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The Amazing Days of Abby Hayes #8
The More, The Merrier
Abby Hayes is an ordinary fifth grader trying to invent a role for herself in a seemingly perfect world. This series combines the edge of BRIDGET JONES with a send-up of self-help books.
When Ms. Bunder asks the fifth grade to write about their bedrooms, Abby realizes something awful: her room is boring. She decides to paint her desk purple, her favorite color, but before she knows it Abby's whole room is purple! Luckily, her end-of-the-school-year party will be just the place to show it off to her classmates.
When Ms. Bunder asks the fifth grade to write about their bedrooms, Abby realizes something awful: her room is boring. She decides to paint her desk purple, her favorite color, but before she knows it Abby's whole room is purple! Luckily, her end-of-the-school-year party will be just the place to show it off to her classmates.
128 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2002
6 people are currently reading
347 people want to read
About the author
Anne Mazer
73 books102 followersQuite a lot of Anne Mazer’s writing education took place while she was unconscious. Her parents wanted desperately to become writers and made themselves get up at 4:00 a.m. Every morning in order to have writing time before their three young children awoke. The first thing Anne heard every day was two big, noisy electric typewriters. The furious sound of typing was her childhood wake-up music. During the day, her parents endlessly discussed ideas, plot, and character, and before she was seven years old, Anne knew about revisions, first and second drafts, and rejection slips. It was like growing up in a twenty four hour, seven day a week writer’s boot camp.
In order to escape from her parents’ obsession with writing, Anne turned to books. She was an avid reader from an early age and credits her love of reading for her writing career. Her favorite works were fantasy, fairy tales, historical fiction, humor, realistic fiction, and adventure. Her other interests were language, art, history, and science. At the age of twelve, she wanted to be an actress, a ballerina and a nuclear physicist. These careers were rapidly eliminated as she realized that a) she couldn’t dance, b) she couldn’t act; and c) she hated math.
Although at the time Anne thought writing was nothing but a nuisance, she now considers herself very lucky to have grown up with two aspiring writers. She learned a lot about discipline, perseverance and dedication to a craft from witnessing her parents’ struggle. They eventually became successful and award-winning young adult novelists.
It took Anne a long time to figure out that she, too, wanted to be a writer. During early adulthood, she worked as an au pair, a bank teller, a pill bottle labeler, a receptionist, an English tutor, and an administrative assistant, as well as other jobs that she was ill-suited for. She attended three universities, spent several years in Paris, traveled throughout Europe, and worked in Boston and New York City.
Anne’s “eureka” moment about writing came while she prepared a research report for one of her bosses. As she lovingly polished each sentence, and meticulously organized the paragraphs, she realized that no one really cared how beautifully she wrote about the latest models of air-conditioners. Except her, of course.
Using her parents’ model of daily writing and discipline, she began to write. It took her seven years to publish her first book, a picture book inspired by her then two year old son, Max.
Anne is the mother of an adult son and daughter. Over the last twenty years, she has written over forty-five books for young readers. She has enough ideas to last for another quarter century and hopes that she will be writing for a very long time.
Fun Facts About Anne Mazer
Her favorite foods are popcorn, rice pudding and blueberries.
When she was a kid, she would sometimes read up to ten books a day.
If she had magic powers, she'd choose invisibility.
She painted the rooms in her house yellow, orange, and violet.
One of her favorite childhood books was The Twilight of Magic, by Hugh Lofting.
When Anne was a teenager, her room was so messy that she needed a map to get from the door to the bed. (sort of)
In school Anne often flunked her favorite creative subjects, like writing and art.
In order to escape from her parents’ obsession with writing, Anne turned to books. She was an avid reader from an early age and credits her love of reading for her writing career. Her favorite works were fantasy, fairy tales, historical fiction, humor, realistic fiction, and adventure. Her other interests were language, art, history, and science. At the age of twelve, she wanted to be an actress, a ballerina and a nuclear physicist. These careers were rapidly eliminated as she realized that a) she couldn’t dance, b) she couldn’t act; and c) she hated math.
Although at the time Anne thought writing was nothing but a nuisance, she now considers herself very lucky to have grown up with two aspiring writers. She learned a lot about discipline, perseverance and dedication to a craft from witnessing her parents’ struggle. They eventually became successful and award-winning young adult novelists.
It took Anne a long time to figure out that she, too, wanted to be a writer. During early adulthood, she worked as an au pair, a bank teller, a pill bottle labeler, a receptionist, an English tutor, and an administrative assistant, as well as other jobs that she was ill-suited for. She attended three universities, spent several years in Paris, traveled throughout Europe, and worked in Boston and New York City.
Anne’s “eureka” moment about writing came while she prepared a research report for one of her bosses. As she lovingly polished each sentence, and meticulously organized the paragraphs, she realized that no one really cared how beautifully she wrote about the latest models of air-conditioners. Except her, of course.
Using her parents’ model of daily writing and discipline, she began to write. It took her seven years to publish her first book, a picture book inspired by her then two year old son, Max.
