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Sisters in Time #22
Mandy the Outsider: Prelude to the Second World War (1939)
Time Period: 1939 Ten-year old Mandy McMichael doesn't fit in at her new school in Seattle. She's very smart, but the "in crowd" teases her so much she decides to play dumb to quiet their taunts. Then there's her friendship with a Japanese family-and in 1939, with the world on the brink of war, hers is not a popular position. Using actual historical events to tell a compelling fictional story, Mandy the Outsider is a poignant tale of a girl balancing her desire for acceptance with her need to do right, and to be who God wants her to be.
144 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2004
2 people are currently reading
113 people want to read
About the author
Norma Jean Lutz
121 books22 followersNorma Jean Lutz’s writing career began when she enrolled in a writing correspondence course. Since then, she has had over 250 short stories and articles published in both secular and Christian publications. The full-time writer is also the author of over 50 published books under her own name and many ghostwritten books. Her books have been favorably reviewed in Affair de Coeur, Coffee Time Romance, Romance Reader at Heart, and The Romance Studio magazines, and her short fiction has garnered a number of first prizes in local writing contests.
Norma Jean is the founder of the Professionalism In Writing School, which was held annually in Tulsa for fourteen years. This writers' conference, which closed its doors in 1996, gave many writers their start in the publishing world.
A gifted teacher, Norma Jean has taught a variety of writing courses at local colleges and community schools, and is a frequent speaker at writers' seminars around the country. For eight years, she taught on staff for the Institute of Children's Literature. She has served as artist-in-residence at grade schools, and for two years taught a staff development workshop for language arts teachers in schools in Northeastern Oklahoma.
As co-host for the Tulsa KNYD Road Show, she shared the microphone with Kim Spence to present the Road Show Book Club, a feature presented by the station for more than a year. She has also appeared in numerous interviews on KDOR-TV.
Norma Jean has brought out past out-of-print novels to create a new series. These teen novels (which she likes to call "Clean Teen Reads") were published in the 1980s and 90s, yet the story lines are timeless. Sporting new titles and new book covers, these books will become part of the "Norma Jean Lutz Classic Collection" series.
Her newest teen offering is Brought to You By the Color Drab. A story of a young man living in the ghetto who seemingly was born in the wrong place in the wrong time. This is a story of redemption!
Norma Jean is the founder of the Professionalism In Writing School, which was held annually in Tulsa for fourteen years. This writers' conference, which closed its doors in 1996, gave many writers their start in the publishing world.
A gifted teacher, Norma Jean has taught a variety of writing courses at local colleges and community schools, and is a frequent speaker at writers' seminars around the country. For eight years, she taught on staff for the Institute of Children's Literature. She has served as artist-in-residence at grade schools, and for two years taught a staff development workshop for language arts teachers in schools in Northeastern Oklahoma.
As co-host for the Tulsa KNYD Road Show, she shared the microphone with Kim Spence to present the Road Show Book Club, a feature presented by the station for more than a year. She has also appeared in numerous interviews on KDOR-TV.
Norma Jean has brought out past out-of-print novels to create a new series. These teen novels (which she likes to call "Clean Teen Reads") were published in the 1980s and 90s, yet the story lines are timeless. Sporting new titles and new book covers, these books will become part of the "Norma Jean Lutz Classic Collection" series.
Her newest teen offering is Brought to You By the Color Drab. A story of a young man living in the ghetto who seemingly was born in the wrong place in the wrong time. This is a story of redemption!
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 9, 2019
Pre Teens- Three Stars
New Teens- Three Stars
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Three Stars
While this is set just before the attack on Pearl Harbor (and therefore meaning Japanese-Americans were treated even worse by their fellow Americans), there is still quite a bit of prejudice and war comments in this book. Mandy was a decent character, but I think I would have preferred to see the point of view of all this from a Japanese-American girl as this series lacks Asian diversity. Mandy didn’t ever really stand up against the bullies, but by the end of the story, she did learn to not care what they said about her.
