Seek tirelessly and you shall not find a contemporary heroine of middle-grade literature as refined and romantic as Miss Polly Madassa. Still swoon...
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Jul 07, 2011
Jenn
rated it: 
i'm such a sucker for a pretty book cover, and i still think that this one is a beauty. but it also raised expectations, already somewhat elevated by some advanced praise i read of the book. alas, it didn't quite live up to either. which is a darn shame, because i still think the idea is solid and that polly has the makings of a good character. but ...
the word "annoying" has been bandied about a lot on these other goodreads reviws and i'm going to agree with them. and it More...
the word "annoying" has been bandied about a lot on these other goodreads reviws and i'm going to agree with them. and it More...
3 comments
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Apr 25, 2011
Dellafirayama
rated it: 
Ia lebih menyukai lilin daripada lampu, lebih suka suara mesin tik daripada komputer, dan sangat menyukai gaun berhias renda dan kerutan. Ia bicara dalam bahasa berbunga-bunga, senang bersepeda sambil menikmati wangi garam di udara (karena ia tinggal dekat laut), dan mengawali tiap pagi dengan harum roti dan gula karena kedua orang tuanya memiliki toko roti.
Namanya Polly Madassa, usia 12 tahun. Novel kesukaan: Anne of The Green Gables dan Pride and Prejudice. Berbekal kedua novel rom More...
Namanya Polly Madassa, usia 12 tahun. Novel kesukaan: Anne of The Green Gables dan Pride and Prejudice. Berbekal kedua novel rom More...
6 comments
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Dec 22, 2009
Yan
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Mar 27, 2011
JG (The Introverted Reader)
rated it:
At the tender age of 12, Polly Madassa has discovered Jane Austen and fallen hopelessly in love. Convinced that she's an Austen heroine born in the wrong time, Polly walks around her modern town speaking in Austen's flowery prose. She's only read Pride and Prejudice, and so has not learned Emma's lesson about meddling. Polly goes about delivering baked goods from her family's bakery and trying to spread happiness and love among her neighbors by matchmaking. Of course, as we all know, the cou
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(3 people liked it)
Mar 02, 2010
Michelle
rated it: 
The Original Review - Here!
The narrator of the story, Polly, is a charming girl who enjoys classic stuff. In the summer the story’s narrated, Polly finds herself at a new job; making deliveries for her parent’s bakery while remembering her matchmaking gift at a singular situation she decides to find an “true love” to her Dearest Fran father. This is where the adventure starts since Polly already feels confident about her gift that she decides to take her town’s romantic inte More...
The narrator of the story, Polly, is a charming girl who enjoys classic stuff. In the summer the story’s narrated, Polly finds herself at a new job; making deliveries for her parent’s bakery while remembering her matchmaking gift at a singular situation she decides to find an “true love” to her Dearest Fran father. This is where the adventure starts since Polly already feels confident about her gift that she decides to take her town’s romantic inte More...
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Dec 14, 2011
Liyana
rated it:
Polly didn't appeal to me as a character at first mainly because I wasn't used to her speaking in Victorian era English. It was different, it was slightly odd and I didn't like it. However, there's more to a story than the way it was narrated, and the more I read, the more I liked Polly and her way of speaking.
The first half was slow, much of it revolving around Olde English Polly's attempts to matchmake people around her. She was set in her ways and it was frustrating, seeing her tryi More...
The first half was slow, much of it revolving around Olde English Polly's attempts to matchmake people around her. She was set in her ways and it was frustrating, seeing her tryi More...
Dec 30, 2010
Karissa
rated it:
To be perfectly honest, I picked up this book because I loved the cover...that and I like Jane Austen. It was a cute, fun, silly, and quick read. I enjoyed it.
12 year old Polly Madessa has just finished reading "Pride and Prejudice" and has decided that she has a new goal for the summer...to make people fall in love. In between delivering pastries for her parents' bakery she works to push people together and pull people apart (when she doesn't think they are well suited). In More...
12 year old Polly Madessa has just finished reading "Pride and Prejudice" and has decided that she has a new goal for the summer...to make people fall in love. In between delivering pastries for her parents' bakery she works to push people together and pull people apart (when she doesn't think they are well suited). In More...
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Dec 01, 2010
Mundie Moms & Mundie Kids
rated it:
3.5 stars!
Polly is quite the romantic 12 year old day dreamer. She wants to bring to life the characters and their love stories from her favorite classic novels, and enforce it upon those around her. Not realizing the harm this will cause them, Polly takes it upon herself to bring love to those she feels needs it. While she has the best intentions, she will soon learn that real life love isn't always like the love that's in the best novels.
Polly is definitely born a 21st ce More...
Polly is quite the romantic 12 year old day dreamer. She wants to bring to life the characters and their love stories from her favorite classic novels, and enforce it upon those around her. Not realizing the harm this will cause them, Polly takes it upon herself to bring love to those she feels needs it. While she has the best intentions, she will soon learn that real life love isn't always like the love that's in the best novels.
Polly is definitely born a 21st ce More...
Mar 22, 2010
Andrea
rated it:
Polly Madassa is quite the winsome character, and I adore her. She takes her favorite novels very seriously, allowing them to inspire the way she dresses, talks, and interacts with others. With books as her guide, she tends to get lost in whimsical fantasies and has a flair for the dramatic. But her heart is in the right place.
Though she sometimes slips up and talks like a modern girl, her narration is very much like reading novels by Jane Austen and Lucy Maud Montgomery. It was refr More...
Though she sometimes slips up and talks like a modern girl, her narration is very much like reading novels by Jane Austen and Lucy Maud Montgomery. It was refr More...
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Sep 06, 2011
Lrclark83
rated it:
I purchased this book in hopes of adding it to my middle school library in the Bronx. After reading it, I ultimately decided that it wasn't for my students. Although it is titled after "Sense and Sensibility" and the main character is fixated on "Pride and Prejudice", the story is modeled after Austen's "Emma". The main character is immersed in acting out her fantasies of "Pride and Prejudice" and "Anne of Green Gables". One summer on the Jer
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Jan 21, 2012
Mary-megan
rated it:
This novel is a slightly overdone comedy of errors that tries to be unique and quirky but sometimes come across with too much flavor for my palette.
Polly is in love with the romances of Anne of Green Gables and Pride and Prejudice. Lost in those worlds right down to her dress and speak, Polly takes it upon herself to insure that this summer all those around her are happily in love. She decides it is up to her to find a love connection for her best friend Fran's father, two elderly n More...
Polly is in love with the romances of Anne of Green Gables and Pride and Prejudice. Lost in those worlds right down to her dress and speak, Polly takes it upon herself to insure that this summer all those around her are happily in love. She decides it is up to her to find a love connection for her best friend Fran's father, two elderly n More...
Apr 11, 2011
Mia Queen
rated it:
Polly Madasa, gadis kecil berusia 12 tahun mungkin bisa kita anugrahkan predikat gadis paling romantis yang ada di muka bumi. Bagaimana tidak, buku favoritnya Pride and Predudice and Anne of Green Gables yang dibaca berulang kali. Ia lebih menyukai menulis dengan lilin dibanding mengetik di internet. Bahasa sehari-hari Pollypun sama persis dengan kalimat jadul ala Anne ditambah Polly juga pengkhayal kelas berat, sering kali orang tua dan teman-temannya dibuat bingung oleh tingkah laku Polly yang
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Apr 24, 2011
Melisa
rated it:
Saya ingin menampar Polly Madassa!
Yap, Polly Madassa, seandainya ia benar-benar nyata, pasti adalah gadis dua belas tahun paling menyebalkan di muka bumi. Dia kira dia sudah mengetahui semuanya tentang cinta dengan membaca Pride and Prejudice serta Anne of Green Gables berulang kali. Ia kecanduan segala sesuatu yang berbau romantis, setiap kata yang ia ucapkan (atau pikirkan) selalu berbunga-bunga dengan kata-kata seperti “indah”, “cantik”, “molek”, “anggun”, dan sebagainya.
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Yap, Polly Madassa, seandainya ia benar-benar nyata, pasti adalah gadis dua belas tahun paling menyebalkan di muka bumi. Dia kira dia sudah mengetahui semuanya tentang cinta dengan membaca Pride and Prejudice serta Anne of Green Gables berulang kali. Ia kecanduan segala sesuatu yang berbau romantis, setiap kata yang ia ucapkan (atau pikirkan) selalu berbunga-bunga dengan kata-kata seperti “indah”, “cantik”, “molek”, “anggun”, dan sebagainya.
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Jan 24, 2010
Rachel
rated it:
Eland's protagonist, a middle schooler newly obsessed with Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice after a childhood of Anne of Green Gables, is written with quirky charm as she takes up calligraphy, wears dresses and bonnets, and otherwise does her best to live up to the example of her literary heroes. She has even schooled herself to speak (and think!) in an approximation of the proper English of centuries ago. It is the perfect hook.
Unfortunately, the protagonist is blind to the real- More...
Unfortunately, the protagonist is blind to the real- More...
May 03, 2011
The Winter Rose
rated it:
What a refreshing breath a fresh air this book is!
There is nothing spectacularly creative or amazing about it, but it is honest, simple and sweet. The author is not attempting to be clever or edgy. What we get is a very down to earth, adorable tale perfect for any romantic, young or old alike. In an industry plagued with poorly written, sensationalized supernatural romances, this story was such a welcomed relief.
The writing is good. There is nothing stand out about it, but the More...
There is nothing spectacularly creative or amazing about it, but it is honest, simple and sweet. The author is not attempting to be clever or edgy. What we get is a very down to earth, adorable tale perfect for any romantic, young or old alike. In an industry plagued with poorly written, sensationalized supernatural romances, this story was such a welcomed relief.
The writing is good. There is nothing stand out about it, but the More...
Oct 09, 2010
Montana
rated it:
Scones a
n
d
Sensibility
While swooning over Pride and Prejudice and Anne of Green Gables,twelve year old Polly Madassa Decides her Purpose in life:to help lonely hearts in search of love.with the summer stretching before her,and no obligations except to make deliveries for her parents bakery,this young cupid has ample time to find and mend some broken hearts in her New Jersey Shore town.
but like Jane Austen's Emma, Polly quickly More...
n
d
Sensibility
While swooning over Pride and Prejudice and Anne of Green Gables,twelve year old Polly Madassa Decides her Purpose in life:to help lonely hearts in search of love.with the summer stretching before her,and no obligations except to make deliveries for her parents bakery,this young cupid has ample time to find and mend some broken hearts in her New Jersey Shore town.
but like Jane Austen's Emma, Polly quickly More...
May 16, 2010
Books and Literature for Teens
rated it:
Sconces and Sensibility was a fun book to read. It might seem a little juvenile to older teens, but I thought it was a great story for pretty much any age. Polly, the main character, is a true romantic. She brings out the best and the worst in people. During this particular summer, Polly decides to take matters of love into her own hands had find suitable matches for her sister, Mr. Nighquist, Miss Wiskerton, and Mr. Fisk. The results were predicable, but I enjoyed watching Polly’s schemes unfol
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Feb 02, 2012
nicole
rated it:
“Upon turning the last delicate page” of her first Austen novel, and impassioned by her love of Lucy Maud Montgomery, 12 year old Polly Madassa announces that she will “no longer remain a material girl living in a material world, but [will] grasp on to the skirts of those elegant women before [her] and become at once a young lady of impeccable breeding, diction, and manner”. Alongside her fantasy of living a 19th century lifestyle, Polly idealizes the love lives of heroines Elizabeth Bennet and
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Jun 20, 2010
Kat
rated it:
Spell check is not enough. Pray, get thee a proofreader!
Let me preface by saying that I really like this book. Its characters are charming and the plot was easy to sink into. However, its spelling and grammatical errors slightly detracted from my enjoyment of the novel. I find it hard to turn off my brain and not notice errors when reading books, newspapers, magazines, Web sites, etc. How can a mistake like "As I road to Fran's house" (last paragraph of Chapter 19) get thro More...
Let me preface by saying that I really like this book. Its characters are charming and the plot was easy to sink into. However, its spelling and grammatical errors slightly detracted from my enjoyment of the novel. I find it hard to turn off my brain and not notice errors when reading books, newspapers, magazines, Web sites, etc. How can a mistake like "As I road to Fran's house" (last paragraph of Chapter 19) get thro More...
Nov 24, 2010
Erica
rated it:
A romantic book for tweenage readers who love Anne of Green Gables and Mr. Darcy?! That was all I needed to hear before delving into this charming tale of twelve-year-old Polly Madassa, who decides to play matchmaker (ála Austen’s Emma) in her small beach town, often with disastrous and comical results. The language is hilariously overwrought and the chapter titles adorable, as in “In Which My Family Is Introduced and My Bosom Friend Gives Me Distressing News.” I happily embraced my “30 going on
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Jun 28, 2011
Jasmine
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For a full review, please check out my review at the bookish mama
I chose to read this book because of the beautiful artwork on the cover. The story sounded intriguing from the recipe on the back and I was sold. Unfortunately, the story itself wasn't as great as I was expecting.
The main character, Polly is a very bookish young lady of 12 years. She loves Jane Austen (Pride and Prejudice in particular) and Anne of Green Gables. She loves all the romance of the books - the l More...
I chose to read this book because of the beautiful artwork on the cover. The story sounded intriguing from the recipe on the back and I was sold. Unfortunately, the story itself wasn't as great as I was expecting.
The main character, Polly is a very bookish young lady of 12 years. She loves Jane Austen (Pride and Prejudice in particular) and Anne of Green Gables. She loves all the romance of the books - the l More...
Mar 09, 2011
Reading Vacation's Mom
rated it:
This romantic book was unique because of Polly’s obsession with the rich society of the early 19th century. She speaks like the characters in Pride and Prejudice and Anne of Green Gables. Polly’s interest in that era makes the story even more romantic. I tried to picture Polly in the society she so loved. I have read the children’s editions of those two books, so I was familiar with the stories they told.
The idea of bringing lovers together is sweet, but Polly realizes that she may have bitt More...
The idea of bringing lovers together is sweet, but Polly realizes that she may have bitt More...
Apr 25, 2010
Vanessa
rated it:
Scones and Sensibility is a fun little tale of 12 year-old Penny and her matchmaking adventures. Penny loves two books: Anne of Green Gables and Pride and Prejudice. She loves them so much that she wishes her life were like the pages of those books. Penny talks like shes living in regency England, and is as dramatic as Anne Shirley herself. It is her love of these classic romances that inspires Penny to help her friends in her small beach town find love. However, Penny's matchmaking does not alw
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Jun 11, 2010
Kristen
rated it:
Why I read this: It's an Egmont debut.. and I love Egmont books.. seriously :-D.
Plot: A cute plot that parallels with Austen's Sense and Sensibility plot. I love how Polly is obsessed with Austen and LM Montgomery's books and I always cracked up when she reverted back to normal teenage speak (always just momentarily, of course). Definitely a fun story full of sweet intentions and consequences that Polly innocently does not anticipate.
Characters: Polly loves Pride and Prej More...
Plot: A cute plot that parallels with Austen's Sense and Sensibility plot. I love how Polly is obsessed with Austen and LM Montgomery's books and I always cracked up when she reverted back to normal teenage speak (always just momentarily, of course). Definitely a fun story full of sweet intentions and consequences that Polly innocently does not anticipate.
Characters: Polly loves Pride and Prej More...
Apr 06, 2010
Becky
rated it:
I really wanted to like this book, with its cute premise of a young girl infatuated with all things Jane Austen, the pastry shop, and multiple courtships, but I just didn't. While it might be because the 12 year old character Polly grated on my nerves with her endless talking as if she somehow was a Romantic period character, I simply couldn't shake my annoyance over her behavior. Yes, Polly was cute, the way a 12-year old is supposed to be cute, but I didn't really believe her either. I couldn'
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Jul 02, 2011
Utami
rated it:
BEgitu selesai membaca buku ini, what comes to my mind was: "Untung deh saya gak punya temen kayak Polly". Seriously, this girl was drowning in her own dreams. Memang tokoh sentral yang terlampau sempurna tidaklah menyenangkan. Tapi seseorang seperti Polly membuat saya pengen mengguncang-guncang bahunya dan berteriak, "WAKE UP!".
Cerita mdiawali dengan cukup manis, dan Polly sudah langsung muncul karakter romantisnya. Kemudian juga waktu dia mulai menyusun rencan perjodo More...
Cerita mdiawali dengan cukup manis, dan Polly sudah langsung muncul karakter romantisnya. Kemudian juga waktu dia mulai menyusun rencan perjodo More...
Jan 06, 2010
Wanda
rated it:
Beware! I made the mistake of picking this book (just to add to the TBR pile) and I looked inside it and before I knew it, I was held captive by Polly Madassa.
Let it be known that if Polly makes get it into her head that she can find you a match for your broken heart; you are in trouble, indeed. For Polly believes life is like the characters portrayed in her favorite books - Pride & Prejudice and Anne of Green Gables. However, while Polly might have the heart of Elizabeth, she h More...
Let it be known that if Polly makes get it into her head that she can find you a match for your broken heart; you are in trouble, indeed. For Polly believes life is like the characters portrayed in her favorite books - Pride & Prejudice and Anne of Green Gables. However, while Polly might have the heart of Elizabeth, she h More...
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Jan 22, 2010
Susan
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Polly seems like a typical pre-teen helping in her parents' bakery in a seaside resort. But--thanks to her love of Jane Austen--Polly sees herself as a gracious lady, and one with a talent for encouraging romance. She decides to spend the summer finding mates for her best friend's divorced father, a spinster neighbor, an elderly widower who keeps a kite shop, and most of all for her older sister, whose long-tiem boyfriend is clearly not worthy at all. Watching Polly entrench herself in a web
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May 09, 2010
I have never read anything by Jane Austen. I am writing a research paper on her and her writings, but I have never read any of her books. I have both Sense & Sensibility and Pride & Prejudice in my To-Read pile, but I haven’t had the chance to read either of them.
Now that I have read this book, though, I have to.
Scones & Sensibility is Lindsay Eland’s debut novel. It is a Middle Grade book, a genre I have never really explored, but it could easily double as a YA novel.
First off More...
Now that I have read this book, though, I have to.
Scones & Sensibility is Lindsay Eland’s debut novel. It is a Middle Grade book, a genre I have never really explored, but it could easily double as a YA novel.
First off More...
Apr 18, 2010
Kermit
rated it:
What's not to like about a book that is about a young girl who is obsessed with Lucy Maud Montgomery books (Anne of Green Gables) and also with Jane Austen books (Pride and Prejudice). The girl, Polly, has only read Pride and Prejudice, but the book is all about her acting like Austen's Emma.
Polly is 12-years-old and spends the summer match-making. The book is written in 1st person, and Polly writes in the style of Jane Austen which is amusing--but also occasionally annoying.
As s More...
Polly is 12-years-old and spends the summer match-making. The book is written in 1st person, and Polly writes in the style of Jane Austen which is amusing--but also occasionally annoying.
As s More...
