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That Girl Lucy Moon
Lucy Moon is the kind of girl who champions animal rights--during hunting season. She wears a woven hemp hat in support of third-world workers. She is the kind of girl who spots injustice and isn't afraid to fight it.
But now that she’s in junior high, things have changed. The qualities that used to make Lucy distinctive now just mark her as uncool. It seems like everyone has been brainwashed–except for Lucy, who has activism in her DNA.
But when her latest cause lands her with a harsh detention sentence, a “bad influence” reputation, and a vandalized locker, Lucy begins to lose her verve. Can she stand up for her beliefs and survive junior high?
But now that she’s in junior high, things have changed. The qualities that used to make Lucy distinctive now just mark her as uncool. It seems like everyone has been brainwashed–except for Lucy, who has activism in her DNA.
But when her latest cause lands her with a harsh detention sentence, a “bad influence” reputation, and a vandalized locker, Lucy begins to lose her verve. Can she stand up for her beliefs and survive junior high?
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
8 people are currently reading
177 people want to read
About the author
Amy Timberlake
9 books195 followersAmy Timberlake's work has received a Newbery Honor, an Edgar, and a Golden Kite Award. One book was chosen to be a Book Sense Pick, another was reviewed in The New York Times Book Review. Her books have made several "best books of the year" lists, and she loves it whenever her books are chosen to be part of a state reading list. (Thank you!) Chicago's Lifeline Theatre has adapted both One Came Home and The Dirty Cowboy for the stage. She's received residency fellowships from Hedgebrook, and the Anderson Center.
Her most recent book, One Came Home, has been called "a True Grit for the middle school set" by Bookpage, "a valentine to sisterhood and a bird that no longer exists" by The Washington Post, and "a rare gem of a novel" by The Christian Science Monitor.
Her most recent book, One Came Home, has been called "a True Grit for the middle school set" by Bookpage, "a valentine to sisterhood and a bird that no longer exists" by The Washington Post, and "a rare gem of a novel" by The Christian Science Monitor.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
May 12, 2008
Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com
During the entire time I spent reading THAT GIRL LUCY MOON, I kept having the feeling that Lucy, the main character, was a girl who reminded me of someone else. Some other young girl that I'd read about in another book; someone similar, and yet different. Finally, it came to me. Lucy Moon reminds me of that wonderful free spirit, Stargirl Caraway, from Jerry Spinelli's award-winning young adult novel, STARGIRL. Believe me, this isn't a bad thing. If you've read STARGIRL, you'll know what I mean. If you haven't, that's okay, because you're about to get a big does of free spirit-ism, activism, elitism, and a whole bunch of other -ism's when you dive into your copy of THAT GIRL LUCY MOON.
Having just started middle school, Lucy quickly realizes that she's stepped foot on another planet--and that all of her schoolmates have suddenly turned into hormone-driven, soul-spitting aliens. Up until now, Lucy has always been a girl who has known her place in the world, has known her purpose and the things that drive her. She's always known that her parents love her (her mother, the equally free spirited artist, and her father, who can sometimes be distant), that it's her destiny to fight for those who can't fight for themselves, and that her best friend, Zoe, will always be by her side.
Lucy's defense of her green and yellow hemp hat is soon forgotten, though, when two kids from her school are arrested for sledding on Wiggins Hill. When the owner of said hill, Miss Ilene Viola Wiggins, goes so far as to put a fence up around the best sledding place in town, some type of action needs to be taken. So begins Lucy's new pursuit--getting her fellow classmates, and the entire town, to see that what Miss Wiggins is doing is wrong. But this activism doesn't immediately win her any friends; she is, in fact, ostracized by her school friends, threatened by the principal, and, in general, tormented because of her beliefs.
When you add in that Lucy's mother has somehow turned a picture-taking trip into a vacation from parenting, and that her dad doesn't seem to know what to do about it, what you end up with is an adolescent girl who has a lot on her shoulders. The joy of THAT GIRL LUCY MOON isn't just that it's a delightful coming of age story, or even that the "fight" against Miss Wiggins is a lesson in activism. The true gem, the delight that makes THAT GIRL LUCY MOON such a wonderful novel, is the very real feelings of hope and discouragement that mingle inside of the free spirit that is Lucy. Although similar to the aforementioned Stargirl, Lucy is a girl unlike any other you'll ever read about. For that alone you need to pick up a copy of THAT GIRL LUCY MOON, and find out for yourself just what type of heroine Lucy is. You might even realize that, inside of all of us, is that same hope mixed with discouragement that makes us human.