{{Official Content Review to Come.}}
New Teens- Three Stars
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Three Stars
While this is set just before the attack on Pearl Harbor (and therefore meaning Japanese-Americans were treated even worse by their fellow Americans), there is still quite a bit of prejudice and war comments in this book. Mandy was a decent character, but I think I would have preferred to see the point of view of all this from a Japanese-American girl as this series lacks Asian diversity. Mandy didn’t ever really stand up against the bullies, but by the end of the story, she did learn to not care what they said about her.
{{Official Content Review to Come.}}
November 13, 2021
'Mandy the Outsider' by Norma Jean Lutz is another great book in the Sisters In Time series. Each book in the series is Historical and Christian fiction all in one.
In this book 10-year-old Mandy starts at a new school. At first she really dislikes it because she's teased by a mean group of girls called 'The Golden Ring', but after having the courage to enter in a school quiz contest she ends up making friends with Helga; a girl who's also bulled by 'The Golden Ring'. This helps Mandy learn that its 'who you are as a person, not what you do' that is truly important in life.
A great book and I would highly recommend it.
In this book 10-year-old Mandy starts at a new school. At first she really dislikes it because she's teased by a mean group of girls called 'The Golden Ring', but after having the courage to enter in a school quiz contest she ends up making friends with Helga; a girl who's also bulled by 'The Golden Ring'. This helps Mandy learn that its 'who you are as a person, not what you do' that is truly important in life.
A great book and I would highly recommend it.
January 19, 2013
Oh, this probably has to be my favorite book of the "Sisters in Time" series! It was an EXCELLENT story, in every way.
Mandy, at ten years old, has a lot to face. The girls at school tease her because she is smart, and enjoys reading so much. She knows her older brother faces similar problems and she wants to help him too. The worst thing in her life has to be the beginning of the war. It's everywhere---on the radio, in people's constant chatter, and even at the movies. Everything is a reminder of the war. She can't even be sighted with her Japanese friends---the taunts will never end.
In the end, she'll learn an important life lesson.
I just loved this book. I could hardly tear myself away!
Mandy, at ten years old, has a lot to face. The girls at school tease her because she is smart, and enjoys reading so much. She knows her older brother faces similar problems and she wants to help him too. The worst thing in her life has to be the beginning of the war. It's everywhere---on the radio, in people's constant chatter, and even at the movies. Everything is a reminder of the war. She can't even be sighted with her Japanese friends---the taunts will never end.
In the end, she'll learn an important life lesson.
I just loved this book. I could hardly tear myself away!
June 8, 2018
This is one of my favorite books. I would read it over and over as a child, and oddly, it's the one book of this series that I always wound up losing. I related to Mandy on a personal level, because I often felt that I was an outsider and did not feel accepted by those around me. It was a book that managed to make me feel understood.
August 12, 2014
When I was ten and eleven, I was desperate for age-appropriate but sufficiently interesting books to read, and discovered this "Sisters in Time" series. Although some of the books bored me, it was worth it to read the whole series for the ones like these. Even though I read this years ago, I can still remember minute plot details, and learned a lot from the historical backdrop.
I found the main character Mandy sympathetic and relatable, and genuinely cared about what happened to her and her family. I found the World War Two details absorbing, and just like the Molly American Girl books fascinated me when I was younger, this continued whetting my appetite for WWII information and fiction.
Although I am sure that I would not appreciate the book as much at an older age, I greatly enjoyed it as a younger girl, and would recommend this title as quality historical fiction for children.
I found the main character Mandy sympathetic and relatable, and genuinely cared about what happened to her and her family. I found the World War Two details absorbing, and just like the Molly American Girl books fascinated me when I was younger, this continued whetting my appetite for WWII information and fiction.
Although I am sure that I would not appreciate the book as much at an older age, I greatly enjoyed it as a younger girl, and would recommend this title as quality historical fiction for children.
December 7, 2015
The author does a fabulous job of showing how bullying affects the character's schoolwork and family life. I required my own 10-year old daughter to read this book, specifically because I can picture her succumbing to the temptation of "dumbing down" in order to be accepted by her peers. The resolution is thorough and tasteful. You will not be disappointed.
August 1, 2008
This book was really good everyone should read it!!!
September 28, 2008
Great book!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews