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The New Lucinda
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 28, 2016
Published in 1958, this book features a friend trio named Martha, Jan, and Susan, whom our main character Cindy meets along with a boy named Peter. Cindy also mentions a former senior named Bob Evans.
Good news: the "how about that!" factor isn't the only thing this book offers! It's a solid story of a girl who wants and needs a change, and almost has only to wish and then--ta-dah! It's a few days into the new year and Cindy is staring at the traditional "New Year, New You!" January magazine cover...then Dad comes home with the big announcement. A golden opportunity: now what will she do with it?
Whether or not you see your high-school self in Lucinda Anne Taylor, you'll root for her as she moves through her new high school figuring out who she wants to be and who she is, and you'll hope that she'll recognize any opportunities to let her true self shine through whatever mask she thinks she needs to wear. (Like joining a club that interests her or trying out for a sport she's good at, instead of just signing up/trying out because "all the cool kids" are members.) Will she find a best friend at her new school? Will she invite her best friend from her former school for a weekend visit?
Overall, a sweet, pastel-hued picture of 1950s high-school life. If you loved Judy Blume's OTHERWISE KNOWN AS SHEILA THE GREAT as a tween, you'd probably like this.
Thanks for reading.
Good news: the "how about that!" factor isn't the only thing this book offers! It's a solid story of a girl who wants and needs a change, and almost has only to wish and then--ta-dah! It's a few days into the new year and Cindy is staring at the traditional "New Year, New You!" January magazine cover...then Dad comes home with the big announcement. A golden opportunity: now what will she do with it?
Whether or not you see your high-school self in Lucinda Anne Taylor, you'll root for her as she moves through her new high school figuring out who she wants to be and who she is, and you'll hope that she'll recognize any opportunities to let her true self shine through whatever mask she thinks she needs to wear. (Like joining a club that interests her or trying out for a sport she's good at, instead of just signing up/trying out because "all the cool kids" are members.) Will she find a best friend at her new school? Will she invite her best friend from her former school for a weekend visit?
Overall, a sweet, pastel-hued picture of 1950s high-school life. If you loved Judy Blume's OTHERWISE KNOWN AS SHEILA THE GREAT as a tween, you'd probably like this.
Thanks for reading.
March 31, 2008
Lucinda is a shy, dissatisfied, washed-out blonde who, in the first chapter, is wearing a taupe skirt with a beige blouse. She reads a magazine article about a girl like her who TRANSFORMED herself, but what chance does she have for transformation in a small town where everyone already knows "Beanpole" Cindy?
After reading the paragraph where her parents announce--the very day Cindy was reading the magazine article!--that the family is moving to a new town in just three weeks, I shouted "This book is going to be AWESOME!"
So far Cindy is trying too hard with the boys and alienating herself from all the "nice" popular girls. But she doesn't know it yet; she thinks she's a social success. Oh, how will it all end?
************************************************************
ETA: it's splendidly campy, and everyone learns an Important Lesson about Gossip.
After reading the paragraph where her parents announce--the very day Cindy was reading the magazine article!--that the family is moving to a new town in just three weeks, I shouted "This book is going to be AWESOME!"
So far Cindy is trying too hard with the boys and alienating herself from all the "nice" popular girls. But she doesn't know it yet; she thinks she's a social success. Oh, how will it all end?
************************************************************
ETA: it's splendidly campy, and everyone learns an Important Lesson about Gossip.
February 10, 2020
I read three coming of age books at one time (on my lunch break, alternating reading one a day) - I read Luckiest Girl, Candy Stripes (Lee Wyndham) and The New Lucinda (Grace Kisinger). I loved them all. Young girls, all about the same age, experiencing a "big" change in their world. If you like to read several similar books at the same time I would recommend this set :)
The New Lucinda is a charming look at the 1950s. Lucinda, as many young girls are, is not happy with her life, looks, relationships. A magazine article and her family moving to a new town, give her the chance to change who people think she is.
She goes a little too far and ends up with things getting a little out of hand, but in the end, she discovers who she really is and wants to be.
If you love books of this sort I totally recommend it.
The New Lucinda is a charming look at the 1950s. Lucinda, as many young girls are, is not happy with her life, looks, relationships. A magazine article and her family moving to a new town, give her the chance to change who people think she is.
She goes a little too far and ends up with things getting a little out of hand, but in the end, she discovers who she really is and wants to be.
If you love books of this sort I totally recommend it.
May 27, 2014
Reading a review of the new YA book "Popular," I was reminded of this 1950s story (which I discovered and loved when I was a pre-teen) of a "dowdy" (but not really) girl whose family moves to a new town. Inspired by a magazine article, she uses the move as an opportunity to change her hair, dress, and demeanor, trying to impress her new classmates with her new image as a sophisticated, worldly, popular gal--with predictably mixed results. Upon re-reading it, I still found it enjoyable and fun--a bit dated, but not insulting.
January 13, 2022
Poor Lucinda - she made so many obvious mistakes trying to become popular in her new town, and then things backfired (of course). I just wanted to give her a good talking-to. 😄 It drove me a little crazy that it took her so long to wake up to reality, but I know how the teen years can be, so I won't be toooo hard on her.
August 2, 2012
I loved this book. I could totally relate to a girl who moves to a new town and wants to be poular. I read this in the 1970's, and now have my own copy.
August 5, 2020
For whatever reason, I really liked this when I first read it and still have my copy of it.
July 29, 2023
During my high school years, I discovered vintage "malt shop" books and fell in love with them instead of the bratty boy seated behind me in English. Rosamond du Jardin, Betty Cavanna, Beverly Cleary. Class rings, letter sweaters, going steady, the all-important perfect (or tragically imperfect) prom dress! I love them still. Having recently acquired GGK's Too Late Tomorrow, I decided to do a quick re-read of Lucinda first.
The New Lucinda remains one of my favorites. Perhaps not as vividly written or humorous as du Jardin or Cleary, but the story has stayed with me. Still have my beat-up paperback Scholastic copy with its updated cover of a windblown Lucinda.
The story's simple, as Cindy aka "Beanpole" uses the opportunity of a move to a new town and school to remake herself as the cool and glamorous--yet still awkward and unsure--Lucinda. Like Shelley in Cleary's The Luckiest Girl, first attraction comes in the form of a tall, blond basketball player (throb throb goes the heart), followed by less flashy yet thoroughly likeable, brown-haired, nice boys who are, of course, editors of the school newspaper. (Hmm, I do believe du Jardin managed to combine the two types into one hero in her "Double" twin series.)
While Shelley remains her perky, enthusiastic self in her book, Lucinda takes on a new persona as the wannabe elegant and blasé sophisticate. Too cool for school...and for the nice girls who might have been her friends. Oh, dear. Will Lucinda ever become true to her real self?
Five stars from me. But then I give most malt shop books five stars, so take that with a sprinkle of stardust and tulle.
The New Lucinda remains one of my favorites. Perhaps not as vividly written or humorous as du Jardin or Cleary, but the story has stayed with me. Still have my beat-up paperback Scholastic copy with its updated cover of a windblown Lucinda.
The story's simple, as Cindy aka "Beanpole" uses the opportunity of a move to a new town and school to remake herself as the cool and glamorous--yet still awkward and unsure--Lucinda. Like Shelley in Cleary's The Luckiest Girl, first attraction comes in the form of a tall, blond basketball player (throb throb goes the heart), followed by less flashy yet thoroughly likeable, brown-haired, nice boys who are, of course, editors of the school newspaper. (Hmm, I do believe du Jardin managed to combine the two types into one hero in her "Double" twin series.)
While Shelley remains her perky, enthusiastic self in her book, Lucinda takes on a new persona as the wannabe elegant and blasé sophisticate. Too cool for school...and for the nice girls who might have been her friends. Oh, dear. Will Lucinda ever become true to her real self?
Five stars from me. But then I give most malt shop books five stars, so take that with a sprinkle of stardust and tulle.
May 21, 2022
I read this book many, many years ago and still have the copy I didn't return to my 8th grade teacher (sorry)! Reading it again was still great and fun.
July 29, 2024
Lucinda moves to a new town and tries to reinvent herself, hoping to escape being the shy “beanpole” that she was known as in her old home. Unfortunately, she decides to present herself as a supercilious snob, which fails to get her very far with the crowd she’d really like to be friends with. The biggest flaw in the story is that she is eventually shunned not for her behavior, but from false gossip that’s unrelated to anything else in the story. Anyway, Cindy learns a lesson and so does everyone else. A perfectly OK story but nothing special.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews