachio prescription bye Paula Danzinger is a great book that everyone will enjoy.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New Prescription - Pistachio Nuts, April 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Pistachio Prescription (Audio Cassette)

Cassie has a lot of problems in life, like when her mom and dad fight, her older sister calls her names, and when she has an asthma attack. Eating pistachio nuts always seems to help. Can she get a prescription from the doctor to eat pistachio nuts each day? I really enjoyed this book. It was humerous, yet had real life problems in it. It was really good!