Anne is the mother of an adult son and daughter. Over the last twenty years, she has written over forty-five books for young readers. She has enough ideas to last for another quarter century and hopes that she will be writing for a very long time.
Fun Facts About Anne Mazer
Her favorite foods are popcorn, rice pudding and blueberries.
When she was a kid, she would sometimes read up to ten books a day.
If she had magic powers, she'd choose invisibility.
She painted the rooms in her house yellow, orange, and violet.
One of her favorite childhood books was The Twilight of Magic, by Hugh Lofting.
When Anne was a teenager, her room was so messy that she needed a map to get from the door to the bed. (sort of)
In school Anne often flunked her favorite creative subjects, like writing and art.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
December 8, 2014
This book is the reason my favourite colour has been purple for the last 10-odd years.
December 19, 2018
Abby Hayes is planning a whole entire fifth grade party. She is begging her parents to do it, then because of creative writing class, she gets an idea!
I love when Abby gets her idea! I think you should find out what her idea was. You should read the book to find out. If you do not, you are missing out on a great book.
Uh oh - at the party, everyone is throwing water balloons! Ahhh! And her sisters make cakes and Isabelle has vinegar in her cake - YUCK!!! Will this party go good or bad? Read this book to find out!
Do you want to know what her idea? Read this paragraph to find out.
Look down below to see the answer.
Abby Hayes paints everything in her room Purple!
I love when Abby gets her idea! I think you should find out what her idea was. You should read the book to find out. If you do not, you are missing out on a great book.
Uh oh - at the party, everyone is throwing water balloons! Ahhh! And her sisters make cakes and Isabelle has vinegar in her cake - YUCK!!! Will this party go good or bad? Read this book to find out!
Do you want to know what her idea? Read this paragraph to find out.
Look down below to see the answer.
Abby Hayes paints everything in her room Purple!
January 3, 2013
Another great Abby Hayes book. In this installation, Abby is throwing an end of the year party and thinks her classmates will find her room boring. A writing assignment given by Ms. Bunder (an essay on her room) makes her even more sure that she needs to makeover her room, especially after her classmates give vivid descriptions of their rooms, all of which seem to express her classmates' personality. So, she decides to paint the whole thing her favorite color: purple! But will her parents agree? Will it look good? And will her classmates like it? Join your favorite headstrong heroine as she tries to personalize her room.
October 7, 2011
Abby Hayes is planning to have a party and her parents said yes but most people in her class thought her bedroom was boring so she decided to paint it purple and add purple things to it.the party was a disaster so she decided to show everybody her room.I learned not to invite to many people.the best part was when she decided to show everybody her room the wost part was when the party was a disaster.Auryn 7yo
October 6, 2011
I read this a really long time ago...I guess I was 12 or 13 back then. But I remember that I really, really loved it. It was sort of along the line of Junie B. Jones books, but much sweeter, cuter, and innocent--more my taste,I guess. Millions of years later I am thinking about reading the whole series just for the joy of reading kids books.
Read
November 20, 2011I liked in this story that everybody thought that her room was very boring pinkish so then when she showed them her room in her party they all got amazed and started asking her if she can paint their room.
I didn't like in the story when the party was a big disaster and boring and she was very sad because the guests were bored and wanted to go home
I didn't like in the story when the party was a big disaster and boring and she was very sad because the guests were bored and wanted to go home
December 14, 2017
Series.
Abby is a cute fifth grader looking for fun in life. She loves writing, so she carries a journal with her everywhere she goes. It is fun to see all that she does and thinks about the things that happen in her daily life.
Abby is a cute fifth grader looking for fun in life. She loves writing, so she carries a journal with her everywhere she goes. It is fun to see all that she does and thinks about the things that happen in her daily life.
Read
April 2, 2009Theres always a freedom to do things. Like how Abby got a freedom to re-do her room.
November 17, 2009
Abby is a very curious girl
March 7, 2010
OMG!!
Abby lives in a HUGE GRAPE!
LOL!
Abby lives in a HUGE GRAPE!
LOL!
November 5, 2012
Awesome!I read i with my grade 4 teacher
September 11, 2013
This was a very good, entertaining little read for a lazy afternoon. Mystery is now reading the next book she has in this series.
January 17, 2026
4.0 - not half as satisfying as my Anastasia reread. I guess you truly do outgrow some books.
January 29, 2026
abby decided to throw a happy summer party for all of the 5th graders at her school their were ups and downs but she also completely redid her room to reflect her personality. abby learned how to throw a party and that she should definitely accept help with it.
September 19, 2014
one of my faves as a kid :3
October 29, 2019
Wasn’t one of her best but was ok
June 10, 2023
A cute story
July 8, 2010
AWESOME!
August 13, 2017
abby hayes is actually a great series, considering that its for kids. i think this might be my third favourite book in the series. helped me a bit since i am renovating my bedroom and kitchen. i found it really strange that Brianna actually liked the bedroom and how shocked Abby was to find out what "c'est belle, n'est pas?" meant. i mean, i guess people don't really speak much French wherever she lives. and her party seemed really fun! my kids would love it. yes, im guilty of sneeking into my daughters bookshelf for these books 😂
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews