Curse of the Double Digits

by Lynn Kelley

"Woo hoo! It's my birthday."

Becky is sure turning ten on the 10th day of the tenth month will be magical.

The whole class is invited to her party, including Chad, the cutest boy in the fifth grade. So is Darlenie-the-Meanie.

Becky wants to look cute for her party, but all her plans go wrong. Really wrong. The magic of turning ten disappears before she even has a chance to blow out her birthday candles. Things get so bad, she refuses to go to her own party.

Becky wonders if the Curse of the Double Digits will jinx her forever.

Paperback

First published September 27, 2012

About the author

Lynn Kelley worked as a court reporter for 25 years while she and her husband, George, raised their four little rascals. She was born in Pittsburgh, PA and moved to Whittier, CA at age 8. She now lives in Southern California. Most of her time involves books - either writing books, reading books, or making altered art books. Her chapter book, Curse of the Double Digits debuted in October 2012.

Under the pseudonym BBH McChiller she's co-author of Monster Moon, a fun, spooky mystery series for ages 8 - 12 (Stargazer Publishing). Curse at Zala Manor is the first book in the series, and Secret of Haunted Bog is the second title. Her story, "The Jobo Tree" won Highlights for Children's Author of the Month Award. She also authored a picture book, Merry as a Cricket (WhipperSnapper Books), and a short eBook, Trio of Haunting Tales (ages 8 - 12).

Lynn is currently working on the next Monster Moon book and a young adult novel. She tries her best to keep her overactive imagination in check. For more info, go to lynnkelleyauthor.com.

Reviews

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book to see if I thought my niece would enjoy it. I'm sure she will! The book is cleverly written, funny and has a great lesson for all. Ms. Kelley has a fresh voice and I'll be checking out some of her other books for my niece as well.

[C. McKenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

We all know the feeling of wanting to look our best when there's a special event about to happen. Well, ten-year-old Becky is no different. The problem is that just before her very special birthday party everything that can happen to make her look less than her best, does--from her eyebrows, to her party dress, to her hair. Then, of course, there's that snippy girl who always looks perfect and loves to flaunt it in front of Becky. Her birthday party is about to be Becky's worst nightmare. Still there's justice in Becky's world, and the reader will feel very satisfied to see how things turn out for this very sweet girl.

The Curse of the Double Digits is a fun read for the young and the young at heart.

[Mike Kalmbach · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful fast read for any kid approaching the dreaded double digits. After turning ten years old, Becky experiences her worst couple of days ever. With the help of her best friend, supportive parents, and an unexpected, thoughtful gift from a cute guy, Becky learns that double digits aren't so bad. A great story to help teach kids about how things could always get worse, but usually everything turns out for the best.

Bottom line: Fun, enjoyable read! I'll definitely be reading more by Ms. Kelley.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Turning 10 should be a fabulous experience, right? But for Becky, it feels more like the curse of the double digits. Everything is going wrong. How can her birthday and her party be a success?

Cute and enjoyable middle-grade book. Kids will relate to the mixed feelings of insecurity and excitement with another birthday in sight. Lynn Kelley has delivered a lighthearted read that I would recommend, especially for young girls. Thumbs up from me.

[Bish Denham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a delightful and humorous story. Becky is turning ten and wants everything to be perfect, but anything that can go wrong, does go wrong. How can she possibly hope to have a good time or impress a boy she likes when she looks like the Bride of Frankenstein?

[August McLaughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful and laugh-out-loud funny! A wonderful gift for girls.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter LOVED this book!! Very clever writing and fun to follow. We can't wait to dig into the others by Lynn Kelley

[Jennette Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOL funny for kids of all ages! It's been years since I've read a kids' book, since my daughter is college-bound, but I won this book in a contest, and wanted to read it before gifting it to a friend. Wow am I glad I did! I literally laughed out loud starting with Chapter One as newly-turned-ten Becky suffers one mishap after another while getting ready for what she wanted to be the Best Birthday Party Ever. This book was cute and poignant at the same time, and totally relateable for anyone who can remember being ten. The laughs continued throughout, and I'm still smiling. Curse of the Double Digits is a fun and hilarious read for kids age seven to seventy (and up), and reminds us that there's a little kid in all of us, no matter how old the calendar says we are.