Life seems to have it in for Franny Flanders. Her best friends arent to be played with. When you mess with the universe, it can bite back in unex...
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reviews
Oct 11, 2011
Heather
rated it: 
Karma Bites was the funnest read I've had in a long time. It's definitely geared towards a younger crowd, the ten to fourteen year old crowd and fourteen may be pushing it, but I'm in my forties and I loved it. All the typical middle school players are there, the jocks, the cheerleaders, the band geeks, the smart geeks, the loners and a few special people that can go back and forth between the groups. That's what the main character of the novel, Franny, is, a floater. And the stress of it is
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Mar 09, 2011
Reading Vacation's Mom
rated it:
REVIEW
Karma Bites is one of the most entertaining books I have read in a long time. I never knew what to expect when Franny was baking one of the magical recipes. Many of the situations that she gets herself into are hilarious and unexpected.
This book is very light-hearted and fun. The chapters have cute names and there are even recipes scattered throughout the book. We made the “Sensationally Sexy Smoothy” and it was delicious. Luckily, it didn’t cause any magical changes for us!
The lesso More...
Karma Bites is one of the most entertaining books I have read in a long time. I never knew what to expect when Franny was baking one of the magical recipes. Many of the situations that she gets herself into are hilarious and unexpected.
This book is very light-hearted and fun. The chapters have cute names and there are even recipes scattered throughout the book. We made the “Sensationally Sexy Smoothy” and it was delicious. Luckily, it didn’t cause any magical changes for us!
The lesso More...
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Dec 11, 2011
Cat
rated it: 
Title: Karma Bites
Author: Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas
Year: 2010
ISBN: 9780547363011
Type: book
Genre: Fiction
Length/Pages & Reading Level: 432 pages; 9 and up
Publisher/Studio name: Sandpiper
Plot Summary: This is a story about a 7th grader, Franny Flanders who learns that her Granny possesses a magical box. Franny learns more about the powers of the box and begins using the magic of the box to improve her world, e.g., reuniting her friends, fixi More...
Author: Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas
Year: 2010
ISBN: 9780547363011
Type: book
Genre: Fiction
Length/Pages & Reading Level: 432 pages; 9 and up
Publisher/Studio name: Sandpiper
Plot Summary: This is a story about a 7th grader, Franny Flanders who learns that her Granny possesses a magical box. Franny learns more about the powers of the box and begins using the magic of the box to improve her world, e.g., reuniting her friends, fixi More...
Oct 03, 2011
Hylary
rated it:
Originally posted on my blog: http://libraryladyhylary.blogspot.com ! Check it out for more revies!
Franny Flanders is about to begin 7th grade and the worst thing has happened: in an effort to "go blonde," Franny's hair has accidentally been died orange by her best friend. Whoops! Luckily, Franny's Granny is able to reverse the damage using a mysterious oily mixture. Franny appreciates Granny's efforts, but things turn weird when Franny spends the first day of 7th grade spe More...
Franny Flanders is about to begin 7th grade and the worst thing has happened: in an effort to "go blonde," Franny's hair has accidentally been died orange by her best friend. Whoops! Luckily, Franny's Granny is able to reverse the damage using a mysterious oily mixture. Franny appreciates Granny's efforts, but things turn weird when Franny spends the first day of 7th grade spe More...
May 02, 2011
Audrey
rated it: 
Karma Bites was cute. Really cute. An absolutely adorable read for any middle grade reader, I think. I feel like the problem I have, a lot of times, with middle grade books, is that I am so far away from being that age that I'm just totally incapable of understanding the main character. Which leaves me finding them absolutely annoying and unsupportable. Franny Flanders, while slightly annoying at times, managed to escape the annoying middle grade main character stereotype.
She was funny More...
She was funny More...
Jun 15, 2010
Jasmyn9
rated it:
As Franny gets ready for the first day of school, she is convinced that her life sucks. She's managed to dye her hair orange, her parents are getting divorced, her two best friends aren't talking to each other, and to top it all off, her crazy grandmother has moved in. Grandma happens to have a few tricks up her sleeves to try and help Franny, but they are only to be used when there are no other options left.
Franny gets her hands on Grandma's trick, a magic box that provides recipes More...
Franny gets her hands on Grandma's trick, a magic box that provides recipes More...
Oct 07, 2010
Carolina
rated it:
It’s been awhile since I’ve read a middle grade book, but there was something about this premise that really got my attention (karma…magic recipes…hippie grandmother—love it). And I’m so glad I read it. What a fun story. Franny is such an amazing character—freaking hilarious, for starters. She’s full of spunk and ridiculous energy, but she’s also insecure and freaks out like any good tween would do. This girl is the very definition of what it is to be twelve years old, and KARMA BITES defines m
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Mar 09, 2011
Ana
rated it:
Karma Bites / 978-0-547-36301-1
Being in middle school can be very hard, with lots of capacity for angst and general drama, so it seems like Francisco's dreams have come true when she finds a magic box tucked away in her grandmother's closet. She has every intention of using the box for good - what harm could come from helping her friends reconnect (as well as her divorced parents!) and causing some much-needed morale boosts at school - but when the magic starts going horribly wrong, Franny learn More...
Being in middle school can be very hard, with lots of capacity for angst and general drama, so it seems like Francisco's dreams have come true when she finds a magic box tucked away in her grandmother's closet. She has every intention of using the box for good - what harm could come from helping her friends reconnect (as well as her divorced parents!) and causing some much-needed morale boosts at school - but when the magic starts going horribly wrong, Franny learn More...
Aug 20, 2010
Mireyah
rated it:
I was incredibly lucky to join Traveling ARC Tours and receive an ARC of KARMA BITES last week. (You'll be seeing a few more of these crop up soon.) I'll be passing it onto the next reviewer this week.
I was intrigued by the description (mainly the Karma aspect) of the book. I put the genre of this as somewhere between Young Adult and Middle Grade because the book itself is put in the Young Adult section, but it felt more like MG.
I had pretty high hopes for this, but I h More...
I was intrigued by the description (mainly the Karma aspect) of the book. I put the genre of this as somewhere between Young Adult and Middle Grade because the book itself is put in the Young Adult section, but it felt more like MG.
I had pretty high hopes for this, but I h More...
Jul 18, 2010
Gmr
rated it:
A great story filled with the antics of a young girl just trying to make the world (okay..her world) a better place...one heartfelt wish at a time. Franny Flanders is a border crosser in the hierarchy that is middle school...crossing the lines of peaks, geeks, beaks (and so on) in order to stay a true friend to her two besties. She's running interference so much of the time, she barely has time for herself, but THAT is all about to change thanks to Franny's Granny and her magic box. It seems
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Aug 04, 2010
Reading
rated it:
Karma Bites was a really cute book for middle grade girls, about a girl who tries to do the right thing, but in all the wrong ways. It was so entertaining to read about Franny, even as you can see that her choices are going to make her entire world spiral out of control. But, even though Franny makes some stupid decisions, you can tell that she just wants what's best for her friends, her school, and the world in general.
Unfortunately, Franny seemed like the only one with half a More...
Oct 08, 2010
Lisa
rated it:
I got this book through the Traveling ARC Tours. This was a fun little book full of little messages. If I found a box that could make my desires a reality, it would tough not to abuse that priviledge I think. Being twelve doesn't make it any easier. Poor Franny gets in over her head before too terribly long.
Franny was a great character. Things are turned upside down for Franny and she thinks with the help of the box, she can set things right again. I loved the fact that the More...
Franny was a great character. Things are turned upside down for Franny and she thinks with the help of the box, she can set things right again. I loved the fact that the More...
Jan 01, 2012
Caitlin
rated it:
Dealing with middle school's problems like the cliques and having fights with friends is all pretty stressful, and that's not counting the schoolwork. But for Franny Flanders, it gets even crazier when her Buddhist grandmother moves in and brings her magic box with her. Franny, finding it the easy way out, tries to use the power of the box to fix everything in her life. But then Franny finds out that things don't always go the way she wants. . . . Well, I don't wanna spoil it for the readers.
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Jul 24, 2010
Annie
rated it:
The main character in this novel, Franny Flanders, was so cute. The authors, Kramer and Thomas, did a fabulous job making the character not only likable but funny, which most of us writers know is hard to pull off. The concept is highly original and there were a lot of twists I was not excepting, which is awesome. The only issue I had with this novel was target range was a little lower in the Young Adult genre that I normally read, but I would definitely recommend this book to tweens and very ea
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Nov 24, 2010
A&E
rated it:
Hilarious! I don’t read a ton of Middle Grade or Tween fiction, but I’d read more if they were all as fun as KARMA BITES! Franny starts seventh grade feeling like the universe is against her. When her grandma shares a magic box with recipes that help solve problems, well…no murder, but plenty of mayhem ensues as Franny, full of good intentions, stirs bad situations into chaos. I cringed and laughed as Franny’s antics cause her world to spiral out of control, then laughed again as she puts them b
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Aug 27, 2010
Alex
rated it:
How cute! That was my first thought after reading Karma Bites because it really is. A very cute, and extremely light read made Karma Bites a very enjoyable read, especially for the summer. I definitely recommend this for younger teens, mostly girls.
Frannie was a great protagonist. She was very flawed and wasn’t portrayed as some perfect angel. Her friends, while slightly unbelievable, were very sweet and fun to read. They were there for her, even though it may not have been the best More...
Frannie was a great protagonist. She was very flawed and wasn’t portrayed as some perfect angel. Her friends, while slightly unbelievable, were very sweet and fun to read. They were there for her, even though it may not have been the best More...
Aug 28, 2010
Kristen
rated it:
Why I read this: One of the authors asked me to review this novel and I couldn't resist - it's a debut for both authors, Middle Grade, and involves some magical elements. What's not to like?
Plot: When Franny discovers how to use her grandmother's magical box of recipes, she decides to put it to good use - solving all of her problems. Let's just say there's some seriously hilarious and horrible results to this use of magic.
I really loved this book. The plot moved and More...
Plot: When Franny discovers how to use her grandmother's magical box of recipes, she decides to put it to good use - solving all of her problems. Let's just say there's some seriously hilarious and horrible results to this use of magic.
I really loved this book. The plot moved and More...
Aug 20, 2010
Reading Angel
rated it:
This book was hilarious! I was cracking up from the beginning to the end! My family kept looking at me like I was crazy every time I would start cackling. This may be a middle grade novel, but it is one I enjoyed just as much reading as an adult! It really reminded me of those awful middle school days, and those are undoubtedly the worst years of my life, as I'm sure it was for many of you!
Franny was smart, funny, and resourceful. She really got herself in some major trouble mes More...
Franny was smart, funny, and resourceful. She really got herself in some major trouble mes More...
Aug 13, 2010
Jami
rated it:
I had an absolute blast reading this book! This took me back to when first started reading as a tween. Back when I craved books that were fun and entertaining. Back when a happy ending was a given. If I was a tween again, Karma Bites would have made my world.
Franny is in a position we all go through at some point during our adolescents. She feels everything in her world is going wrong, and she has no control over it. Franny was such a likable and engaging character. The antics she ge More...
Franny is in a position we all go through at some point during our adolescents. She feels everything in her world is going wrong, and she has no control over it. Franny was such a likable and engaging character. The antics she ge More...
Oct 14, 2010
Jessica
rated it:
When I first started reading Karma Bites my first thoughts were as follows.
Do kids in middle school really talk like this?
Wow, who knew they could be so mean?
Pom? What on Earth is a Pom? Beek? Peek?
Obviously I had a very different middle school experience than most, although I didn't realize it until now. Then again I'm sure that growing up in a tiny town will do that to you. Honestly I had no idea that middle schoolers could be so mean to one More...
Do kids in middle school really talk like this?
Wow, who knew they could be so mean?
Pom? What on Earth is a Pom? Beek? Peek?
Obviously I had a very different middle school experience than most, although I didn't realize it until now. Then again I'm sure that growing up in a tiny town will do that to you. Honestly I had no idea that middle schoolers could be so mean to one More...
Feb 13, 2011
Jennifer
rated it:
Reviewed by Kira M for TeensReadToo.com
When Franny accidentally dies her hair orange, her grandmother uses a healing potion to turn it back to its normal color. The potion was made from a recipe from a magic box. With just the right touch, you can make a recipe come out that can pretty much cure any ailment in life.
When Franny gets to school, her two best friends are both demanding all of her time and refusing to spend any time together. The most popular girl in school is More...
When Franny accidentally dies her hair orange, her grandmother uses a healing potion to turn it back to its normal color. The potion was made from a recipe from a magic box. With just the right touch, you can make a recipe come out that can pretty much cure any ailment in life.
When Franny gets to school, her two best friends are both demanding all of her time and refusing to spend any time together. The most popular girl in school is More...
Aug 09, 2010
Tori [Book Faery]
rated it:
3.5/5 Stars
KARMA BITES is a well written, engaging story. I thought that Franny was extremely sophisticated for a middle schooler (I mean, really, I NEVER thought of some of the things that crossed her mind when I was that age). She actually seemed to be the only one who actually used her brain in the entire book. All the other kids tended to obsess over their social standings and her mother was some scatter brained author. Her granny was the only other truly memorable char More...
KARMA BITES is a well written, engaging story. I thought that Franny was extremely sophisticated for a middle schooler (I mean, really, I NEVER thought of some of the things that crossed her mind when I was that age). She actually seemed to be the only one who actually used her brain in the entire book. All the other kids tended to obsess over their social standings and her mother was some scatter brained author. Her granny was the only other truly memorable char More...
Aug 19, 2010
Jordan
rated it:
This book is fun. It will take you back to the days of sneaking the flashlight under the covers to read 'just one more chapter' of your Judy Blume or Goosebumps books. It's such a cute book. Pick it up for your kids!
Nov 14, 2010
Sue
rated it:
This book was very entertaining. I loved all the characters even the not so lovable ones like Elodie. Franny and her granny were my favorites. I loved the humor and how the book was written. Poor Franny is having best friend problems, divorce of her parents, dad's new girlfriend, hippy granny moving in. Franny needs help for her Bad Karma and granny's box with magic recipes could just help. Or could they? Wht happened when you try to change the universe? Might bite back.
Aug 26, 2010
Jennifer
rated it:
Utterly adorable - everything about it just screams cuteness!
The writing was witty and smart, the characters are supper adorable with heads on the shoulders (at least they start to have heads)!
Really amazing, smart read! :)
The writing was witty and smart, the characters are supper adorable with heads on the shoulders (at least they start to have heads)!
Really amazing, smart read! :)
Aug 04, 2010
Amy
rated it:
This book was so cute and funny that I couldn't stop reading it! I love it when a book can give a kid a lesson and still entertain them. A must read for anyone who loves a little magic in their lives.
Dec 18, 2010
Danyelle
rated it:
Fun read. The slang threw me at first, and the villain felt one dimensional. I would have like to have seen something good in her, but I did enjoy the growth the MC showed. :)