During the entire time I spent reading THAT GIRL LUCY MOON, I kept having the feeling that Lucy, the main character, was a girl who reminded me of someone else. Some other young girl that I'd read about in another book; someone similar, and yet different. Finally, it came to me. Lucy Moon reminds me of that wonderful free spirit, Stargirl Caraway, from Jerry Spinelli's award-winning young adult novel, STARGIRL. Believe me, this isn't a bad thing. If you've read STARGIRL, you'll know what I mean. If you haven't, that's okay, because you're about to get a big does of free spirit-ism, activism, elitism, and a whole bunch of other -ism's when you dive into your copy of THAT GIRL LUCY MOON.
Having just started middle school, Lucy quickly realizes that she's stepped foot on another planet--and that all of her schoolmates have suddenly turned into hormone-driven, soul-spitting aliens. Up until now, Lucy has always been a girl who has known her place in the world, has known her purpose and the things that drive her. She's always known that her parents love her (her mother, the equally free spirited artist, and her father, who can sometimes be distant), that it's her destiny to fight for those who can't fight for themselves, and that her best friend, Zoe, will always be by her side.
Lucy's defense of her green and yellow hemp hat is soon forgotten, though, when two kids from her school are arrested for sledding on Wiggins Hill. When the owner of said hill, Miss Ilene Viola Wiggins, goes so far as to put a fence up around the best sledding place in town, some type of action needs to be taken. So begins Lucy's new pursuit--getting her fellow classmates, and the entire town, to see that what Miss Wiggins is doing is wrong. But this activism doesn't immediately win her any friends; she is, in fact, ostracized by her school friends, threatened by the principal, and, in general, tormented because of her beliefs.
When you add in that Lucy's mother has somehow turned a picture-taking trip into a vacation from parenting, and that her dad doesn't seem to know what to do about it, what you end up with is an adolescent girl who has a lot on her shoulders. The joy of THAT GIRL LUCY MOON isn't just that it's a delightful coming of age story, or even that the "fight" against Miss Wiggins is a lesson in activism. The true gem, the delight that makes THAT GIRL LUCY MOON such a wonderful novel, is the very real feelings of hope and discouragement that mingle inside of the free spirit that is Lucy. Although similar to the aforementioned Stargirl, Lucy is a girl unlike any other you'll ever read about. For that alone you need to pick up a copy of THAT GIRL LUCY MOON, and find out for yourself just what type of heroine Lucy is. You might even realize that, inside of all of us, is that same hope mixed with discouragement that makes us human.
March 12, 2009
This book was brilliant, and I found myself laughing and crying. Lucy was a fun, determined girl. I found myself relating to almost every single thing she and her friends did. Even, sadly, the long pity party she throws for herself. It was ... well, very emotional. However, there were a few things that bugged me (not enough to make it four stars).
A) Lucy was more than a little blind to other's feelings, although it's something we all go through when we come of age.
B) The ending was definitely rushed. You know, like one of those ten-page-endings to a huge buildup of emotions and problems. However, it was fairly creative (and I loved how Lucy's classmates treatments of her change). I especially enjoyed how she and Mrs. Wiggins respect her at the end.
A) Lucy was more than a little blind to other's feelings, although it's something we all go through when we come of age.
B) The ending was definitely rushed. You know, like one of those ten-page-endings to a huge buildup of emotions and problems. However, it was fairly creative (and I loved how Lucy's classmates treatments of her change). I especially enjoyed how she and Mrs. Wiggins respect her at the end.
February 26, 2019
22 August 2006 THAT GIRL LUCY MOON by Amy Timberlake, Hyperion, September 2006, ISBN: 0-7868-5298-4.
"And Lucy attended detention -- an after-school club for the activist!"
"We can change the world, rearrange the world,
It's dying to get better."
