Anastasia on Her Own

3.5 stars. I forgot how crazy these books are! Oh Anastasia..... ( )

The Anastasia series was one of my favorite book series as a kid - partly because the main character's name was Anastasia, and partially because it's just such a cute series. I couldn't believe when I stumbled across one of the Anastasia books at a thrift store, and of course bought it & read it for the first book in my "YA of the 80's & 90's" book challenge.

The book is cute, full of kid-drama, and reminds me of life when I was that age. ( )

As always, Lowry's Anastasia's stories are enjoyable. Anastasia deals with the events in a realistic way. Caught between child and adult, mature for her age but still innocent, she has an imaginative and bold way of approaching things. Being the daughter of an English professor, she has an extensive vocabulary, which she uses. As a word-lover myself, this is fun to read. I also enjoyed watching Anastasia learn what it's like to manage a household. Her complaining in the beginning changed to gratitude when she saw how hard her mom worked.
I had an odd moment during this book, too, as I realized, I'm probably the age of Anastasia's parents - and I find I approve of their parenting style. I'm also not sure I would be as supportive of my daughter if she died my best white table cloth purple, but hey - too each their own.
I highly recommend these books. Although written in the mid-80s, other than the lack of cellphones, they don't feel dated or out-of-touch. Perfect for your 10-12 year old girls. ( )

Hilarious. Just plain funny as well as warm and believable. ( )

Not my favorite of the series, because the whole plotline about the date with Steve Harvey is way too embarrassing. But I forgot about Annie! HAHAHA. And the tap-dancing lesson salesman helping her cook dinner! ( )