Heart to Heart With Mallory

Mallory McDonald #6

by Laurie B. Friedman, Barbara Pollak (Illustrator)

Nine-year-old Mallory turns to her diary to sort through her emotions when she finds out she has a secret admirer and her two best friends' parents may be getting engaged.

Genres: Fiction, Friendship, Childrens, Realistic Fiction, Chapter Books, Middle Grade, Juvenile

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Laurie Friedman is the author and ghostwriter of over 300 award-winning picture books, easy readers, chapter books, and novels for young readers including the bestselling Mallory McDonald series, the Moose the Dog easy reader series, the Camp Creepy Lake and Wendy & Willow chapter books, and may picture books including Cows in the House and Love, Ruby Valentine.

Reviews

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mallory gets a journal from her grandma - even though she doesn't think she needs one. She tells all her secrets to best friend, Mary Ann. But her grandmother tells her "there might be some things she can't tell Mary Ann." What does Grandma know? Mallory soon finds out. The mother of her best friend, Mary Ann, has fallen in love with the father of her other best friend, Joey. Mallory immediately begins to feel like she's going to be forgotten. What should she do? Should she talk to Mary Ann? She tries, but the line is always busy. Should she try to dissuade the lovebirds? She writes poems to this end, but her Mom and Dad find them. Ooops! Finally, she just has to ride out the storm and hope for the best.

Through journal entries, Mallory pours out her heart. Students will relate to her turmoil. But what I like best about the book is the friends finally have a "heart to heart" and work everything out. They talk about their fears and their mixed feelings and are honest with one another. This is a good addition to the library for 3rd and 4th grade.

[Ashton Rios · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the cutest kid’s books I’ve read in a bit.

I think this is a fantastic book to give to a kid if they’re experiencing marriage or unification of different families in their social circles!

The biggest point to keep in mind is to look at this book from the point of view of a kid. As an adult reading this, I got annoyed with the main character - that was until I remembered the target audience for the book.

Highly recommend putting this in elementary classrooms and giving this to some older elementary kids!

[Sydney · Rating 5 out of 5]

when mallory doesn't want joey's dad and mary ann's mom to marry she trys to find a way to stop them from marrying.

[Libby · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book! Get ready with Mallory as she tries to stop something that she DEFINITELY shouldn’t stop!

[Kryssy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Page graphics: various hearts

I believe this was one of the first mallory books that i read. And i remember reading it within 24 hours. As a 4th or 5th grader, that’s pretty impressive

You would think that all of this would make mallory excited. Mary ann could move to be close to her again! But instead, she’s jealous that she and joey will spend all their time together. Does she not think that mary ann will eventually think of joey how mallory thinks of max? Love him but finds him annoying

I love how this became a bit of a scrapbook too. Maybe this is where i really wanted to do something like this. It isn’t just a diary with all words and doodles but it also isn’t one of those pinterest scrapbooks. It’s both!

I’ve been waiting for these parents to get together! Can’t wait to see all three of them hang out!

- Joey’s dad is throwing a valentines party
- Joey says he has been on the phone with mary ann’s mom a lot
- Joey’s family is going to visit mary ann’s family. They’re going to have fun and eat fancy dinner
- Everyone thinks frank (joeys dad) is going to pop the question. Mallory wants to stop it
- Joey calls to ask mallory to ask mary ann if she would like a skateboard as a present. Then winnie calls to ask if she’s asked. Then tells her they might get 2 gifts just in case. This does seem a little unfair and i can see why mallory is mad. She’s spending her time hearing about a gift for her friend for what seems like no reason. So why doesn’t she get one for being in the middle?
- mallory has a secret admirer
- Joey is excited for mary ann to get there because they will write a song for their parents
- Joey’s entire family was the secret admirer
- Joey and mary ann were also worried about becoming a family

[Megan Gilchrist · Rating 5 out of 5]

The nine-year-old I work with was absolutely OBSESSED with the drama in this book! It’s one of the few books she’s been fully invested in and has shown zero resistance to reading. She loved trying to guess who Mallory’s secret admirer was and whether or not Frank and Colleen would get married. It was a lot of fun reading this book with my babysittee and I feel it provides several opportunities to discuss empathy and blended families.

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

With Valentine's Day right around the corner Mallory is surrounded with candy valentines and cards. Just when she thought it could get any worse, Mallory finds out that her neighbors dad is dating her best friends mom.

[AdiG · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book because it taught not to be jealous of what somebody else has.It is Valentines Day.Mary Ann`s mom and Joey`s dad are getting married.

[Amira · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it real really really really good book!
its amazing!
really cool!
really nice!

[Jordyn]

all

[Nouara Y. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Heart to Heart With Mallory by Laurie Friedman, is mostly about a main character named Mallory in the second grade. Mallory has a best friend named Mary Ann, witch she thinks she can share all of her secrets to. Mallory gets a phone call from her grandma saying she has something on the way for Mallory. When the little package came, Mallory opened it and saw what was inside. It was a diary! Right after she opened it, she called her grandma and explained, " Why a diary when I have Mary Ann? She is the one I trust and I can tell ALL of my secrets to!" Her grandma replied, " Well, it's not all of the time that you can tell your secrets to Mary Ann." " But I always do grandma." "Just wait and see." And that is exactly what Mallory did, until one day she found out a couple of secrets that she can't tell to Mary Ann, so she took out her diary and started writing. From this point on, I did not like this book because ever single page was a diary entry! That is the reason I gave this book a one star rating. And after a while reading, dear diary..... Bla bla bla...... Love Mallory, gets old and boring!!!!!!!! I love this series of books, but just not this particular one. Just like Mallory says,


love,
Nouara Y.

[eRin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was alright. A diary by a girl named Mallory given to her by her grandmother. Mallory doesn't think that she needs a diary because she tells everything to her best friend, but she decides to give it a shot anyway. Turns out that there are things that she can only tell her diary. Secrets. Her biggest problem is that her two best friends' parents are dating and Mallory is terrified that they will marry and everything will change for her. So she plots in her diary to make sure that it does not happen.

The drawings were pretty cute, but I really don't have too much else good to say about it. Mallory is completely self-centered. Completely. Yes, most children are. But this is beyond normal and obnoxious. I didn't really like it much.

[Watermelon Daisy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Heart to Heart is yet another good middle-school book, but I rated it low due to my own personal rating.

But I did love Mallory and how cute and girly her personality was. And the family problems that erupt around her are genuine without a touch of random vampires and werewolves jumping in. Also, I think the author did a fantastic book on making this readable for an young audience by using words that weren’t difficult.

Mallory’s thoughts are understandable and fresh. But I found myself bored among the book because the plot-twists were predictable for me –however, I have full reason to believe the plot-twists would’ve been hooking if I was 8-9 years old.

Overall, a wonderful book for girls in a particular age-group.

[Liezl Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book with my 5 year old and 7 yr old daughters for a few nights before bedtime. My 7 yr old really enjoyed the book and each night, she wanted to hear what happened next. For my 5 yr old, it was a little above her head.

The entire book is written through "Dear Diary" entries and comes from the perspective of a girl named Mallory and details her reaction to a few changes in the lives of her best friends.

[Kathrine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was good but not the
best!!!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very romantic and also is in a diary form!

[Makenna]

pretty good.

[Mesha · Rating 5 out of 5]

"WELL, IT DID NOT REALLY TEACH ME NOTING BUT WHAT I DO KNOW IS IF U HAVE SOME THING TO SAY ABOUT SOME ONE WRIT IT DO AND DONT TELL IT TO THEM BECAUSE U MIGHT HART THEM".

[Niasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

i read this in two days this is a really awesome book

[Niasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a really great book

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its a kinda funny book its not all about love but some what about love.
Its her diary so she wrote what happend.

[Joanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

tooooooooooo boring, tooooooooooooo easy

[Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mallory is very cute, right up there with Lucy Rose & Clementine.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

No review.

[Bethany Glick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good I even did a book report on it.

[Jiaxin · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5.0

[Maha]

I LOVE Mallory she has the best stories I wanna read this.

[Nashly Breton · Rating 5 out of 5]

It real,la Boeing but its so fun i like how mallory acts Mary Ann vives a bit good of advive

[Yousef Balat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daughter is absolutely in love with this s series. Great bed time reading for us as a family.

[Kaytee · Rating 2 out of 5]

the book was ok and i thought it was going to be good like the other onesbut i guess it was a little bit good and i think she shouls not like a 8th grader i just think that is weird.