--Graham Nash, "Chicago"
The fact is, I can totally enjoy the humor when a children's book author uses the concept of tofu for Thanksgiving as the butt of a joke. Amy Timberlake's THAT GIRL LUCY MOON now joins Denys Cazet's hysterically funny MINNIE AND MOO AND THE THANKSGIVING TREE in that regard. But you have to also figure that if I'm going to speak up about this awesome tale of a sixth-grade activist named Lucy Moon then, as a fellow activist as well as a vegetarian for 28 years, one who has been grateful to consume tofu for many a Thanksgiving, I'm going to take advantage of this opportunity to begin educating y'all about the wonders of having a tofu feast with all the trimmings. And so I'll share with you the Richie method of preparing tofu that everyone around here (hard-core carnivores included) always comes grabbing seconds and thirds of:
Ingredients:
1 lb. packages of tofu (The ultimate in my part of the world is White Wave Tidal Wave Organic Extra Firm)
Red Star Large Flake Nutritional Yeast
Extra virgin Olive Oil
San-J Organic Wheat-Free Tamari
Directions: Drain tofu and slice each one pound package into eight slices. Heat skillet on medium high and pour in sufficient olive oil to cover the bottom of the skillet. When the oil is hot, arrange the tofu slices in the skillet and fry until they are completely golden on the first side. Just before flipping over the tofu, spoon a generous covering of the nutritional yeast over the uncooked side of each slice. Flip over the tofu and add a bit more olive oil so that the yeast doesn't scorch. When the tofu slices are golden on both sides, lightly splash tamari over them, wait 30 seconds, flip them over one more time, and then remove them from the skillet.
(If you're figuring on having mashed potatoes with the tofu, then a gravy can be made with the tofu "drippings" by using some of the potato water, some thinned-down red miso, along with a bit of corn starch and water if you want to thicken the consistency a bit.)
That this year's holiday will turn out to not be a stellar Thanksgiving for Lucy Moon will have relatively little to do with her misguided attempt to prepare a tofu main course without the benefit of Richie's recipe for killer yeast tofu. At such a pivotal juncture in her life -- the beginnings of junior high -- Lucy is facing the mysteries and new dynamics of school, along with the sudden development of her best friend Zoe, all without the benefit of Lucy's mother. Mom, an artsy and idiosyncratic photographer who clearly must have been there to support Lucy's well-documented activist past in elementary school, has set out on a trip around the country to take pictures of clouds over a variety of landscapes. But instead of returning when she is supposed to, as has always been the case with previous years' photo excursions, Lucy's Mom will opt to both indefinitely extend her adventures and to distance herself emotionally as well as geographically from her only child and from Lucy's dad, the town postmaster.
"And the strangeness of junior high didn't stop there. No, as the weeks went on, the sixth graders had developed other signs of junior-high sickness. When teachers turned their back, notes about who liked who traveled palm to palm, and books with dog-eared pages describing people 'doing it' were read under lips of desks. In elementary school -- only five months ago -- everyone had acted normal. Now, after a summer and a couple of months in junior high, they were cliched characters from a drippy teen movie!"
It will be an interesting debate among those middle schoolers who have the good fortune to read THAT GIRL LUCY MOON in a class or book group. Question: Is Lucy's biggest obstacle to serenity and success in middle school going to be overcoming the boys' obnoxious hallway bra checks (with a number 2 pencil), other annoyances engaged in by her harmonally-challenged peers, along with the formation of cliques and the boy/girl groupings; OR is it going to be dealing with the damage suffered as the result of the war of wills in which Lucy becomes engaged with Miss Ilene Viola Wiggins, the town's moneybags matriarch, who apparently decides to show Lucy who is really in charge of Turtle Rock, Minnesota?
Aided by the story's lack of malls, laptops, and contemporary communications devices (The two best friends keep in touch by walkie-talkie, while communication with Mom consists of phone calls and letters.), author Amy Timberlake does an exceptional job of setting up Turtle Rock, Minnesota as its own little world, a town unto itself. Furthermore, the author gives the impression that she must have spent a bit of her own childhood happily entertained by Garrison Keillor, for we encounter clever, folksy references to what the local radio station is playing and the Minnesota climate quickly settles in as one of the story's omnipresent and colorful characters:
"After that first November snowstorm, the clouds continued to bring snow to Turtle Rock -- no blizzards, but steady, steady workaday snow. There was light, dry snow -- barely visible, but making the air and everything seen through it sparkle. There was the kind of snow that came assembly-line fashion, one snowflake rushing after the next. This snow lasted all day and into the night. And then there were the big flakes that floated out of the sky, drifting like daisy petals -- 'She loves me...She loves me not...She loves me.' The snow piled up in curbs, outlining trees, causing the tops of pines to genuflect under the weight. When the wind blew, long strands of snow combed over land and road."
When faced with an onslaught of adversity as a result of her activist impulses, Lucy Moon is compelled to consider why she is inclined to act in such a manner. To watch how she engages in self-reflection in regard to that behavior will undoubtedly cause many astute young readers to ask why they act (or fail to act) when they encounter injustice in their own lives.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com
"And Lucy attended detention -- an after-school club for the activist!"
"We can change the world, rearrange the world,
It's dying to get better."
--Graham Nash, "Chicago"
The fact is, I can totally enjoy the humor when a children's book author uses the concept of tofu for Thanksgiving as the butt of a joke. Amy Timberlake's THAT GIRL LUCY MOON now joins Denys Cazet's hysterically funny MINNIE AND MOO AND THE THANKSGIVING TREE in that regard. But you have to also figure that if I'm going to speak up about this awesome tale of a sixth-grade activist named Lucy Moon then, as a fellow activist as well as a vegetarian for 28 years, one who has been grateful to consume tofu for many a Thanksgiving, I'm going to take advantage of this opportunity to begin educating y'all about the wonders of having a tofu feast with all the trimmings. And so I'll share with you the Richie method of preparing tofu that everyone around here (hard-core carnivores included) always comes grabbing seconds and thirds of:
Ingredients:
1 lb. packages of tofu (The ultimate in my part of the world is White Wave Tidal Wave Organic Extra Firm)
Red Star Large Flake Nutritional Yeast
Extra virgin Olive Oil
San-J Organic Wheat-Free Tamari
Directions: Drain tofu and slice each one pound package into eight slices. Heat skillet on medium high and pour in sufficient olive oil to cover the bottom of the skillet. When the oil is hot, arrange the tofu slices in the skillet and fry until they are completely golden on the first side. Just before flipping over the tofu, spoon a generous covering of the nutritional yeast over the uncooked side of each slice. Flip over the tofu and add a bit more olive oil so that the yeast doesn't scorch. When the tofu slices are golden on both sides, lightly splash tamari over them, wait 30 seconds, flip them over one more time, and then remove them from the skillet.
(If you're figuring on having mashed potatoes with the tofu, then a gravy can be made with the tofu "drippings" by using some of the potato water, some thinned-down red miso, along with a bit of corn starch and water if you want to thicken the consistency a bit.)
That this year's holiday will turn out to not be a stellar Thanksgiving for Lucy Moon will have relatively little to do with her misguided attempt to prepare a tofu main course without the benefit of Richie's recipe for killer yeast tofu. At such a pivotal juncture in her life -- the beginnings of junior high -- Lucy is facing the mysteries and new dynamics of school, along with the sudden development of her best friend Zoe, all without the benefit of Lucy's mother. Mom, an artsy and idiosyncratic photographer who clearly must have been there to support Lucy's well-documented activist past in elementary school, has set out on a trip around the country to take pictures of clouds over a variety of landscapes. But instead of returning when she is supposed to, as has always been the case with previous years' photo excursions, Lucy's Mom will opt to both indefinitely extend her adventures and to distance herself emotionally as well as geographically from her only child and from Lucy's dad, the town postmaster.
"And the strangeness of junior high didn't stop there. No, as the weeks went on, the sixth graders had developed other signs of junior-high sickness. When teachers turned their back, notes about who liked who traveled palm to palm, and books with dog-eared pages describing people 'doing it' were read under lips of desks. In elementary school -- only five months ago -- everyone had acted normal. Now, after a summer and a couple of months in junior high, they were cliched characters from a drippy teen movie!"
It will be an interesting debate among those middle schoolers who have the good fortune to read THAT GIRL LUCY MOON in a class or book group. Question: Is Lucy's biggest obstacle to serenity and success in middle school going to be overcoming the boys' obnoxious hallway bra checks (with a number 2 pencil), other annoyances engaged in by her harmonally-challenged peers, along with the formation of cliques and the boy/girl groupings; OR is it going to be dealing with the damage suffered as the result of the war of wills in which Lucy becomes engaged with Miss Ilene Viola Wiggins, the town's moneybags matriarch, who apparently decides to show Lucy who is really in charge of Turtle Rock, Minnesota?
