What do you think?
Rate this book
Pearl Littlefield
Ten Good and Bad Things About My Life
Pearl Littlefield’s first assignment in fifth grade is complicated: She has to write an essay about her summer. Where does she begin? Her dad lost his job, she had to go to a different camp—one where her older sister Lexie was a counselor-in-training (ugh!)—and she and her good friend James Brubaker III had a huge fight, which made them both wonder if the other kids were right that girls and boys can’t be good friends and which landed one of them in the hospital.
And there’s much, much more on the list of good and bad things, as Ann Martin takes this appealing character into new adventures through which young readers will see that good or bad, life is what happens when you’re making other plans.
And there’s much, much more on the list of good and bad things, as Ann Martin takes this appealing character into new adventures through which young readers will see that good or bad, life is what happens when you’re making other plans.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published October 2, 2012
37 people are currently reading
462 people want to read
About the author
Ann M. Martin
1,098 books3,047 followersAnn Matthews Martin was born on August 12, 1955. She grew up in Princeton, New Jersey, with her parents and her younger sister, Jane. After graduating from Smith College, Ann became a teacher and then an editor of children's books. She's now a full-time writer.
Ann gets the ideas for her books from many different places. Some are based on personal experiences, while others are based on childhood memories and feelings. Many are written about contemporary problems or events. All of Ann's characters, even the members of the Baby-sitters Club, are made up. But many of her characters are based on real people. Sometimes Ann names her characters after people she knows, and other times she simply chooses names that she likes.
Ann has always enjoyed writing. Even before she was old enough to write, she would dictate stories to her mother to write down for her. Some of her favorite authors at that time were Lewis Carroll, P. L. Travers, Hugh Lofting, Astrid Lindgren, and Roald Dahl. They inspired her to become a writer herself.
Since ending the BSC series in 2000, Ann’s writing has concentrated on single novels, many of which are set in the 1960s.
After living in New York City for many years, Ann moved to the Hudson Valley in upstate New York where she now lives with her dog, Sadie, and her cats, Gussie, Willy and Woody. Her hobbies are reading, sewing, and needlework. Her favorite thing to do is to make clothes for children.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/annmma...
Ann gets the ideas for her books from many different places. Some are based on personal experiences, while others are based on childhood memories and feelings. Many are written about contemporary problems or events. All of Ann's characters, even the members of the Baby-sitters Club, are made up. But many of her characters are based on real people. Sometimes Ann names her characters after people she knows, and other times she simply chooses names that she likes.
Ann has always enjoyed writing. Even before she was old enough to write, she would dictate stories to her mother to write down for her. Some of her favorite authors at that time were Lewis Carroll, P. L. Travers, Hugh Lofting, Astrid Lindgren, and Roald Dahl. They inspired her to become a writer herself.
Since ending the BSC series in 2000, Ann’s writing has concentrated on single novels, many of which are set in the 1960s.
After living in New York City for many years, Ann moved to the Hudson Valley in upstate New York where she now lives with her dog, Sadie, and her cats, Gussie, Willy and Woody. Her hobbies are reading, sewing, and needlework. Her favorite thing to do is to make clothes for children.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/annmma...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
June 28, 2014
The first book Ten Rules for Living with my Sister was much much better than this one. I usually read a book in a day or two but this book took me a month because it was SOOOO BORING!!!!!! The whole book is practically Pearl recalling her summer and to me her summer sorta stunk. My opinion.
The only good part in her summer was when she had her staycation. Pearl is sort of a brat. Her family has no money yet she still wants to go on the vacation. She got a crappy birthday present because her parents have no money but she wasn't grateful. She always wanted to go out instead if staying home. She even tries to make money just because her sister did. Talk about jealous! Also even when Jill was trying to be nice she didn't care and told her beat friend to stay away from her. Talk about bossy! She thought that she was the boss! Even at their field trip she wanted to go on the rides she wanted to go on! Talk about selfish! I'm glad her best friend told her off. She needed to learn that she was a bossy selfish brat! Lexie is my favorite character even if she isn't the main character.
The only good part in her summer was when she had her staycation. Pearl is sort of a brat. Her family has no money yet she still wants to go on the vacation. She got a crappy birthday present because her parents have no money but she wasn't grateful. She always wanted to go out instead if staying home. She even tries to make money just because her sister did. Talk about jealous! Also even when Jill was trying to be nice she didn't care and told her beat friend to stay away from her. Talk about bossy! She thought that she was the boss! Even at their field trip she wanted to go on the rides she wanted to go on! Talk about selfish! I'm glad her best friend told her off. She needed to learn that she was a bossy selfish brat! Lexie is my favorite character even if she isn't the main character.
December 1, 2017
This was a pretty good book and a little bit sad, but for the most part is was good. One part it was sad because pearls (main character) dads loss his job right be fore they were about to go onvactaion to the wild west. But it is happy when her and her best friend JB111 (james something the 3rd) and her are in the same class.
September 2, 2012
The sequel is a bit more heavy-handed and less hilarious than 10 RULES FOR LIVING WITH MY SISTER...
Read
October 23, 2018OMG. Such an exciting and fun book to read. Its so entertaining by making her go on adventures to going on staycation 😛
January 16, 2021
Pearl was little bit clueless but It was nice to read her summer essay.
August 7, 2020
I loved this book! Pearl had a writing assignment on the first day of school about her summer. She started with the really bad news...:her dad lost his job as an economics professor at a local college. Each chapter she has a short list of what happened because she is working on her outline. This is such a great book about seeing the bad as as opportunities but we don’t always see that in the moment. Definitely I would love to use this book with writing but also using the theme of looking for the good in the bad or making the best of not so good situations. And life doesn’t always turn out like we think it will or as we want it to! Good book!
April 3, 2017
A great book indeed
May 9, 2013
"But as I have learned, things don't always happen the way you want them to."
—Ten Good and Bad Things About My Life (So far), P. 194
One thing about this book that caught my attention is a blurb on the jacket from Publisher's Weekly: "It's hard not to picture Pearl and Lexie as successors to Ramona and Beezus as Martin creates a novel as entertaining as it is true." Not every sound bite, no matter how well-intentioned, accurately captures the spirit of the book it's meant to describe, but in this case I must say to whomever was writing on behalf of Publisher's Weekly: Rem acu tetigisti (you've hit the nail on the head). The pleasure to be gained from reading Ten Good and Bad Things About My Life (So far) isn't only a matter of Pearl's fantastically fresh first-person narration, rivaling the best work of any other dynamic, amusing character in the annals of literature for young readers. As in Beverly Cleary's immortal Ramona books, author Ann M. Martin has ingeniously distilled the stuff of life into the thoughts and attitudes of Pearl Littlefield as she takes the good and bad that happens to her with equal determination to do what's right. Pearl is excitable and trusting, naturally thinking those around her have as insatiable an appetite for everyday life as she does, not understanding why she doesn't always see her own enthusiastic demeanor reflected in her friends, family and others. When Pearl's friend Justine moved away from their apartment building to the other side of the city, a girl who had been her best friend without any apologies for their two-year difference in age, Pearl had been mostly friendless for some time. It didn't help that her older sister, Lexie, was a continual puzzle to her, sometimes friendly and at other times shutting Pearl out of her personal life almost completely. Of course, we read all this in the book preceding this one, as Pearl's grandfather (Daddy Bo) moves in with the family on a temporary basis and Pearl makes a connection with a new friend, and a boy at that, James Brubaker III (JBIII).
Fourth grade is over for Pearl now. She starts fifth grade in a new school with lots of new kids and an assignment about what her summer was like, and it is through this assignment that most of Ten Good and Bad Things About My Life (So far) is told. Pearl has had quite an adventurous summer between the end of the last book and the start of this one, and she's going to let it be the first story her new teacher hears about her. If someone had told Pearl before her summer vacation began all the twists and turns she and her family were about to go through, she probably wouldn't have believed it could ever turn out okay, but maybe this past summer wasn't as bad as it seemed at various points along the way. Pearl herself has changed in some respects, and these changes have allowed her to view the whole ordeal of the summer as an important learning experience she wouldn't be the same without.
On the brink of an extended family trip, one sure to be all the more fun because Daddy Bo is going to join them, Pearl's family's plans come screeching to a halt when the hammer drops that her father has been fired from his job as a professor of economics. The Littlefields live in New York City, one of the more expensive places to set up residence whether or not one has a family, and maintaining their home on Pearl's mother's salary alone is going to require a number of cost-cutting measures. The elaborate vacation across the U.S. is the first expenditure to go, but there are many other small changes to be made around the house in the wake of the lost income. It isn't easy for fourteen-year-old Lexie or Pearl to give up some of their favorite expenses, but Pearl watches Lexie take the lead and decides to follow, repeatedly coming back to the touchstone thought that she doesn't want to make matters any harder for her parents as her father scrambles to find new employment and her mother assumes double duty, increasing her writing output in an attempt to make ends meet.
Pearl lives in New York City, though, where an adventure waits around every corner should one choose to pursue it, and there's possibility for plenty of excitement even at home. Besides that, Pearl and Lexie have already been signed up for several weeks of summer camp, and even if Lexie does ignore Pearl while they are there, JBIII and Justine will be attending, too. Yet even the camp experience doesn't go as Pearl had planned, as she and JBIII fall into a quarrel and end up spending more time sulking apart from each other than laughing and having fun together, as best friends are meant to do. How many weeks like these, free of responsibility at camp to laugh and play and have a good time together, will friends like Pearl and JBIII have in their lives before the confusions of adolescence move in to obfuscate the issue? Reminiscent of the painful separation between Ellen Tebbits and her friend Austine in Beverly Cleary's 1951 book Ellen Tebbits, we see misunderstanding, resentment, smoldering anger and bewilderment over the reactions of each other get in the way time and again of potential reconciliation between two friends who shouldn't stay mad at each other for long, and as the gap widens and both Pearl and JBIII become more used to the strange absence of the other and less comfortable making the first move to mend their friendship, we begin to wonder if a wonderful thing is in the process of dissolving permanently. How could Pearl and JBIII never get back together as friends, after enjoying each other's company for such a short time? For me, the line that says it best is this one, from Pearl's perspective: "Then I looked at JBIII, who was sitting with the Dudes and punching Austin on the arm, and I thought how much more fun the week would be if my best friend and I were speaking to each other." When a big event like a convention or summer camp happens, one we would normally be so excited for and having the time of our lives diving into and experiencing with full gusto, there's nothing like a schism with one's best friend to make the waters taste more bitter than sweet. When those special days are gone, they're gone for good, and it's hard to see the days that should be jubilant drifting by in not much more than gray indifference. In my mind, it's the sharp memory of this hapless, helpless feeling that I will recall most about Ten Good and Bad Things About My Life (So far), and that's a positive thing. It's remembering the rotten feelings of losing friendship that can impel us to do whatever it takes to fix things, even when that means taking the initiative and being the first one to lay it all out on the line.
Pearl's summer is dotted with moments both good and bad, but it's only in resigning herself to the unknowns of her family's situation and the role she is to play in it that she learns having to do without some luxuries doesn't have to be that bad. In fact, cutting back on a few indulgences can make one feel more self-sufficient and thrifty, relying not on piles of money to buy what one wants but on the products of one's own mind to provide entertainment and enlightenment. Without all those extra accoutrements complicating matters, it can be simpler, also, to see the importance of the people in one's life, friends and family both. In looking back on the summer she has just survived, Pearl sees there was as much good as there was bad, and one can't hope for a lot more than that. There are so many questions about what's just ahead, with Pearl's father still unemployed and seeking a job, the majority of her fifth-grade school year still to be played out, and the vital status of friendships fluctuating as people transform and so do their interests, often leaving Pearl guessing as to what will happen next. The year ahead promises to be a big one, and I'm looking forward to living it alongside Pearl. It is an honor to be her friend.
Ann M. Martin may be best remembered for the multiple successful series she has launched, but to me she's always a master novelist first, one whose every book is of the caliber required to contend as surely for the big prizes in youth literature as to be among kids' favorite books in any given year. Ten Good and Bad Things About My Life (So far) may not be quite as powerful a story as Ten Rules for Living with My Sister, but it's just as fresh and just as comical, and I'd love to read more about Pearl. I would give at least two and a half stars to Ten Good and Bad Things About My Life (So far) and quite likely the full three, and I heartily recommend it to all fans of Ann M. Martin's writing in any form it has ever taken. Whether or not Pearl, Lexie and JBIII can live up to the literary legacy of Ramona, Beezus and Howie, they've certainly started out well.
—Ten Good and Bad Things About My Life (So far), P. 194
One thing about this book that caught my attention is a blurb on the jacket from Publisher's Weekly: "It's hard not to picture Pearl and Lexie as successors to Ramona and Beezus as Martin creates a novel as entertaining as it is true." Not every sound bite, no matter how well-intentioned, accurately captures the spirit of the book it's meant to describe, but in this case I must say to whomever was writing on behalf of Publisher's Weekly: Rem acu tetigisti (you've hit the nail on the head). The pleasure to be gained from reading Ten Good and Bad Things About My Life (So far) isn't only a matter of Pearl's fantastically fresh first-person narration, rivaling the best work of any other dynamic, amusing character in the annals of literature for young readers. As in Beverly Cleary's immortal Ramona books, author Ann M. Martin has ingeniously distilled the stuff of life into the thoughts and attitudes of Pearl Littlefield as she takes the good and bad that happens to her with equal determination to do what's right. Pearl is excitable and trusting, naturally thinking those around her have as insatiable an appetite for everyday life as she does, not understanding why she doesn't always see her own enthusiastic demeanor reflected in her friends, family and others. When Pearl's friend Justine moved away from their apartment building to the other side of the city, a girl who had been her best friend without any apologies for their two-year difference in age, Pearl had been mostly friendless for some time. It didn't help that her older sister, Lexie, was a continual puzzle to her, sometimes friendly and at other times shutting Pearl out of her personal life almost completely. Of course, we read all this in the book preceding this one, as Pearl's grandfather (Daddy Bo) moves in with the family on a temporary basis and Pearl makes a connection with a new friend, and a boy at that, James Brubaker III (JBIII).
Fourth grade is over for Pearl now. She starts fifth grade in a new school with lots of new kids and an assignment about what her summer was like, and it is through this assignment that most of Ten Good and Bad Things About My Life (So far) is told. Pearl has had quite an adventurous summer between the end of the last book and the start of this one, and she's going to let it be the first story her new teacher hears about her. If someone had told Pearl before her summer vacation began all the twists and turns she and her family were about to go through, she probably wouldn't have believed it could ever turn out okay, but maybe this past summer wasn't as bad as it seemed at various points along the way. Pearl herself has changed in some respects, and these changes have allowed her to view the whole ordeal of the summer as an important learning experience she wouldn't be the same without.
On the brink of an extended family trip, one sure to be all the more fun because Daddy Bo is going to join them, Pearl's family's plans come screeching to a halt when the hammer drops that her father has been fired from his job as a professor of economics. The Littlefields live in New York City, one of the more expensive places to set up residence whether or not one has a family, and maintaining their home on Pearl's mother's salary alone is going to require a number of cost-cutting measures. The elaborate vacation across the U.S. is the first expenditure to go, but there are many other small changes to be made around the house in the wake of the lost income. It isn't easy for fourteen-year-old Lexie or Pearl to give up some of their favorite expenses, but Pearl watches Lexie take the lead and decides to follow, repeatedly coming back to the touchstone thought that she doesn't want to make matters any harder for her parents as her father scrambles to find new employment and her mother assumes double duty, increasing her writing output in an attempt to make ends meet.
Pearl lives in New York City, though, where an adventure waits around every corner should one choose to pursue it, and there's possibility for plenty of excitement even at home. Besides that, Pearl and Lexie have already been signed up for several weeks of summer camp, and even if Lexie does ignore Pearl while they are there, JBIII and Justine will be attending, too. Yet even the camp experience doesn't go as Pearl had planned, as she and JBIII fall into a quarrel and end up spending more time sulking apart from each other than laughing and having fun together, as best friends are meant to do. How many weeks like these, free of responsibility at camp to laugh and play and have a good time together, will friends like Pearl and JBIII have in their lives before the confusions of adolescence move in to obfuscate the issue? Reminiscent of the painful separation between Ellen Tebbits and her friend Austine in Beverly Cleary's 1951 book Ellen Tebbits, we see misunderstanding, resentment, smoldering anger and bewilderment over the reactions of each other get in the way time and again of potential reconciliation between two friends who shouldn't stay mad at each other for long, and as the gap widens and both Pearl and JBIII become more used to the strange absence of the other and less comfortable making the first move to mend their friendship, we begin to wonder if a wonderful thing is in the process of dissolving permanently. How could Pearl and JBIII never get back together as friends, after enjoying each other's company for such a short time? For me, the line that says it best is this one, from Pearl's perspective: "Then I looked at JBIII, who was sitting with the Dudes and punching Austin on the arm, and I thought how much more fun the week would be if my best friend and I were speaking to each other." When a big event like a convention or summer camp happens, one we would normally be so excited for and having the time of our lives diving into and experiencing with full gusto, there's nothing like a schism with one's best friend to make the waters taste more bitter than sweet. When those special days are gone, they're gone for good, and it's hard to see the days that should be jubilant drifting by in not much more than gray indifference. In my mind, it's the sharp memory of this hapless, helpless feeling that I will recall most about Ten Good and Bad Things About My Life (So far), and that's a positive thing. It's remembering the rotten feelings of losing friendship that can impel us to do whatever it takes to fix things, even when that means taking the initiative and being the first one to lay it all out on the line.
Pearl's summer is dotted with moments both good and bad, but it's only in resigning herself to the unknowns of her family's situation and the role she is to play in it that she learns having to do without some luxuries doesn't have to be that bad. In fact, cutting back on a few indulgences can make one feel more self-sufficient and thrifty, relying not on piles of money to buy what one wants but on the products of one's own mind to provide entertainment and enlightenment. Without all those extra accoutrements complicating matters, it can be simpler, also, to see the importance of the people in one's life, friends and family both. In looking back on the summer she has just survived, Pearl sees there was as much good as there was bad, and one can't hope for a lot more than that. There are so many questions about what's just ahead, with Pearl's father still unemployed and seeking a job, the majority of her fifth-grade school year still to be played out, and the vital status of friendships fluctuating as people transform and so do their interests, often leaving Pearl guessing as to what will happen next. The year ahead promises to be a big one, and I'm looking forward to living it alongside Pearl. It is an honor to be her friend.
Ann M. Martin may be best remembered for the multiple successful series she has launched, but to me she's always a master novelist first, one whose every book is of the caliber required to contend as surely for the big prizes in youth literature as to be among kids' favorite books in any given year. Ten Good and Bad Things About My Life (So far) may not be quite as powerful a story as Ten Rules for Living with My Sister, but it's just as fresh and just as comical, and I'd love to read more about Pearl. I would give at least two and a half stars to Ten Good and Bad Things About My Life (So far) and quite likely the full three, and I heartily recommend it to all fans of Ann M. Martin's writing in any form it has ever taken. Whether or not Pearl, Lexie and JBIII can live up to the literary legacy of Ramona, Beezus and Howie, they've certainly started out well.
September 19, 2023
My problem with this book is that I just didn't like the main character very much. She acted much younger than her ten years and seemed rather self-centered. Her best friend, BJIII (nickname, obviously), was never really filled out as a character. He was more of (for most of the book) a cipher that responded in single sentences. I wasn't until the final chapters the author let him speak and behave like a thinking person. And I must add--I have no idea why this book has this title. Pearl writes an outline and an essay--but I never saw a list of ten things (good or bad). Hmm.
February 21, 2025
I made a mistake and read this first before starting on the Ten Rules for Living with my Sister. But I enjoyed this book very much - and it is easy to understand without having read the first one in the sequel. The characters are all fun and kind, and I liked that, despite the light touch of this book, it still dealt with parent's job loss, friendship, and sibling relationship. As I'm discovering, I like the fact that Pearl is a gifted child, yet she is so mischievous and doesn't like studying. Very relatable. I look forward to reading the first one in this series.
November 12, 2017
I’m not quite sure how I ended up reading this whole thing when I previewed it for the kid. It made me feel ok about all the time I sank into Babysitters as a kid, though. Martin’s writing is good quality and she doesn’t neglect either plot or characterization. And while it’s about older kids it’s totally appropriate for my second grader.
October 21, 2020
Ten good and Bad things about my life so far by Ann M. Martin was one of my favorite books I love how the whole book was connected to at the end come together and make this one big thing. I also liked how each chapter was an outline for her school project. This book I recommend to everyone because I think it has a little bit of everything in there.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2023
I need more Pearl books
This was not what I was expecting but I still loved it. I thought it would be about Pearl in 5th grade but it ended up being about her summer before 5th grade after her dad lost his job. It was great and I hope she got an A on her first 5th grade assignment!
More Pearl books please.
This was not what I was expecting but I still loved it. I thought it would be about Pearl in 5th grade but it ended up being about her summer before 5th grade after her dad lost his job. It was great and I hope she got an A on her first 5th grade assignment!
More Pearl books please.
March 16, 2018
it was ok like the other one.
March 18, 2018
This book was very interesting and I definitely recommend it. I couldn't get my face out of the book.
November 27, 2018
It was a very enjoying book. My favorite part was when the main character pushed her best friend into a canoe. When she was trying to apologize to him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 13, 2019
I think this is a great book for a younger age. I read it when I was a lot younger and it was one of the first books I got really excited about.
June 27, 2019
Yes, its a children's book. And yes, it taught me more stuff than some young adults books in the market.
Read
June 13, 2021I think
July 22, 2021
Pearl is so funny what the hell
January 4, 2023
perfect for a light reading
September 8, 2023
I'm not the target audience of this book but I do remember reading the Babysitters Club series when I was a teen and yes, Ann M. Martin's writing is still nice and funny.
May 18, 2024
It soooooo good! It’s reliable too!
January 1, 2025
I love it
August 22, 2018
About a level N guided reading. This was a pretty quick read about a young girl growing up in NYC. Her father lost his job, and this story shows how that affected her, her sister, and her friends. Students might struggle to connect with her loss as she still gets to do many things over her summer. Additionally, this book is written at a low level, and would be best for students reading at that level, but may not provide high interest.
January 7, 2013
My only major complaint about this book would have to be that the title really doesn't relate to the book. Although Pearl does discuss good and bad things about her life, the book focuses on a single summer - not her entire life - and the phrase in the title never comes up in the novel, as the title of the first book did. Other than that, this book was a wonderful sequel to Ten Rules for Living with My Sister, with a slightly more mature Pearl who has a better understanding of the world and the dynamics in her own family.
I think a lot of preteens will be able to relate to Pearl's struggles with being old enough to see the problems her family is facing, but not being old enough to help out, as her teenage sister can. I could see how Pearl had matured from the last book, but she still had some little quirks and mannerisms that made me realise how young Pearl still is. I think Ann M. Martin accurately captured the way that ten year olds speak and think, and there were many phrases that made me want to laugh out loud. Others weren't so funny, but were still touching, like when Pearl's father loses his job and the first thing Pearl wonders is whether this means he'll have more time to play Boggle with her. She understands what losing his job will mean for the family and their finances, but as a child she's still happy that her dad will be around more to play games. This section of the book, and many others, felt so honest and realistic.
As in the first book, I loved the dynamics between Pearl and Lexie, and although they weren't quite as amusing as in the prequel, it was touching to see Pearl comforting Lexie when her boyfriend broke up with her and Lexie protecting Pearl from bullies at camp. I don't have a sister, but the presentation of their relationship seemed fairly realistic.
I loved the way that Pearl's love of art was continued from the first book, but developed out of making posters for her door into designing her own notecards and stationary. I often wonder how many kids can really relate to all the sewing and knitting in Ann M. Martin's 'Main Street' series, but general art is something that I imagine more kids enjoy doing.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. When I finished Ten Rules for Living with My Sister I had immediately wished that Ann would write a sequel, but I didn't imagine it would happen. I stumbled across this book on Amazon purely by accident about a week before the novel was due to release and it was a lovely surprise to learn that I could read more about Pearl and Lexie. Obviously these books have been a big success. Publishers Weekly described Pearl and Lexie as a modern-day version of Ramona and Beezus, and perhaps that is part of the reason why I like these books so much. I'm so glad that Ann M. Martin is continuing to write children's books. Having grown up with the Baby-Sitters Club books, I hope that Pearl and Lexie and the Main Street books will appeal to my daughters, if I have any. But who knows, maybe Ann will have another series by the time my kids are old enough to read chapter books? Highly recommended to girls aged 8 - 10. And I'm sure plenty of adults will enjoy Pearl's antics as much as I did. 4*
I think a lot of preteens will be able to relate to Pearl's struggles with being old enough to see the problems her family is facing, but not being old enough to help out, as her teenage sister can. I could see how Pearl had matured from the last book, but she still had some little quirks and mannerisms that made me realise how young Pearl still is. I think Ann M. Martin accurately captured the way that ten year olds speak and think, and there were many phrases that made me want to laugh out loud. Others weren't so funny, but were still touching, like when Pearl's father loses his job and the first thing Pearl wonders is whether this means he'll have more time to play Boggle with her. She understands what losing his job will mean for the family and their finances, but as a child she's still happy that her dad will be around more to play games. This section of the book, and many others, felt so honest and realistic.
As in the first book, I loved the dynamics between Pearl and Lexie, and although they weren't quite as amusing as in the prequel, it was touching to see Pearl comforting Lexie when her boyfriend broke up with her and Lexie protecting Pearl from bullies at camp. I don't have a sister, but the presentation of their relationship seemed fairly realistic.
I loved the way that Pearl's love of art was continued from the first book, but developed out of making posters for her door into designing her own notecards and stationary. I often wonder how many kids can really relate to all the sewing and knitting in Ann M. Martin's 'Main Street' series, but general art is something that I imagine more kids enjoy doing.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. When I finished Ten Rules for Living with My Sister I had immediately wished that Ann would write a sequel, but I didn't imagine it would happen. I stumbled across this book on Amazon purely by accident about a week before the novel was due to release and it was a lovely surprise to learn that I could read more about Pearl and Lexie. Obviously these books have been a big success. Publishers Weekly described Pearl and Lexie as a modern-day version of Ramona and Beezus, and perhaps that is part of the reason why I like these books so much. I'm so glad that Ann M. Martin is continuing to write children's books. Having grown up with the Baby-Sitters Club books, I hope that Pearl and Lexie and the Main Street books will appeal to my daughters, if I have any. But who knows, maybe Ann will have another series by the time my kids are old enough to read chapter books? Highly recommended to girls aged 8 - 10. And I'm sure plenty of adults will enjoy Pearl's antics as much as I did. 4*
October 26, 2017
A hopeful book for all younger siblings and patents.
September 10, 2016
Almost 6 years ago, my dad was laid off from the only job he had ever had post-college. It was a total surprise and there was nothing gracious or sympathetic about it. I guess I hadn't read the back of TEN GOOD AND BAD THINGS ABOUT MY LIFE because I was surprised when this book focused so much on Pearl's dad losing his job as a professor and how this affects their entire summer: their vacation, their transportation, where they go shopping, and the shifted roles in the family. Ann M. Martin sheds a lot of realism here, and made me relive all the different motions my family went through when my dad lost his job. So many emotions, and even years later, this change continues to affect my family.
Anyway, Pearl is a great 10-year old MC. She's bossy, the typical little sister, curious, artistic, clumsy, and a little outspoken. She's VERY confident. She loves to act older than she is. Typical 10-year old. I loved absolutely every minute I got to get with her spunky self as she deals with her male best friend, how annoyed she gets by her older sis, and even how insensitive she is when her dad first loses his job. She really grows over the course of this summer, and her world widens.
The best part of this book is watching a family come together when faced with an unexpected complication. I loved that this book could encourage a conversation about money, sacrifice, and those little things we may take for granted. Plus there's a Seaside Heights cameo which made me really happy AND Pearl is a huge fan of I Love Lucy which cracked me up. (I believe this was always a part of Martin's biography when she was writing The BSC series.)
For sure looking forward to checking out the other book about Pearl and her family.
Keywords: summer, New York City, parents losing jobs, day camp, staycations
One other note: would have probably rated this higher but I didn't feel the true diverse environment of NYC crowds was depicted here.
Anyway, Pearl is a great 10-year old MC. She's bossy, the typical little sister, curious, artistic, clumsy, and a little outspoken. She's VERY confident. She loves to act older than she is. Typical 10-year old. I loved absolutely every minute I got to get with her spunky self as she deals with her male best friend, how annoyed she gets by her older sis, and even how insensitive she is when her dad first loses his job. She really grows over the course of this summer, and her world widens.
The best part of this book is watching a family come together when faced with an unexpected complication. I loved that this book could encourage a conversation about money, sacrifice, and those little things we may take for granted. Plus there's a Seaside Heights cameo which made me really happy AND Pearl is a huge fan of I Love Lucy which cracked me up. (I believe this was always a part of Martin's biography when she was writing The BSC series.)
For sure looking forward to checking out the other book about Pearl and her family.
Keywords: summer, New York City, parents losing jobs, day camp, staycations
One other note: would have probably rated this higher but I didn't feel the true diverse environment of NYC crowds was depicted here.
December 15, 2023
1) Pearl has such a spirited and endearing personality. She is just a bundle of energy and it's great to see her thought process as she says or does the wrong thing and then tries to fix it.
2) JBIII (pronounced JB-three) is back. He's James Brubaker the Third, but Pearl shortened his name. He's such a good friend. But their friendship is not without its ups and downs. I enjoyed seeing them weather the tough stuff.
3) I love the relationship between the sisters. Lexie still doesn't like underwear visits (if you remember that from the first book), yet the relationship has matured. I love how they go about job-seeking together. Or rather Pearl just tags along.
4) The scenes at camp are great! My favourite part is when Pearl is at the sleep-away part of camp and she explains how you have to go out into the dark, dark woods in order to use the bathroom (known as Goose Lodge), something she really does NOT want to do! When she gives an outline of each day of her camp experience, she always makes note of this: Really hope do not have to go to Goose Lodge alone tonight. Or Did not have to go to Goose Lodge in pitch dark last night.
5) This book deals with a dad who loses a job. And no, that's not really a spoiler since Pearl basically spoils us with this news in the opening lines of the second chapter. I love how the family works together to weather this not-so-good news. And I love how the girls want to help by finding their own jobs!
6) Which brings me to how Pearl finds a "job". I won't spoil it, but it does fit in very well with her personality and her talents and abilities. :)
FINAL THOUGHTS
What a fun sequel to Ann M. Martin's first book about these same characters. The family has been compared to the Quimby family (i.e. Ramona and Beezus), and I can see their point. Modern-day Quimby family living in NYC!
2) JBIII (pronounced JB-three) is back. He's James Brubaker the Third, but Pearl shortened his name. He's such a good friend. But their friendship is not without its ups and downs. I enjoyed seeing them weather the tough stuff.
3) I love the relationship between the sisters. Lexie still doesn't like underwear visits (if you remember that from the first book), yet the relationship has matured. I love how they go about job-seeking together. Or rather Pearl just tags along.
4) The scenes at camp are great! My favourite part is when Pearl is at the sleep-away part of camp and she explains how you have to go out into the dark, dark woods in order to use the bathroom (known as Goose Lodge), something she really does NOT want to do! When she gives an outline of each day of her camp experience, she always makes note of this: Really hope do not have to go to Goose Lodge alone tonight. Or Did not have to go to Goose Lodge in pitch dark last night.
5) This book deals with a dad who loses a job. And no, that's not really a spoiler since Pearl basically spoils us with this news in the opening lines of the second chapter. I love how the family works together to weather this not-so-good news. And I love how the girls want to help by finding their own jobs!
6) Which brings me to how Pearl finds a "job". I won't spoil it, but it does fit in very well with her personality and her talents and abilities. :)
FINAL THOUGHTS
What a fun sequel to Ann M. Martin's first book about these same characters. The family has been compared to the Quimby family (i.e. Ramona and Beezus), and I can see their point. Modern-day Quimby family living in NYC!
Read
January 15, 2016Review by Karen, intended for young readers:
There’s something sad about the summer ending, no matter how excited you might be about seeing your friends at school.
If you agree, then I suggest you pick up Ten Good and Bad Things About My Life (So Far) by Ann M. Martin. The book starts at the beginning of the school year, but it’s really all about the amazing summer that Pearl has with her family.
It’s not the summer they planned because Pearl’s father gets fired right before vacation starts. So instead of going on an epic Wild West trip, they do a staycation where they live (which is New York City). But Pearl and her older sister, Lexie, still also get to attend camp for part of the summer — which is great except for, well, let’s just say there are several incidents that occur (one involving broken bones).
Despite some disappointment, it’s a summer of adventure — even without taking a big trip — and I feel like I experienced it all with Pearl.
I recommend this book to fans of Sharon Creech and of course fans of Ann M. Martin!
This is actually the second book about Pearl and her family. The first one is called Ten Rules for Living with My Sister and it’s about what happens when Pearl and Lexie have to share a room when their grandfather comes to stay with the family. I haven’t read it yet, but now I want to! If you want to go in order, you can start with that one first — but if you’re looking for a summer story like I was, then go for Ten Good and Bad Things About My Life (So Far).
This review also appears on Kidsmomo.com.
There’s something sad about the summer ending, no matter how excited you might be about seeing your friends at school.
If you agree, then I suggest you pick up Ten Good and Bad Things About My Life (So Far) by Ann M. Martin. The book starts at the beginning of the school year, but it’s really all about the amazing summer that Pearl has with her family.
It’s not the summer they planned because Pearl’s father gets fired right before vacation starts. So instead of going on an epic Wild West trip, they do a staycation where they live (which is New York City). But Pearl and her older sister, Lexie, still also get to attend camp for part of the summer — which is great except for, well, let’s just say there are several incidents that occur (one involving broken bones).
Despite some disappointment, it’s a summer of adventure — even without taking a big trip — and I feel like I experienced it all with Pearl.
I recommend this book to fans of Sharon Creech and of course fans of Ann M. Martin!
This is actually the second book about Pearl and her family. The first one is called Ten Rules for Living with My Sister and it’s about what happens when Pearl and Lexie have to share a room when their grandfather comes to stay with the family. I haven’t read it yet, but now I want to! If you want to go in order, you can start with that one first — but if you’re looking for a summer story like I was, then go for Ten Good and Bad Things About My Life (So Far).
This review also appears on Kidsmomo.com.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews