Lucy the Giant

Rating:
Summary: Terrific book!
Review: An enjoyable read from start to finish! Terrific detail and a strong voice make this book really unique and believable. Many teen readers will relate to Lucy's struggling to play the role of an adult with parts of herself still a kid...all in the context of a high seas adventure. A great follow-up for kids who loved Avi's The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle in grade school! One of the best YA's of the the year so far, I hope this author gets the accolades she deserves!

Rating:
Summary: Terrific book!
Review: An enjoyable read from start to finish! Terrific detail and a strong voice make this book really unique and believable. Many teen readers will relate to Lucy's struggling to play the role of an adult with parts of herself still a kid...all in the context of a high seas adventure. A great follow-up for kids who loved Avi's The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle in grade school! One of the best YA's of the the year so far, I hope this author gets the accolades she deserves!

Rating:
Summary: I love "Lucy"...
Review: An excellently written novel--the author's style is elegantly straightforward, evocative, and at times wryly sarcastic. The title character, an awkwardly tall teenage girl, is both believable and interesting. My understanding is that this is the author's first endeavor, and all signs seem to indicate that we will be seeing more great works from one _Sherri L. Smith_ in the years to come... Highly Recommended!

Rating:
Summary: Realistic read.
Review: For anyone who's every been different, ever been mistreated, and ever wanted to run away (I know I have), this is the book for you. While Lucy does get to indulge in her every dream, we get to see, by the end, the consequences she has to pay for her actions. Realistically written, Lucy the Giant is filled with flawed characters and authentic dialogue. The already engrossing story is made even better by the setting of the Pacific Northwest - Sheri Smith paints a picture of a stark, but beautiful Alaska and the danger and excitement of the sea just as well as she evokes the emotions and actions of her characters. Wonderful story, guaranteed to tug at the heartstrings.

Rating:
Summary: A Giant-sized heart, too!
Review: I should have had my own set of boots for this story, I cried buckets! This was a wonderful reminder of the in-between-ness of being fifteen. Lucy struggles with some very adult issues as a child, yet is allowed to become a child when she masquerades as an adult. I really needed to hug somebody by the time I finished the book. Other than being able to relate to Lucy, I felt a kinship to the kind old sea captain. This book was well worth the tears, it is no ordinary fish tale.

Rating:
Summary: 5 Giant Stars for Lucy!
Review: Lucy is a real page turner! I couldn't put the book down once I started reading. The heroine is a strong and believable character. She has had to grow strong due to living with an inattentive, alcoholic father and no mother. She is ackwardly taller than the other students in school. Her life takes another tragic turn which leads her on a great adventure away from home, where she must live and act as an adult. I think teen-aged readers, both girls and boys, can identify with Lucy on many levels. What teenager doesn't have family issues and/or some feeling of physical ackwardness? The character inspires by being strong, yet vulnerable. It is also refreshing to read about a teenage girl with more interesting thoughts than worries about boys and clothes. This is an adventurous yet "real" story that both teens and adults can enjoy! I can't wait to see more books by Sherri L. Smith.

Rating:
Summary: Lucy The Giant Review
Review: Lucy The Giant is a well written book dealing with the issues of pet loss, alcoholisnm, living with single parents, and fitting in. The story follows Lucy from her home in Sitka, Alaska to Kodiak, Alaska where she changes her name to Barbara in order to appear adult and me able to join the crabbing crew of the MIranda Lee. She makes good friends on the ship but is worried about the time when her secret will be spilled.

Rating:
Summary: Hey, middle school teachers--Here's an option!
Review: This book is an answer to the grueling search for books that (1) deal with issues students can relate to, (2)both boys and girls can appreciate, (3)no elementary teacher has already read to students. I admit none of my students have read the book yet--I just finished it myself.

At first I thought Smith did a good job of developing a dynamic character, but left her settings very flat and two-dimensional; Lucy's home life was completely bad and her crabbing life completely good. But on the other hand, the story was told in the first-person from Lucy's perspective, and teens can tend to have an all-good/all-bad outlook.

Just one complaint: I hope students won't think their problems will be solved by running away. They're not likely to find a group of friends so concerned about their success. But that could be a good topic for class discussion, or even an essay prompt!

There are plenty of literary techniques to discuss with students: irony, symbolism, metaphor. . . Students won't know their studying-- they'll unwittingly immerse themselves in the crisp Alaskan magic of the story. (Could Lucy be part Orca?) Smith's conclusion satisfies Lucy's conflict with a mature solution.

Rating:
Summary: Captivating
Review: This heart felt adventure had me hooked. The strong characters and the brilliant descriptions of the Alaskan great outdoors bring Alaska to you.

Rating:
Summary: Captivating
Review: This heart felt adventure had me hooked. The strong characters and the brilliant descriptions of the Alaskan great outdoors bring Alaska to you.