Aided by the story's lack of malls, laptops, and contemporary communications devices (The two best friends keep in touch by walkie-talkie, while communication with Mom consists of phone calls and letters.), author Amy Timberlake does an exceptional job of setting up Turtle Rock, Minnesota as its own little world, a town unto itself. Furthermore, the author gives the impression that she must have spent a bit of her own childhood happily entertained by Garrison Keillor, for we encounter clever, folksy references to what the local radio station is playing and the Minnesota climate quickly settles in as one of the story's omnipresent and colorful characters:
"After that first November snowstorm, the clouds continued to bring snow to Turtle Rock -- no blizzards, but steady, steady workaday snow. There was light, dry snow -- barely visible, but making the air and everything seen through it sparkle. There was the kind of snow that came assembly-line fashion, one snowflake rushing after the next. This snow lasted all day and into the night. And then there were the big flakes that floated out of the sky, drifting like daisy petals -- 'She loves me...She loves me not...She loves me.' The snow piled up in curbs, outlining trees, causing the tops of pines to genuflect under the weight. When the wind blew, long strands of snow combed over land and road."
When faced with an onslaught of adversity as a result of her activist impulses, Lucy Moon is compelled to consider why she is inclined to act in such a manner. To watch how she engages in self-reflection in regard to that behavior will undoubtedly cause many astute young readers to ask why they act (or fail to act) when they encounter injustice in their own lives.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com
December 24, 2017
Timberlake, Amy That Girl Lucy Moon 294 p. Hyperion -
As Lucy starts her sixth grade year at the local middle school, her photographer mother takes off on an extended trip in search of clouds. Her friends start growing and changing and Lucy feels left behind and out of the loop - especially when she receives unwarranted discipline after organizing a protest against the fencing of the town's favorite sledding spot. Winter causes Lucy's light to dim and she ceases to care whether her mother ever returns.
A beautiful book in the tradition of Stargirl, with a new heroine who doesn't seem to think she needs to lie down and take it. And after reading snippets of Lucy's antics in elementary school, I kind of wish the author would also write a prequel.
EL, MS-ESSENTIAL
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2007/...
As Lucy starts her sixth grade year at the local middle school, her photographer mother takes off on an extended trip in search of clouds. Her friends start growing and changing and Lucy feels left behind and out of the loop - especially when she receives unwarranted discipline after organizing a protest against the fencing of the town's favorite sledding spot. Winter causes Lucy's light to dim and she ceases to care whether her mother ever returns.
A beautiful book in the tradition of Stargirl, with a new heroine who doesn't seem to think she needs to lie down and take it. And after reading snippets of Lucy's antics in elementary school, I kind of wish the author would also write a prequel.
EL, MS-ESSENTIAL
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2007/...
June 18, 2020
I love the characters. This story made me smile, angry, frustrated, and I figured I knew how it would end. I was enough wrong to enjoy it, and it was satisfying. All in all I would recommend this book to any tween who is moved by injustices like the community sledding hill being fenced off. Someone with enough gumption to take on the freeing our hill campaign while protesting deer hunting by wearing red bandanas around their neck. Of course this means going up against the richest women in town. Then there is the free spirit mother and the rule making father relationships to understand while trying to figure out who you are. Then you add middle school relationships when friendships are not your thing, almost. This and more makes "That Girl Lucy Moon" a good read.
October 8, 2020
I really like Amy TImberlake's book One came home. This book was pretty good, but I missed something. It started to feel like a mystery, but never really felt resolved. Did I miss the resolution? I like how Timberlake confronts the bra check experience that a lot of girls experience at that age, but being 2006 it didn't have the substance that it would be given today. I am not sure if that makes sense, but in the last 15 years it has become less stigmatic to talk about the sexualisation of young girls and topics of female puberty. I would go so far as saying that Lucy Moon is a mighty girl. I would like to read more about her.
September 26, 2021
This was an intriguing, entertaining, gripping, and memorable read, as well as being superb mentor text for anyone seeking to write contemporary middle grade characters and relationships.
Lucy Moon is innately caring and committed, but was also raised by a free-spirited mom who encouraged Lucy's expressive and outspoken side. Readers realize this within minutes of cracking the cover, and then quickly realize that Lucy's story will reveal depth, division, confusion and growth in each of the characters, including the pubescent middle graders and the range of adults with whom they must contend.
Lucy Moon is innately caring and committed, but was also raised by a free-spirited mom who encouraged Lucy's expressive and outspoken side. Readers realize this within minutes of cracking the cover, and then quickly realize that Lucy's story will reveal depth, division, confusion and growth in each of the characters, including the pubescent middle graders and the range of adults with whom they must contend.
January 6, 2022
It’s been awhile since I found a book I absolutely couldn’t put down, I read this in one 4-hour sitting. While on the surface it’s an engaging, funny and moving coming-of-age middle school novel, Lucy Moon asks deep questions. Along the way I was crying real, shaking tears and didn’t even know why precisely, it was simply the power of the writing, the layers of story coming together, and how the novel addresses themes of justice, truth, family, friendship and growing up. The novel is uplifting but doesn’t offer pat answers to the hard things of life. It does, however, show the power of passion and forgiveness, and even one person’s courageous action.
July 31, 2019
A heartwarming story of a 6th grade activist starting middle school who still cares about the world outside of herself when so many other kids' interests lie within their own small town lives. The story is a good reminder to never regret doing the right thing and that sometimes a punishment for good deeds can be a reward itself. A great read for the 4th grade and older set to remind them that there is life outside of middle school.
April 7, 2021
Good book for pre teens because it brings middle school drama, friendships and adolescent thinking out in the open. Lucy Moon is a nonconformist that influences other students by her activism. She is not popular at first but grows on the other students. I liked the story and recommend it for a light read.
September 7, 2020
Lucy has trouble adjusting to junior high. Everything in her life goes wrong in the course of a few months. The fact that she has a strong sense of justice and is willing to fight for her beliefs only makes things worse. Never underestimate the importance of sledding in northern Minn.
March 7, 2022
This was a pretty good book that delved into much deeper emotions than I was expecting. Lucy's reaction to everything happening to her was profound and personal. The story seemingly starts off simplistic but a lot actually ends up happening.
May 14, 2019
A whimsical book I loved as a middle schooler. Lucy Moon was everything I wanted to be as a kid. I still think about this book often.
February 28, 2021
3 and 1/2 stars.
July 18, 2014
Oh my gosh. This is actually the official best book I ever read.
I actually cried at some point of the book! And that's the first time a book ever made me cried.
Well, other books make me cry in the inside but this book made me cry in the inside and outside.
I'm glad Lucy's mom came back to Lucy. What she did was horrible but at least she came back to Lucy and said "Sorry" and mean it.
I'm glad Lucy's dad actually cared about Lucy. In the beginning of the book, it doesn't seem like it, the way Lucy described him, but he does care. I'm glad he came out when Lucy needs help. He helped Lucy a lot throughout the book.
I'm glad Lucy made up with Zoe. They are best friends. I understand what it is like to loose a friend. I knew how Zoe felt so I'm glad Lucy came back. The friend who left me didn't come back to me. I'm glad that Lucy and Zoe are best friends again.
I'm glad Sam and Lucy are friends. I'm glad Sam told Lucy that he likes her. Since they're friends, Lucy knows she has another person supporting her. And since Sam told her that he likes her, their relationship is going deeper. In a way, I kinda knew all along that they would like each other.
I'm glad Lucy always stood up for herself. Well, she lost some confidence somewhere in the middle of the book but she got her confidence back in the end. The outcome is what matters the most. Lucy's personality reminds me of a friend I have. My friend believes what she wants to believe, does what she wants to do, and is just herself...just like Lucy!
I really, really, really like this book.
I recommend it to EVERY single person I know and people I don't know too.
In my opinion, I think everyone in world needs to be more like Lucy. Everyone doesn't have to be exactly like her but I think people needs to be more like her.
People needs to stand up for themselves. People should be who they want to be. People should do whatever they want to do. People should be unique and not copy other people. People should be themselves.
I actually cried at some point of the book! And that's the first time a book ever made me cried.
Well, other books make me cry in the inside but this book made me cry in the inside and outside.
I'm glad Lucy's mom came back to Lucy. What she did was horrible but at least she came back to Lucy and said "Sorry" and mean it.
