Lone Bean Chudney Ross Book Review

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Lone Bean Chudney Ross Book ReviewLone Bean by Chudney Ross
Published by Harper Collins on June 26th 2012
Genres: Young Adult, Social Issues, Friendship, Historical, Ancient Civilizations
Pages: 208
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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three-stars

I have a flower name . . . but it is long and hard to spell and terrible. I'll never tell anyone what it is. Mom and Dad sometimes call me by my real name when I'm in big trouble, but otherwise I'm just called Bean.
Bean Gibson is so excited about the first day of third grade, not even her m-e-a-n mean older sisters, Rose and Gardenia, can bring her down.
But Bean's year gets off to a bad start—her best friend, Carla, has made a new best friend, and Bean has to begin music lessons. Bean picks the violin (the cello is too big) and tries to find new friends, but music lessons are a lot of work, Goody Two-Shoes Gabrielle is prissy, and Terrible Tanisha is a bully. And Bean's mom is always at work. Bean h-a-t-e-s hates third grade!
Lone Bean is an entertaining read about spunky Bean Gibson and how she learns what it means to be a good friend. And that it's possible to have more than one.

Chudney Ross has a charming debut in Lone Bean that is faintly reminiscent of the Ramona Quimby books. Lone Bean opens with main character, Chrysanthemum ‘Bean’ as she prefers to be called, bursting with excitement over starting third grade, but Bean discovers the year won’t quite be what she expects.

Bean has two older sisters – Rose and Gardenia. her sisters are kind of mean, but she doesn’t mind because she has the best friend ever, Carla. Yet, when Bean returns from a summer vacation spent at her Grandma’s she finds that Carla has a new best friend, Sam. To make matters even worse, Bean’s music instructor father wants her to begin learning a new instrument. Will Bean spent her third grade year friendless and learning an instrument she loathes?

Lone Bean by Chudney Ross has themes that children aged 7 to 12 will be able to relate to. These range from being left out to the relationship and pecking order between siblings. Bean is dealing with a difficult and lonely time, yet she acts with aplomb and gains self discovery in the process. She is far  from perfect and often the quintessential annoying little sister. Bean’s growing pains and ultimate success ring true making Lone Bean a recommended read for elementary school kids.

Other reviews of Lone Bean by Chudney Ross:

Tina Says – “a great selection

Auntie Karen’s Book Pile – “clear and concise and fairly authentic

three-stars
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April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.
About April (Books&Wine)

April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.

Comments

  1. The cover is so cute. It reminds me of a pixar movie.

  2. This sounds like a cute book. I think it would be something I could read to my daughter down the road when she is a little older. Great review!!

  3. This looks really cute. I loved ramona as a kid and kind of like characters who are far from perfect. Plus, I love the cover!

  4. Aw, sounds like Bean’s year isn’t starting out very well. I’d be hoping things get better as I read this one.

  5. Reminiscent of Ramona Quimby? SAY NO MORE. Also the cover is totally cute, and I totally understand the pain of a music instructor father making you play an instrument you don’t want to!!

    Little Heidi: But Daddy, I wanna be a drummer!
    Daddy: Sorry Shortcake, drummers are just failed musicians.

  6. The cover is fantastic! This sounds like something I’d enjoy.