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Beany Malone #11
Pick a New Dream
After graduating from Harkness High, Beany anticipates becoming a newspaperwoman by following in Eve Baxter's footsteps. She is shocked to learn that Eve Baxter is retiring to England and has a more experienced replacement for the writing of her column. What will Beany do for a summer job? How will Carlton help? Could Beany be seeing the boy-next-door in a new light?
301 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1961
About the author
Lenora Mattingly Weber
38 books56 followersLenora Mattingly, though born in Missouri, lived most of her life in Denver, Colorado. In 1916 she married Albert Herman Weber and was the mother of six children.
Weber's first book, Wind on the Prairie, was published in 1929. From 1930 through 1962 she wrote short stories for magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post, McCall's, and Good Housekeeping. Her last book was published posthumously in 1972.
Lenora Mattingly Weber’s favorite topics included the Denver area, horses, and teenage girls. In 1943 the first Beany Malone book, Meet the Malones, was published. Beany Malone became Weber's most well-known creation, featured in 14 books and appearing as a minor character in the Katie Rose Belford and Stacy Belford series.
Weber's first book, Wind on the Prairie, was published in 1929. From 1930 through 1962 she wrote short stories for magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post, McCall's, and Good Housekeeping. Her last book was published posthumously in 1972.
Lenora Mattingly Weber’s favorite topics included the Denver area, horses, and teenage girls. In 1943 the first Beany Malone book, Meet the Malones, was published. Beany Malone became Weber's most well-known creation, featured in 14 books and appearing as a minor character in the Katie Rose Belford and Stacy Belford series.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 4, 2009
In some ways, I like the early books the best where we see Beany and her siblings juggle busy schedules and stretch the housekeeping budget creatively. Later on, as others have observed, it is infuriating to see Beany make the same mistakes and be so influenced by peer pressure (shouldn't she know by now that everyone else is yearning to be a Malone?). Yet somehow this is one I keep rereading regularly because it adds something important to the series.
Pick a New Dream is fascinating on several levels. Influenced by her father and by Eve Baxter, Beany assumes she has a career as a writer but ends up taking a job at Lilac Way, the community center where next door neighbor, Carlton Buell, works. Carlton was previously the most boring character in the series, but Beany suddenly sees her brother's best friend as an individual:
"Hard muscles bulged under the white T-shirt with grass stains on it. He walked with an easy stride. His blonde crewcut would, before the summer, be lighter than his ruddy, tanned face. She had seen him so often with her brother Johnny, who was tall and lanky, that she had always thought of Carlton as short and stocky. But he wasn't."
Carlton sees she is upset about her summer job on the newspaper falling through and says, "We need someone to handle the teen-age girls and their sewing and cooking projects. Oh, we'll find plenty for you to do. You don't have any race prejudice, do you?"
"Not that I know of." (an odd answer?)
"I didn't think you would, being a Malone."
Beany doesn't realize it right away but it is obvious to the reader that she was made for Lilac Way, although the challenges some of these underprivileged teens face are alien to her secure Malone life. And working at Lilac Way, Beany sees how much everyone admires Carl and subconsciously her attitude toward him begins to evolve (the hard muscles don't hurt, either). Then, after she takes the lifesaving test, they kiss for the first time and it is a magical moment - at least, as far as Beany is concerned, although she doesn't know what Carl is thinking and she is afraid of being like other girls who have sought his attention in vain. It is a rare moment of passion in a world where girls who go too far are condemned as more-thanners, and thus very memorable.
Carlton Buell is a hard sell to the reader too, as we were all (at least) half in love with Andy Kern* (big sigh) but Weber conveys it admirably, at least in this book.
*the other half is in love with Johnny Malone
Pick a New Dream is fascinating on several levels. Influenced by her father and by Eve Baxter, Beany assumes she has a career as a writer but ends up taking a job at Lilac Way, the community center where next door neighbor, Carlton Buell, works. Carlton was previously the most boring character in the series, but Beany suddenly sees her brother's best friend as an individual:
"Hard muscles bulged under the white T-shirt with grass stains on it. He walked with an easy stride. His blonde crewcut would, before the summer, be lighter than his ruddy, tanned face. She had seen him so often with her brother Johnny, who was tall and lanky, that she had always thought of Carlton as short and stocky. But he wasn't."
Carlton sees she is upset about her summer job on the newspaper falling through and says, "We need someone to handle the teen-age girls and their sewing and cooking projects. Oh, we'll find plenty for you to do. You don't have any race prejudice, do you?"
"Not that I know of." (an odd answer?)
"I didn't think you would, being a Malone."
Beany doesn't realize it right away but it is obvious to the reader that she was made for Lilac Way, although the challenges some of these underprivileged teens face are alien to her secure Malone life. And working at Lilac Way, Beany sees how much everyone admires Carl and subconsciously her attitude toward him begins to evolve (the hard muscles don't hurt, either). Then, after she takes the lifesaving test, they kiss for the first time and it is a magical moment - at least, as far as Beany is concerned, although she doesn't know what Carl is thinking and she is afraid of being like other girls who have sought his attention in vain. It is a rare moment of passion in a world where girls who go too far are condemned as more-thanners, and thus very memorable.
Carlton Buell is a hard sell to the reader too, as we were all (at least) half in love with Andy Kern* (big sigh) but Weber conveys it admirably, at least in this book.
*the other half is in love with Johnny Malone
November 19, 2008
Yay! Beany and Carl, sittin' in a tree! Perfect. That damn ol' Norbett was not sweet enough to her, and that damn ol' Andy was sweet but he and Beany were just meant to be friends. Carl is perfect! I am so happy. Plus I learned that sometimes when a girl is a butt it is just coz she is trying to look cooler than you.
September 29, 2011
I love the Beany books! Sure, they have their flaws, but I enjoy reading them so much. I actually stayed up way too late finishing this one; I just knew I couldn’t fall asleep until I found out what would happen next!
Unfortunately, while reading this I made the mistake of reading some posts on the Weber Yahoo! Group and accidentally stumbled across quite a few series spoilers. :( I'm still rather upset about that. Not getting the plot spoiled is very important to me.
But back to the book. Even though I always liked Carlton in the previous books, for awhile in this one I couldn’t figure him out. Thankfully, in the end it all made sense and I loved how things worked out. Because of the time and style in which these were written, a single swift kiss becomes a thrilling moment. I think this is a testament to Weber’s ability to get the reader completely immersed in the world of these characters.
I love what happened with Andy, and how Weber tied up that part of the story of. I really liked him a lot but I am a Catholic so I can totally understand his decision. (Unfortunately, that was one of the parts that was spoiled for me by my careless browsing. Grr!) Oh, and I just loved how Andy made that party a success at Lilac Way. :)
I thought the secondary characters in this were great: I wanted to give Eugene a hug, I thought Vince and Violetta were very amusing, I appreciated Marcie's bluntness, and I loved the strength and calmness of Miss (or was it Mrs.?) Harper. I love series that have a lot of books and allow me to really get involved in the characters and settings. This is book eleven and I think I will be really sad when I finish the series.
I realize this review is kind of all over the place, but the bottom line is that I loved this book and am greatly looking forward to the next one.
Unfortunately, while reading this I made the mistake of reading some posts on the Weber Yahoo! Group and accidentally stumbled across quite a few series spoilers. :( I'm still rather upset about that. Not getting the plot spoiled is very important to me.
But back to the book. Even though I always liked Carlton in the previous books, for awhile in this one I couldn’t figure him out. Thankfully, in the end it all made sense and I loved how things worked out. Because of the time and style in which these were written, a single swift kiss becomes a thrilling moment. I think this is a testament to Weber’s ability to get the reader completely immersed in the world of these characters.
I love what happened with Andy, and how Weber tied up that part of the story of. I really liked him a lot but I am a Catholic so I can totally understand his decision. (Unfortunately, that was one of the parts that was spoiled for me by my careless browsing. Grr!) Oh, and I just loved how Andy made that party a success at Lilac Way. :)
I thought the secondary characters in this were great: I wanted to give Eugene a hug, I thought Vince and Violetta were very amusing, I appreciated Marcie's bluntness, and I loved the strength and calmness of Miss (or was it Mrs.?) Harper. I love series that have a lot of books and allow me to really get involved in the characters and settings. This is book eleven and I think I will be really sad when I finish the series.
I realize this review is kind of all over the place, but the bottom line is that I loved this book and am greatly looking forward to the next one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 9, 2008
This is one of a YA series about Beany Malone, a young woman growing up in 1950s Denver. She's just graduated from high school and life has not turned out the way she had planned. Once in a while I re-read it to remind myself that life is good - even if it's not what you had planned.
December 18, 2022
This one dragged for a while, and I put it down and didn't go back to it for about a month, but it ended up being really good in the second half. Please note that rest of this review involves minor spoilers. I'm not spoiling anything that the premises of later books in the series would already reveal, but if someone wants to read this series while knowing nothing about what happens later, they should avoid the premises and my review.