I'm glad Lucy's dad actually cared about Lucy. In the beginning of the book, it doesn't seem like it, the way Lucy described him, but he does care. I'm glad he came out when Lucy needs help. He helped Lucy a lot throughout the book.
I'm glad Lucy made up with Zoe. They are best friends. I understand what it is like to loose a friend. I knew how Zoe felt so I'm glad Lucy came back. The friend who left me didn't come back to me. I'm glad that Lucy and Zoe are best friends again.
I'm glad Sam and Lucy are friends. I'm glad Sam told Lucy that he likes her. Since they're friends, Lucy knows she has another person supporting her. And since Sam told her that he likes her, their relationship is going deeper. In a way, I kinda knew all along that they would like each other.
I'm glad Lucy always stood up for herself. Well, she lost some confidence somewhere in the middle of the book but she got her confidence back in the end. The outcome is what matters the most. Lucy's personality reminds me of a friend I have. My friend believes what she wants to believe, does what she wants to do, and is just herself...just like Lucy!
I really, really, really like this book.
I recommend it to EVERY single person I know and people I don't know too.
In my opinion, I think everyone in world needs to be more like Lucy. Everyone doesn't have to be exactly like her but I think people needs to be more like her.
People needs to stand up for themselves. People should be who they want to be. People should do whatever they want to do. People should be unique and not copy other people. People should be themselves.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 2, 2012
Author, Amy Timberlake, is originally from Hudson, WI which was the basis of the setting the book takes place. I met Ms. Timberlake at a book signing event at a local Hudson book store several years ago (2006? 2007?) when the book was first released. I was teaching at the middle school there at the time. Listening to her speak and meeting her in person made me very interested in reading the book. It was fun to know that the sledding hill and lake in the story were based on actual places I knew in Hudson.
And Lucy herself, is a wonderful character! She is unique, not afraid to express who she really is, determined, not afraid to stand up what she believes in; just the kind of character you want middle school students reading about. She has a hard time adjusting to middle school from elementary school, just like real kids do. I think Timberlake did a great job capturing the fear and confusion of that transition period in our lives. Many things I loved about Lucy and the story are the same ones I enjoyed in Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli.
And Lucy herself, is a wonderful character! She is unique, not afraid to express who she really is, determined, not afraid to stand up what she believes in; just the kind of character you want middle school students reading about. She has a hard time adjusting to middle school from elementary school, just like real kids do. I think Timberlake did a great job capturing the fear and confusion of that transition period in our lives. Many things I loved about Lucy and the story are the same ones I enjoyed in Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli.
November 25, 2008
It's pretty rare that I dislike a main character so intensely, especially a girl. But I kept reading because I wanted to find out where the story was going, so I gave an extra star for that and because the writing isn't bad. Still, I couldn't stand Lucy Moon, and I didn't like any of the things that happened. It makes me wonder if the author had an awful time in junior high, because it reads like something that someone who once said "One day they'll all be sorry for treating me this way!" would write.
ETA: I note that I am the only person in the history of literature to dislike this book, which is really surprising. Don't take my word for it about this book, and if any of you read it and want to tell me why I'm wrong, I welcome that...
ETA: I note that I am the only person in the history of literature to dislike this book, which is really surprising. Don't take my word for it about this book, and if any of you read it and want to tell me why I'm wrong, I welcome that...
June 17, 2013
This book was very detailed! it is about a girl named Lucy Moon, a person who stands up for what she believes in. Lucy is someone who supports animal rights, doing things such as wearing a bandanna around her neck to show that she thought deer hunting was wrong.. Lucy Moon almost always wears her green and yellow hat. The hat was given to her by her mother Josephine Moon. The hat, made in Mexico City, stands for the workers in Mexico that the United States businesses took advantage of. Also the hat was made of hemp and hemp should be illegal. This story teaches people to stand up for what they believe in. I was always excited when Lucy came up with new plans to stand up for what she believed in while struggling with friends and family along the way!
August 8, 2011
I decided to take a break from my goal to complete all the Newberry Award Winners and just randomly chose this book off the library shelf. It was wonderful and very refreshing. I almost wonder why it wasn't considered for a Newberry itself. This deals with 6th grader, Lucy Moon, who finds herself in a fight with authority over the right to sled on a local hill. Just a good look into the minds of kids, how adults can sometimes be unfair, and how we don't always understand/know everything about everyone. A good read.
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February 10, 2016Lucy Moon is a very determined girl. When she sets her mind to a problem she will come up with a plan for a solution...of course, it is not guaranteed to work. The latest problem she is tackling is the fact that Ms. Wiggins will no longer let kids sled ride on Wiggins Hill. Wiggins Hill is an institution in the town...most people just consider it a park...it should be a crime to fence it in and keep kids out. In the meantime, Lucy is struggling with issues at home and school and she really has no solutions...only unanswered questions.
October 2, 2008
What can I say... excpet- IT WAS SO SO SO SO SO SO AMAZING!!!!!!! AHHH!
Lucy Moon is a doer, not a talker- if she sees something she doesn't like, she WILL fix it. And don't even THINK and thinking about arguing with her- you will lose, I guarentee it! Also, she honestly couldn't care less what anyone thinks of her. She's just not that kind of girl.
But when Lucy hits, junior high hits back. Hard.
Lucy Moon is a doer, not a talker- if she sees something she doesn't like, she WILL fix it. And don't even THINK and thinking about arguing with her- you will lose, I guarentee it! Also, she honestly couldn't care less what anyone thinks of her. She's just not that kind of girl.
But when Lucy hits, junior high hits back. Hard.
April 26, 2010
Grade 5-8 SLJ
mom who went A-wall for awhile, became closer to dad who previously didn't talk to much, friendships, fitting in, depression, unjust persecution, believing in a cause, making a difference, start of romance with boy, adolescence, photographer mom, how 1 person can have power over so many and so much,
doesn't read like a 6th grader- main character seems older in certain ways
mom who went A-wall for awhile, became closer to dad who previously didn't talk to much, friendships, fitting in, depression, unjust persecution, believing in a cause, making a difference, start of romance with boy, adolescence, photographer mom, how 1 person can have power over so many and so much,
doesn't read like a 6th grader- main character seems older in certain ways
August 18, 2011
Lucy Moon is without a cause when she starts junior high, until Wiggins park is closed to sledding. But with her mother away on an extended photo shoot, her best friend maturing fast and Mrs. Wiggins out to get her, will her spirit be squelched. I didn't think this was my kind of book, but as I read, I was in tears several times, so I guess it got to me. My memory of it is that it was too depressing in parts, although it came out okay in the end. very contemporary
word count: 64,032
word count: 64,032
October 9, 2011
what a fantastic capturing of the tumult of being a girl beginning junior high. Rather than devolving into trite cliches, Lucy Moon is enchanting and oh so easy to relate to. I had flashbacks to my junior high experience. And oh how I wish I had Lucy's spunk! If I had a 9 or 10 year old daughter, I would read this with her.
February 16, 2012
I really loved this character, and was very caught up in the romantic moments in the story. I did find myself wondering a lot about Lucy's mom, and found myself wanting to know more about what was going on in her head, but maybe that's because I'm a mom. I found her to be a sympathetic character, but I still wanted to shake her by the shoulders and say, "What in the heck is going on with you?".
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 16, 2016
I remember reading this in middle school and thinking it was a good book, so I had to reread. I was pleasantly surprised, it was even better then I remember. It's well written and even though the Lucy is young she is still a relatable character, one whom I could sympathize with and understand. I even teared up a couple times while reading. Great book, I definitely recommend.
May 8, 2007
I loved this book all they way through--until the ending. It was rushed and hokey. Timberlake took such a long time telling Lucy's story and the battle over Wiggin's Hill, why plow through the conclusion? I felt cheated.
September 11, 2009
I read this at my daughter's suggestion. A good story, a good moral, but had to push myself to keep reading until about 1/2 way through the book. Great for pre-teens and young teens though - especially any who are struggling with their families or friends.
October 13, 2010
I REALLY enjoyed this book, I picked it up off our junior high display. Lucy is a likable protagonist, sometimes unsure of herself and situations. Her friendships are realistic, the situations believable this book is easy to recommend to middle schoolers, especially girls.
April 7, 2012
It was a good book.......but the character, Lucy worries way too much about sledding. I mean yeah you like to do it but come on don't make a big deal about it. The only thing I didn't like abiut this book was lucy. Great book but don't exaggerate it too much.
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