Review: My Life in Pink and Green

Summary: Twelve-year-old Lucy Desberg is a natural problem solver. After the local homecoming queen shows up at her family’s struggling drugstore with a beauty disaster that Lucy helps to fix, Lucy has a long line of makeover customers for every school dance and bat mitzvah. But all the makeup tips in the world won’t help save the pharmacy. If only she could find a way to make the pharmacy the center of town again—a place where people want to spend time, like in the old days. Lucy dreams up a solution that could resuscitate the family business and help the environment, too. But will Lucy’s family stop fighting long enough to listen to a seventh-grader?

This book is a funny and sweet debut featuring an unforgettable narrator who knows what she wants, whether it’s great makeup, a killer business plan, or a better world. -- Amulet

I absolutely love girly-girl middle grade fiction! I guess it's a good thing that I have a daughter in that age range because it gives me a good excuse to read it. My latest favorite MG book is MY LIFE IN PINK AND GREEN by Lisa Greenwald. I admit that I was probably a little biased going into this book because I just love the cover. I thought it was adorable and extremely eye-catching; and what young girl could resist it? It wasn't until I finished this delightful book that I realized just how terrific the cover was -- it captured the essence of the story perfectly.

This book is going to appeal to so many young girls. My daughter hasn't had a chance to read it and chime in with her thoughts yet, but I can pretty much guarantee that she's going to love it! Lucy, the main character and narrator, is absolutely adorable. While she's an extremely sweet young girl and has some terrific insight into life, she also has a great sense of humor. She's a wonderful choice to tell this story, and girls are definitely going to relate to her. Lucy experiences many of the same insecurities and concerns that all tweens face on a daily basis. Yet how she chooses to deal with adversity is what really makes Lucy and this book so special. Lucy is a great example of how a young girl is supposed to act in so many ways. She doesn't lower herself to that middle grade cattiness that many girls revel in (I speak from experience here!) and she is constantly trying to do the "right" thing. I sincerely hope that many readers of this book will see Lucy as a role model and try to shape their actions around Lucy's behavior.

As a mother, I am so excited that there are good, clean books out there for my 10 year old daughter to read. I'm totally of the mindset, "Why rush to read all the YA books when there are so many wonderful MG books?" I loved that MY LIFE IN PINK AND GREEN had a great story and characters who were so sweet. However, I also thought it was wonderful that the author chose not only to tackle the "normal" middle grade girl issues, but she also covered some broader, more universal issues such as the decline of small businesses and the need to take care of our environment. Lucy wanted to help her grandmother and mother save the pharmacy, and she worked very hard to come up with ideas to generate more business. She also became active in an after-school group that focused on "green" ideas. I loved that Lucy had the resourcefulness to merge her passions together into a wonderful way to save the pharmacy! If only we all had Lucy's desire to make the world a better place!

Next month, I will get the chance to meet Ms. Greenwald! I have been asked to moderate a panel at Aaron's Books in Lititz, PA for their KidLit Festival; and Ms. Greenwald will be participating. The KidLit Festival takes place November 13-15, and it sounds like it's going to be so much fun. I can barely wait! Of course, I'm totally freaking out already about moderating a panel of authors -- you know they are like rock stars to me! If you live anywhere close, please consider coming to the Festival. It's a great way to support kidlit authors as well as a wonderful indie bookstore (plus, I could use some moral support too!)

Thanks to Sam from Aaron's Books for providing me with a copy of this book!