The Pistachio Prescription

I liked Cassie a lot. Her voice was true and believable, wavering there on the edge of growing up. This is an Issue Book but it manages to not be particularly pointed or preachy. I found parts of it poignant and parts laugh-out-loud funny. Nicely done, but certainly a period piece now.

Cassie's not really sure how it started, but eating pistachio nuts always makes her feel better. Whenever her parents have a shouting match, the pressure of running for freshperson class president gets overwhelming, or her beautiful (and short) sister calls her a giraffe, grabbing a handful of red nuts somehow helps. Cassie has medicine for her asthma attacks; why not have a prescription for "unhappiness attacks"?

Short but sweet and much less dated than "The Cat Ate My Gymsuit," although they were both written in the seventies. Possibly better than Danziger's first book, this novel has a tighter narrative and a heroine that readers will probably think is cool (despite her mishaps with some eyebrow tweezers). A good middle-grade novel about kids becoming more self-reliant.

The style of writing in this book reminds me so much of Judy Blume's books. This book would be a good book for children in divorced families to see that they are not alone in their feelings.

Cassie is a total hypochondriac. Her family is totally disfunctional and makes me feel glad that mine is much more normal.

At least one reviewer claims it's dated, implies obsolete - but somehow I doubt that. I'll try to read it for myself...

I have enjoyed reading paula danzigers books for the past twenty years and can't wait to have a daughter so i can buy a whole new set for her.