Shanny on Her Own

by Lael Littke

Fifteen-year-old Shannon learns a great deal about herself and life in general while spending the summer in the country with an elderly aunt.

Genres: Young Adult

179 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1988

About the author

Daughter of Frank George and Ada Geneva (Petersen) Jensen; married George C. Littke (a college professor), June 29, 1954; children: Lori S. Education: Utah State University, B.S., 1952; graduate study at City College (now City University of New York), 1955-59, and University of California--Los Angeles, 1968. Politics: Democrat. Religion: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon). Hobbies and other interests: Travel. Memberships: Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Council on Children's Literature. Agent: Jack Byrne, 3209 South Fifty-fifth St., Milwaukee, WI 53219-4433.

CAREER:

Gates Rubber Co., Denver, CO, secretary, 1952-54; Life Insurance Association of America, New York, NY, secretary, 1954-60; worked as a medical secretary for a physician in New York, NY, 1960-63; writer, 1963--. Taught writing classes in writers' programs at Pasadena City College and University of California--Los Angeles, 1978-88.

AWARDS:

Southern California Council on Children's Literature Award for notable work of fiction, 1992, for Blue Skye; Best Books for the Teen Age, New York Public Library, 2003, for Lake of Secrets.

Reviews

[Erica Leigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Absolutely zero stakes but still kinda fun. ~City girl with spiky purple hair who likes to unnerve strangers with depressing “fun facts” is sent to stay with her aunt in a small town, where she proceeds to join the hot boy’s band (they win the contest), run for pioneer queen (she wins the boy), and help train a troubled horse for the big horse parade (hmm nobody wins bc the hot boy gets injured and the horse dies).

Also, she gives a baby kitten cpr.

Anyway, collectively, this is the worst named cast of characters I’ve ever seen in my life. I know some are nicknames, but still:
Shanny
Thor
Flame
Aunt Adabelle
Bucky
Loydene
U-Haul
Dewitt
Twyla
Dannalee
Perlie
Gordie

Ironically, the cat Shirley has the most normal human name in the entire book.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

15 year-old Shanny is a misfit trying to find herself. Her despairing parents send her to a farm in Idaho to spend a summer with her great aunt Adabelle, supposedly helping her aunt to pack for a move to a retirement home. At first she doesn't fit in with the teens in the small town any better than she did at home. And Thor, a boy with SA (Sex Appeal), according to Aunt Adabelle, already has a girl friend in the perfect Twyla. Everything that Shanny does just turns out wrong. But an 8 year-old boy believes in her, and so does her aunt. The descriptions of the worn out bunking bronco, Blastoff, made me laugh. The kids in the town, besides Thor, have some strange names too: Loydena, DeWitt, Millard

It's a good teen angst story where everything turns out much better than it did when you were a teen. Not only does Shanny find herself, but also Aunt Adabelle does too.

[Malia · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my comfort books

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teen romance novel. What everyone wishes their teenage years were like. Move to a new town and be the star of the town.