I wasn't expecting the plot twist with Andy, and Beany's gradual interest in Carl develops in a convincing way as they work together at the community center. The elements related to racial diversity in this community are also much less cringey than I would have expected from the early sixties, and Beany grows a lot while dealing with frustration over the particularly supercilous and challenging teenage girl in the group. Overall, the book shows how Beany is able to handle disappointment, discover new things, and keep growing in the summer after high school.
I wasn't expecting the plot twist with Andy, and Beany's gradual interest in Carl develops in a convincing way as they work together at the community center. The elements related to racial diversity in this community are also much less cringey than I would have expected from the early sixties, and Beany grows a lot while dealing with frustration over the particularly supercilous and challenging teenage girl in the group. Overall, the book shows how Beany is able to handle disappointment, discover new things, and keep growing in the summer after high school.
November 29, 2022
Me chanting while reading: "Carlton! Carlton! Carlton!"
This is perhaps my favorite in the series - and the one I remember the most. So many plot shifts with Carl and Andy. And Beany finally seems to grow up some and mind her business, without trying to solve the world's problems.
My only complaint is that Andy thought Beany knew he was making a drastic life change? And when Father Hugh said "there are no heart issues are there?" She said no! What?!
Anyways, Carl is better and I love them together.
This is perhaps my favorite in the series - and the one I remember the most. So many plot shifts with Carl and Andy. And Beany finally seems to grow up some and mind her business, without trying to solve the world's problems.
My only complaint is that Andy thought Beany knew he was making a drastic life change? And when Father Hugh said "there are no heart issues are there?" She said no! What?!
Anyways, Carl is better and I love them together.
September 11, 2017
My favorite so far!
October 23, 2017
Best of the lot, so far!
October 16, 2019
Probably my favorite of all the Beany M books, which is saying a lot.
March 31, 2021
Love this old series and would recommend it to any teenage reader. It is practical advice, with family life! Love it!
August 6, 2022
One of my very favorite Beanys. I love the Lilac Way angle, and I most especially love how it ends.
January 28, 2024
Beany graduates and heads for a job at her father's newspaper. To her surprise, there is no job. Good-guy Carlton Buell comes to the rescue with a job offer at Lilac Way Community Center.
November 27, 2025
Every couple of years I read the Beany Malone series again. It is so nostalgic and comforting for me. Even though I’m a generation removed from the characters in the story, they are like old friends. As an adult, I was able to collect all the books in the series and they live on my bookshelf, ready for yet another visit when the mood strikes me.
Today was one of those almost-summer Saturdays, and the memories of summers as a teenager were flooding back. This led to a hankering to reread “Pick a New Dream”. In PaND, Beany has recently graduated from high school, and is looking forward to spending her summer before college as an assistant at the Call, the newspaper where both her father Martie and her employer, advice columnist Eve Baxter, work. She is shocked to find that Eve is retiring, and that neither Eve nor Martie sees a future in journalism for Beany. Good old Carlton Buell, the dependable boy next door, offers Beany a solution to her job situation — work at the local community center that Carlton helps run. Beany is a little intimidated when she first walks in, but in true Beany Malone fashion, she faces the challenge head on and learns something about herself in the process.
I know that some people will never understand my love for these books, but even fantastic, award-winning author Connie Willis dedicated one of her own novels to Lenora Mattingly Weber, so I am in good company. I will continue to revisit Beany’s world and savor the time I spend in it for many years to come.
Today was one of those almost-summer Saturdays, and the memories of summers as a teenager were flooding back. This led to a hankering to reread “Pick a New Dream”. In PaND, Beany has recently graduated from high school, and is looking forward to spending her summer before college as an assistant at the Call, the newspaper where both her father Martie and her employer, advice columnist Eve Baxter, work. She is shocked to find that Eve is retiring, and that neither Eve nor Martie sees a future in journalism for Beany. Good old Carlton Buell, the dependable boy next door, offers Beany a solution to her job situation — work at the local community center that Carlton helps run. Beany is a little intimidated when she first walks in, but in true Beany Malone fashion, she faces the challenge head on and learns something about herself in the process.
I know that some people will never understand my love for these books, but even fantastic, award-winning author Connie Willis dedicated one of her own novels to Lenora Mattingly Weber, so I am in good company. I will continue to revisit Beany’s world and savor the time I spend in it for many years to come.
January 4, 2017
A blast from my past. I loved this in my tween/teen years. It was fun to read it again.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews