What do you think?
Rate this book
The Boy on Cinnamon Street
A story about a wounded girl and the boy who won't give up on her.
7th grader Louise should be the captain of her school's gymnastics team - but she isn't. She's fun and cute and should have lots of friends - but she doesn't. And there's a dreamy boy who has a crush on her - but somehow they never connect. Louise has everything going for her - so what is it that's holding her back?
Phoebe Stone tells the winning story of the spring when 7th grader Louise Terrace wakes up, finds the courage to confront the painful family secret she's hiding from - and finally get the boy.
7th grader Louise should be the captain of her school's gymnastics team - but she isn't. She's fun and cute and should have lots of friends - but she doesn't. And there's a dreamy boy who has a crush on her - but somehow they never connect. Louise has everything going for her - so what is it that's holding her back?
Phoebe Stone tells the winning story of the spring when 7th grader Louise Terrace wakes up, finds the courage to confront the painful family secret she's hiding from - and finally get the boy.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2012
135 people are currently reading
3363 people want to read
About the author
Phoebe Stone
16 books156 followersBefore concentrating on creating books for children and young adults, Phoebe Stone had a very successful career established as a fine art's painter. During that time, she received two Vermont Council on the Arts Fellowships in painting and exhibited her work in many museums and galleries all around New England and New York City, and influenced many New England artists with her unique, brightly colored narrative and metaphorical style. "I was already working in sequences," she says, "but at some point I began to realize that I could combine my love for images and words in picture books for children."
Phoebe's picture books include When Wind Bear Goes Dancing, What Night do the Angels Wander, and Go Away, Shelly Boo! Original art from When Wind Bear Goes Dancing was included in the Society of Illustrators' Original Art '97 show. Go Away, Shelly Boo! was chosen as an American Bookseller Association's Pick of the Lists.
She has also written three novels, All the Blue Moons at the Wallace Hotel, Sonata #1 for Riley Red, and Deep Down Popular. The New York Times said of All the Blue Moons at the Wallace Hotel, "Stone's prose is poetic." The Boston Globe said of Sonata #1 for Riley Red, "Literature doesn't get much better than this."
Phoebe Stone lives in Middlebury, Vermont.
Phoebe's picture books include When Wind Bear Goes Dancing, What Night do the Angels Wander, and Go Away, Shelly Boo! Original art from When Wind Bear Goes Dancing was included in the Society of Illustrators' Original Art '97 show. Go Away, Shelly Boo! was chosen as an American Bookseller Association's Pick of the Lists.
She has also written three novels, All the Blue Moons at the Wallace Hotel, Sonata #1 for Riley Red, and Deep Down Popular. The New York Times said of All the Blue Moons at the Wallace Hotel, "Stone's prose is poetic." The Boston Globe said of Sonata #1 for Riley Red, "Literature doesn't get much better than this."
Phoebe Stone lives in Middlebury, Vermont.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 399 reviews
February 3, 2012
Tooth-achingly sweet and incredibly sad.
It's a story about a thirteen year old girl who has gone through a traumatic event that her mind blocked most of her treasured memories and with it, most of her former identity. Cartwheels used to be as natural as walking for Louise, but ever since that day, she quit gymnastics altogether. She used to write poetry, but now she's just bitter most of the time. This is a story about a girl who had become but a shadow of her former self and a boy who would do anything to bring the old Louise back.
For me, it's Louise's relationships with everyone that made the story. At times, it seems like the entire universe was conspiring for her memory to come back; little triggers and subtle push constructed within the sequence of plot events. There was nothing complex or even original about the plot, it's something I've read before. But I couldn't take anything away from the intricate way with which the author peeled the layers, bit by bit, to reveal what Louise's mind was shielding from her.
This was a story of a girl who had to come to terms with her mother's death, her father's abandonment, her over all lack of self-esteem. All heavy subjects, yes. But I love that the author used facile humour frequently to lure us into Louise's world. They weren't the ones that induced bouts of rip-roaring laughter but just enough to for us to see the lighter side of her life. Henderson, the boy who had harboured a crush for Louise was the icing on the cake of this heart-tugging story. He's so quirky, dorky, funny, and just plain lovable. I kept thinking, where was a boy like this when I was in seventh grade, huh? How come they don't make them like him anymore? He's the sweetest!
The Boy on Cinnamon Street is an uplifting story about a grieving family and of incomparabe friendships. I laughed, I teared, I rooted for the underdog and cheered for the innocence of romance between Thumb and Hen. It's a touching story of a girl who learned that sometimes, letting go is easier than holding on.
It's a story about a thirteen year old girl who has gone through a traumatic event that her mind blocked most of her treasured memories and with it, most of her former identity. Cartwheels used to be as natural as walking for Louise, but ever since that day, she quit gymnastics altogether. She used to write poetry, but now she's just bitter most of the time. This is a story about a girl who had become but a shadow of her former self and a boy who would do anything to bring the old Louise back.
For me, it's Louise's relationships with everyone that made the story. At times, it seems like the entire universe was conspiring for her memory to come back; little triggers and subtle push constructed within the sequence of plot events. There was nothing complex or even original about the plot, it's something I've read before. But I couldn't take anything away from the intricate way with which the author peeled the layers, bit by bit, to reveal what Louise's mind was shielding from her.
This was a story of a girl who had to come to terms with her mother's death, her father's abandonment, her over all lack of self-esteem. All heavy subjects, yes. But I love that the author used facile humour frequently to lure us into Louise's world. They weren't the ones that induced bouts of rip-roaring laughter but just enough to for us to see the lighter side of her life. Henderson, the boy who had harboured a crush for Louise was the icing on the cake of this heart-tugging story. He's so quirky, dorky, funny, and just plain lovable. I kept thinking, where was a boy like this when I was in seventh grade, huh? How come they don't make them like him anymore? He's the sweetest!
The Boy on Cinnamon Street is an uplifting story about a grieving family and of incomparabe friendships. I laughed, I teared, I rooted for the underdog and cheered for the innocence of romance between Thumb and Hen. It's a touching story of a girl who learned that sometimes, letting go is easier than holding on.
December 20, 2012
3.5 stars
Sometimes to get the best reading experience you just need to go into a book with no expectations what so ever. That way when you fall for the book so hard and fast it leaves you with an unforgettable reading experience. Show me a pretty cover and I go weak at the knees; I want the book straight away without even reading the blurb. That’s what I did with The Boy on Cinnamon Street, I saw the gorgeous cover and decided spur of the moment to buy a copy. So when picking it up I was surprised to find the mc was quite young, my fault really for not reading the blurb, I prefer my mc’s a little older, so I did at first find it hard to get with the mindset of Louise or Thumbelina as she preferred to be called, but I’m glad I stuck it out, as Louise bloomed into this lovely character with such a mature head on her shoulders. Reading the first third I assumed the book would be about a young girl with a school boy crush, and it did seem that the book was going in that direction. Some Random person leaves Louise a note declaring his interest, the note seems to appear at the same time the pizza delivery boy Benni McCartney does, so Louise puts two and two together and assumes it’s him. With encouragement from her best friend Reni she decides to pursue Benni anonymously.
It was cute seeing Louise’s infatuation with Benni develop, she was unsure what these weird feelings she started experienced recently were all about, as the only person she’d liked before was Frosty the Snowman! Despite liking this aspect of the story, I enjoyed the direction the book took about a third way through. Were given all these little clues and hints about Louise’s life; she’s living with her grandparents, but why? Why did she move in with them, she mentioned a mum and dad but where are they? And it was interesting delving into the mystery surrounding Louise’s life. I wanted to know why she’d given up gymnastics, a sport she’d been so passionate about but also really talented at. Stone in my opinion did a fantastic job at exploring this, with her own personal touch, she was able to bring about such a bittersweet and realistic story of Louise tinged with humour and hope.
The Boy on Cinnamon Street was definitely a book which took me by surprise. If you’re in the mood for trying something different; a story with the voice of a younger mc but still manages to leave a heartfelt impression, then you should definitely give this book a try. There’s also a fantastic bunch of secondary characters who will keep you entertained!
This review can be found on: The Readers Den
Sometimes to get the best reading experience you just need to go into a book with no expectations what so ever. That way when you fall for the book so hard and fast it leaves you with an unforgettable reading experience. Show me a pretty cover and I go weak at the knees; I want the book straight away without even reading the blurb. That’s what I did with The Boy on Cinnamon Street, I saw the gorgeous cover and decided spur of the moment to buy a copy. So when picking it up I was surprised to find the mc was quite young, my fault really for not reading the blurb, I prefer my mc’s a little older, so I did at first find it hard to get with the mindset of Louise or Thumbelina as she preferred to be called, but I’m glad I stuck it out, as Louise bloomed into this lovely character with such a mature head on her shoulders. Reading the first third I assumed the book would be about a young girl with a school boy crush, and it did seem that the book was going in that direction. Some Random person leaves Louise a note declaring his interest, the note seems to appear at the same time the pizza delivery boy Benni McCartney does, so Louise puts two and two together and assumes it’s him. With encouragement from her best friend Reni she decides to pursue Benni anonymously.
