Fourteen and Holding

Kobie Roberts #4

by Candice F. Ransom

Kobie becomes worried about the changes in her life as she starts high school without her best friend

Genres: Young Adult, Childrens, Fiction, Middle Grade

Mass Market Paperback

First published July 1, 1987

About the author

See also Candice Ransom

Ransom has published more than 150 books for children, and she is amazed every day that she's able to do this as her life's work. It's no small thing to discover at an early age (ten!) what one is meant to do, and then pursue that dream. For her, the best part of writing for children is that she can move between writing board books, picture books, easy readers, chapter books, middle grade novels, nonfiction, and biography. She is excited to move into picture book nonfiction with BONES IN THE WHITE HOUSE: THOMAS JEFFERSON'S MAMMOTH (Doubleday, 2020).

AMANDA PANDA QUITS KINDERGARTEN and the sequel AMANDA PANDA AND THE BIGGER, BETTER BIRTHDAY (Doubleday) are her first picture books with animal characters! She is proud of her easy readers featuring a brother and sister having fun throughout the year: PUMPKIN DAY, APPLE PICKING DAY, SNOW DAY, and GARDEN DAY. Look for more titles in this Level 1 series written in bouncy rhyme, plus the popular TOOTH FAIRY'S NIGHT (all Random House).

Reviews

[Speakercoret · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ya Tuhan, tolong berikan sjuta ksabaran dan kekuatan pd orangtua kobie dan orangtua "kobie"2 lainnya...

hadeeeeh, si kobie mah... kayaknya dia ga berubah2 deh..

hari pertama masuk sma woodson dia berangan2 seperti biasa, berusaha bteman dengan anak2 'gaul' sma woodson, tp sperti biasa jg semua kacau, bukannya bhasil masuk kelompok anak2 gaul dia malah ditempelin mulu ma sandy, tpaksa meminjami uang pada stuart yg diperas para senior.. untung ada eddie, tp seperti biasa jg, kobie selalu melihat keatas, kek pepatah gajah dipelupuk mata ga keliatan, malah merhatiin semut diseberang lautan (yah mirip2 itu lah) :p

suka sama yg dikatakan ibunya kobie, pas tau kobie marahan sama gretchen, sahabatnya.. "Kalau ingin bteman, kamu hrs lebih dulu mjadi seorang sahabat. Hidup ini timbal balik, kobie"

tapi ya namanya kobie, musti dibenturin kpalanya dulu bekali2 sebelum dia sadar kalo slama ini dia bukan tmn yg baik bagi siapapun, mentingin diri sendiri, dan slalu mrasa cuma dia sndiri yg punya masalah..

[JH · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this book was relatable as someone who longed to fit in as a teenager, I wish it had driven home the point that being an individual could be the coolest choice you make. The main plot of this book was a bully, and the school ignoring it.

I guess the book is just dated. Nowadays it would have played out very differently.

[Monica M · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5*
Guru BP dan guru PKK di sekolah Kobie kok menyebalkan begitu ya.
Akhir ceritanya kurang memuaskan menurut saya, tapi saya suka bagian pertemanan Kobie dan anak laki yang jago gambar itu. Sayang menggantung, mungkin karena ada buku seri berikutnya.

[Sendy Fitriani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Baca ulang buku yang dulu dibaca pas masih SD dan masih terasa seru campur kesal sama karakter-karakter "antagonis"nya sampai sekarang.
Jadi teringat lagi kalau dulu menganggap Kobie keren banget karena suka gambar dan bercita-cita jadi ilustrator Disney.

[Ossy Firstan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Selesai! Ga tahu Kobie yang ini kok terasa cepat sekali, hanya saja penyelesaian terasa kwntng. Duh, aku belum yang Kobie 15 tahun 🤣😭

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this 4th book of the series, Kobie starts high school. She has to go without best friend Gretchen, who was held back in the 8th grade. The high school is packed (4000 students!) and Kobie never sees anyone one she knows, other than super pest Stuart Buckley. She's befriended by a loudmouthed girl named Sandy and accidentally makes enemies with an older freshman named Jeanette (who claims her boyfriend is in a biker gang). She also has to deal with doddering Home Ec teacher Miss Channing, who mysteriously lets Jeanette get away with literally EVERYTHING (Jeanette doesn't cook, talks through class and leaves whenever she wants, yet gets better grades than Kobie, who ends up having to do Jeanette's share of the work). She still has issues with her mother and Gretchen (Kobie still hasn't quite learned that not everything is about her), but she only has one bratty moment (begging for a purple carpet). After bully Jeanette threatens to beat her up, Kobie goes 'on the lam' and eventually realizes who her real friends are.

I just had some problems with continuity in this one: since when is Kobie smart in her academic classes? She was always barely passing in the previous books. What happened to her much longed for Nifty notebook? Why did her mother's personality suddenly change completely (and does her mother still work)? What happened to alllll of the other kids Kobie met and (kind of) became friends with over the years...does she literally just not see them or seek them out anymore?

This one left a lot of unanswered questions: what's the outcome of the conference between Miss Channing & Kobie's mother? What about Eddie?? What is Kobie's mother so preoccupied with? I had to order a used copy of "Finally Fifteen" and it won't be here for 2 weeks...hopefully, it answers some of these questions.

[Natalie A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ransom Candice F. (1987) Fourteen and Holding New York: Scholastic. (185pp.).

As we all know, growing up is a part of life we live every day. We don’t always get exactly what we want and we learn that we can always find ways to be with our friends, even if they aren’t in the same grade as us. In Candice Ransoms’ book Fourteen and Holding she tells us about it from her point of view.

Kobie is a fourteen year old girl adjusting to her life as a freshman. She can’t wait to do things she wasn’t able to like get her ears pierced. You start to think to yourself, oh there’s no problem. But there is. Her best friend failed eighth grade and has to repeat it. Now Kobie has to fight ninth grade by herself. Luckily she does meet another girl. She’s not really the best pick for a friend. Why? Let’s just say that she could have a leparcon dancing around her desk and wouldn’t even get a glare from anyone.

This is the fourth book in the Kobie series. These are, to me, quick read book with no more than two hundred pages. While reading this book I felt like I know exactly what she’s going through. I would recommend this book for teens who are going through trouble. This book truly does get told from a person who’s been there and most likely won’t go back.

[Dhini · Rating 3 out of 5]

kisah ttg kobie, gadis remaja yang baru masuk sma dan berusaha beradaptasi dengan teman2 baru yg menyebalkan juga yang membuatnya tidak percaya diri...

lumayan seru

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fourteen and Holding
Ransom, Candice *
opening up to life a young girl tries to find her style and niche

[Samantha Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it