Amy and Laura

Amy and Laura #3

by Marilyn Sachs

In the final book in a series about a poor family living in the Bronx in the 1940s, two sisters come to grips with their own envy, resentment and love for each other.

Genres: Childrens, Fiction, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Jewish, 20th Century, New York

180 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1966

Reviews

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Naturally I snapped this up when I saw it at a school fete - more of Amy from Amy Moves in! I always liked this series, even if I often couldn't stand the adults - so bossy and self-righteous, perhaps due to the time in which it was set?

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I used to really like this book, but my most recent reread left me mostly annoyed with Amy. She's such a brat, and her entire family coddles her beyond reason. Laura's kind of a wuss, too, but at least she tries to follow her conscience.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review of all three Amy and Laura books also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.

When Marilyn Sachs passed away at the beginning of January, I was reminded immediately of how much I enjoyed her 1968 children's novel, Veronica Ganz. Back in 2015, when I reviewed the book, I wrote that it was "refreshingly unburdened by the contemporary notion that every book is poised to make or break the reader’s entire childhood by its portrayal of unpleasant happenings." I appreciated the book so much because it told the truth about how kids sometimes behave, and it treated the negative aspects of life as ordinary, run-of-the-mill occurrences that happen to everyone, and not as terrible tragedies that ruin kids' lives forever, or that must be overcome with the help of Very Special Adults. As I read through the three books in Sachs's Amy and Laura series, I felt that same sense that Sachs wished to present the truth to her audience, without exaggerations that make life seem better or worse than it is.


In Amy Moves In, Amy Stern struggles to fit in after her family moves to a new neighborhood. She tries to befriend an interesting girl in her class at school, and though this girl turns out to be a bully, Amy is afraid of what her classmates would do if she pursued a friendship with someone more worthy, but much less popular. When her mother is involved in a serious accident and must stay in the hospital for a prolonged period of time, things get more difficult for Amy, as the family adjusts to life with Aunt Minnie, who runs a household much differently than Mama.

In Laura's Luck, both Amy and Laura are sent to summer camp so their aunt can have a vacation from caring for them before their mother is released from the hospital in September. Laura, who is bookish and unskilled at sports, is not happy about going to camp, and her first few nights are absolutely miserable. After a stint in the infirmary with a sprained ankle and a friendly nurse for companionship, Laura comes out with a better attitude and a new cabin assignment to help ease her adjustment. As she works to become a valued member of her cabin, Laura also begins to see the value in camp.


Finally, Amy and Laura sees the Stern family piecing their lives back together after Mama finally returns home. The girls are sad to see their mother confined to a wheelchair, and their father has insisted they do nothing to cause their mother any displeasure at all, including arguing in the house or participating in activities at school of which she would not approve.

What stands out to me in all three of these books is Sachs's honesty and sincerity about the triumphs and tribulations of Amy's and Laura's lives. Her stories do not feel manufactured, and they do not manipulate the reader toward having any particular emotion or learning any particular lesson. Rather, Sachs present the events of everyday life the way they really happen - randomly, unpredictably, inconveniently - and her characters react reasonably and realistically. Because the characters are so believable, the reader is completely invested in the fate of both girls from the moment they are first introduced, and after a while, the plot almost doesn't matter, because the appeal of the stories is simply spending time with the characters. Though Amy and Laura are frequently at odds with one another, the reader is always sympathetic to both sisters, because Sachs allows full access to their thoughts and motivations and gives each character a balance of good and bad qualities.

I was surprised when I read Veronica Ganz to learn that it is set in the 1940s, and that fact was even less obvious in these books. Veronica actually appears in Amy and Laura (as a cause of trouble for Laura in her new post as hall monitor), so it's clearly meant to be the same time period, but there are very few details dating the books to the 40s specifically. In fact, so many aspects of the stories feel timeless, or at the very least more modern than the 1940s. Some of this is probably because of the writing style, which matches other books for kids from the 1960s and 1970s, but I think some of it is also because the characters' emotions are so real and therefore so relatable for kids from every generation.

This is a great vintage series for realistic fiction lovers, and a wonderful portrait of the complicated relationships between sisters. It is one I will recommend without hesitation to my own girls in a few years!

[Cam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally read this series of 3 books as a kid (maybe 6th grade). I decided to read the series again now and understood a lot more of what was going on, especially with the adults. Some of the plot lines and characters annoyed me, but some of them were quite relatable. My ratings are as I rate them upon reading them now. My ratings as a kid probably would've been a star higher for each book.

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read this book at least 10 times. It was one of my faves in elementary school. I remember the first time I saw it on the shelf and I picked it up because the girls on the cover looked exactly like me and my best friend at the time :)

[Danielle Routh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this book as a kid, and I think it's the strongest of the series, though Veronica Ganz would be a strong contender. Most of the characters are reasonably flawed, though (as a rule follower) it's easiest for me to sympathize with Laura and be impatient with her family members, especially mother, who try to quash her desire for order and justice. It's not a "everything works out peachy" kind of book, typical of Sachs, which I appreciate.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had no idea this was so old. The 1984 reprint that I found in a Little Free Library read as if new in '84 or so. At least now I understand why the hall behavior was so strictly monitored. And why Dad was so misunderstanding of how to help Mom recover. Still a very good book. A different sisterhood story than Frozen, for sure.

I also had no idea it was part of a series. Given how worn this copy, how beloved it appears to have been, I will look for the others. I probably would have given this four stars when I was a child but now I'm being a bit more stingy with my stars.

[HeavyReader · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have the vaguest recollection of this book. The title rang a tiny little bell for me, and then reading reviews on Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/Amy-Laura-Maril...) filled in a few other details like the mom coming home from the hospital.

I think this one is a really old (even in the early 1980s) book my school library still had on the shelf. I really did read most any book aimed at girls, no matter the time period it was set in.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic book about sisters, though somewhat dated now. I read it when I was young. I swear that this book affected how I parented my own daughters (hopefully, in a good way)! I love the way Amy and Laura learn how to unlock themselves from the roles they've always played: the smart one, the pretty one; the responsible one, the lazy one; the serious one, the fun one.

[Spenser Peebles · Rating 4 out of 5]

This books is so sweet. It's a wonderful book about sisterhood and growing up in New York in the 1940s. There are some really touching moments like the chapter on pancakes. You'll find in these pages many issues relevant to kids today like bullying and dealing with boundaries set by parents. I lent this one out to a few students as well who told me they enjoyed every bit of it.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars
For an oldster like me, this was kind of a sweet, nostalgic book. However, I believe it would be too dated for most children today. It was written in the ‘60s and takes place in the ‘40s, but I don’t think that is ever explained.

[Virginia Dickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another favourite book of mine as a child in the 70s. I shared this too last week in our community library, minus cover as it's so old. But, hopefully someone else will get alot of meaning and inspiration from it as my sister and I did.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this series about 2 Jewish girls growing up in the city. Since I still have these books (Scholastic Book Club editions), I should dig them out and re-read them!

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember this book as being really depressing.

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved these books and wanted to be like these girls, either of them.

[Kirsten Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved this book when I was in elementary school - maybe because I understood the frustration of the main character with her younger sister! Of course, I love my sister... now!

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parts of this are enjoyable, but I felt that Laura got the short end of the stick in the end

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book as a child and have recently rediscovered it. A wonderful depiction of two sisters growing up in the Bronx during the 40s.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a sequel to "Amy Moves In"

Again, recommend this to younger children.

[Beth Friedman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nostalgia reread. It's a good book for children, but -- unlike a bunch of other children's/YA reading I've done recently -- it doesn't hold up particularly well as an adult reread.

[Vicki Jaeger · Rating 2 out of 5]

Found an old childhood favorite. The pancake chapter always was my favorite, and still is!

[Sharon Buxton · Rating 2 out of 5]

C. fiction, children's fiction, grade 4, sisters; from stash, discard

[Charlotte]

fine if you like vintage kids books, but nothing really special

[Amy Flink · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sisterly Love!!! This last book in the Amy and Laura series, sort of wraps up the first two books. The chapters alternate between both Amy and Laura's point of view. Amy and Laura may be sisters, but they are as different as night and day. Laura is heavy-set, shy and awkward, and Amy is scrawny, gregarious and outgoing. Laura is smart and Amy is, well, a lazy scholar. Laura has always protected Amy from bullies, and done her homework for her. I first read this book when I was 11. I had seen it in my friend's hands in 3rd grade when i was 8 and was interested, checked it out later but didn't really get into it. One day I was in a used bookstore with my mom and she handed me a book called "Amy Moves In" and I recognized the name and the picture of the frizzy-haired girl on the cover, and the author's name, Marilyn Sachs. And my name is Amy, too. My mom remembered me reading Amy & Laura, so I started that series. Later I bought this one at Dalton Books and really enjoyed it. Amy has a mean teacher and Laure takes up a bicycling interest and becomes hall monitor, and is too busy to help Amy with her assignments. Both sisters discover new things about each other and themselves, and the ending has lots of surprises; I only wish Sachs would continue this series. It is so good.

[Jobiska (Cindy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the edition I had...

[Partridge Public]

Sachs, Marilyn PB