Lucy Castor Finds Her Sparkle

by Natasha Lowe

Overview

“A quietly reassuring story showing that change can be a good thing at times.” —Kirkus Reviews

“This is a feel-good story...a wonderful read-aloud, especially for snuggling by a fire on a cold night!” —School Library Journal

Try though she might, ten-year-old Lucy Castor can’t seem to stop the world around her from changing in this charming and funny novel by Natasha Lowe in the tradition of the Penderwicks series.

Lucy’s life is perfect and she doesn’t want to change a thing. With everyone growing up around her, Lucy just wants everything to just stay the way it is. Then she discovers her mother is having another baby and Lucy is sure that her parents don’t want her anymore. Classic, heartwarming, and quirky, this cozy story is about holding onto the magic of childhood.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781534401969
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
Publication date:	02/20/2018
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.10(d)
Lexile:	880L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Natasha Lowe knew as a child that she wanted to be either a writer, an adventurer, or to open a fancy teashop. So she did a little bit of everything, traveling from her native London to America where she ran The Tea House bed and breakfast and wowed guests with her grandmother’s shortbread recipe. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and four children. She is the author of the Poppy Pendle series and Lucy Castor Finds Her Sparkle.

Read an Excerpt

Lucy Castor Finds Her Sparkle


LUCY CASTOR DID NOT LIKE change. It made her queasy and uncomfortable, and she tried to avoid it at all costs. Luckily, she had lived her whole life in the little western Massachusetts town of Hawthorne, in the same clapboard house on the same street with the same set of parents, so change was not something Lucy had to deal with very often. And when it did come along, she could usually cope with it, like the time her mother decided to make chicken on Monday instead of spaghetti, or insisted Lucy wear a skirt and not her usual sweatpants when they went out for dinner. Or the time her parents replaced their old green sofa (the one Lucy felt certain could fly if she knew the right magic words) without asking her first. These things were mildly upsetting (well, the sofa was heartbreaking) but Lucy generally recovered quite quickly, and life would go on in its familiar, comfortable groove.

At least until the weekend before she entered fourth grade, when a series of monumental events shook Lucy’s world, and everything began to change.

Editorial Reviews

"This is a feel-good story that draws the reader into the magic and the changes of Lucy’s life in a way that is impossible to put down, the words flowing with an irresistible beauty. This would be a wonderful read-aloud, especially snuggling by a fire on a cold night! " — School Library Connection

School Library Connection

02/01/2018
Gr 3–5—It's the summer before fourth grade, and Lucy is encountering unwelcome changes. Her former best friend has stopped believing in magic and become a "Sparkle Girl," hanging out with a new group of girls; her grumpy neighbor has put up a sun-blocking fence; and, worst of all, her mom has announced that she's pregnant—with twins. But with the help of her supportive parents, a new friend at school, and a teenage neighbor, Lucy learns to embrace change as its own kind of magic. A few scattered Briticisms and an overall nostalgic tone make this a cozy, if predictable, read. VERDICT Lucy's character seems young for her age, but this quiet, almost timeless tale may appeal to young readers who are similarly resistant to growing up.—Laurie Slagenwhite Walters, Brighton District Library, Brighton, MI

School Library Journal

2017-11-13
Lucy Castor does not like change, but the weekend before she enters fourth grade her world begins to change anyway. How will Lucy cope?After spending the summer away, Lucy comes home to find her best friend, Ella, has new friends, and they no longer have anything in common. Her teenage neighbor, Chloe, makes her nervous with her piercings and vibrantly colored hair. And worst of all, Lucy's mother is expecting twins. Featuring an all-white cast of characters, the story takes place in the small fictional town of Hawthorne, Massachusetts. As the household routines change to accommodate for Mrs. Castor's difficult pregnancy, Lucy must learn to deal with her anger and anxiety. Though giving up on her friendship with Ella hurts, she also learns to make new friends. And when Chloe comes to work in her house, she learns there is more to a person than appearances. Though the ending is predictable, it is Lucy's journey toward that end that will keep readers engaged. There is a certain quaint quality to the story, starting with the niceness of all the characters and including some Briticisms here and there—high school teacher Mr. Castor doesn't grade, he "marks"; the babies wear "nappies"—yet the story manages to avoid saccharine sweetness. A quietly reassuring story showing that change can be a good thing at times. (Fiction. 8-10)

Kirkus Reviews