It was cute seeing Louise’s infatuation with Benni develop, she was unsure what these weird feelings she started experienced recently were all about, as the only person she’d liked before was Frosty the Snowman! Despite liking this aspect of the story, I enjoyed the direction the book took about a third way through. Were given all these little clues and hints about Louise’s life; she’s living with her grandparents, but why? Why did she move in with them, she mentioned a mum and dad but where are they? And it was interesting delving into the mystery surrounding Louise’s life. I wanted to know why she’d given up gymnastics, a sport she’d been so passionate about but also really talented at. Stone in my opinion did a fantastic job at exploring this, with her own personal touch, she was able to bring about such a bittersweet and realistic story of Louise tinged with humour and hope.
The Boy on Cinnamon Street was definitely a book which took me by surprise. If you’re in the mood for trying something different; a story with the voice of a younger mc but still manages to leave a heartfelt impression, then you should definitely give this book a try. There’s also a fantastic bunch of secondary characters who will keep you entertained!
This review can be found on: The Readers Den
July 21, 2012
It has been a while since a book brought tears to my eyes, but this beautiful book struck a chord with me and down my cheeks they fell. Louise begins her story by telling the reader that she has changed her name to Thumbelina. Both characters are known for being small and this is how she chooses to identify herself. A note delivered with her pizza sends Louise on a quest to figure out the identity of her secret admirer.
On the surface this story is light and fun as Louise/Thumbelina and her friend Reni gush over the boy they think wrote the note and plot and scheme to get Louise a date to the Spring Fling. Below the surface though Louise struggles with family trauma. Throughout the book there are hints regarding her secret pain tied to her parents and it is not until late in the book that Louise's memory finally kicks in and she confronts a painful secret.
The love story and the identity of the secret admirer is second to none. In life the most anyone can hope for is to be loved as completely as Louise is by her secret admirer.
I loved the characterization of Louise and all of the secondary characters. Many of the characters underwent important changes and the voice with which Louise told her story was authentic and unique. The author's writing is top notch and her subject is one of high interest to preteen girls.
Great read for girls grades 5-8.
On the surface this story is light and fun as Louise/Thumbelina and her friend Reni gush over the boy they think wrote the note and plot and scheme to get Louise a date to the Spring Fling. Below the surface though Louise struggles with family trauma. Throughout the book there are hints regarding her secret pain tied to her parents and it is not until late in the book that Louise's memory finally kicks in and she confronts a painful secret.
The love story and the identity of the secret admirer is second to none. In life the most anyone can hope for is to be loved as completely as Louise is by her secret admirer.
I loved the characterization of Louise and all of the secondary characters. Many of the characters underwent important changes and the voice with which Louise told her story was authentic and unique. The author's writing is top notch and her subject is one of high interest to preteen girls.
Great read for girls grades 5-8.
April 18, 2012
I DO NOT get the love for this book. Louise is a seventh grader who looks like a fourth grader but also talks, thinks and acts like a fourth grader. She's not very interesting or bright or insightful. Because the book is narrated in first person through her perspective, this was problematic for me. I don't want to read a story written by an immature, dim-witted fourth/seventh-grader. Overall the writing was uninspired and, at times, annoying. I found all of the dialogue to be really awkward, so much so that a few times I wondered if it was translated from another language.
It was pretty clear what trauma Louise suffered early on in the book so it wasn't much of a surprise. I actually was expecting something a little more gruesome or horrifying due to earliest flashback when she's struggling to make it to the front yard of her home. I thought that one of her parents tried to kill the family the him/herself. When her memory finally returns, I admit I got teary but I also couldn't help feeling emotionally manipulated as well. The romance element was also disappointing. I guess it was hard to get on board with the idea of Louise being seriously in love when I kept thinking of her as a young child. Also, they're in seventh grade but they're going to prom? What? Why do people like this book?
It was pretty clear what trauma Louise suffered early on in the book so it wasn't much of a surprise. I actually was expecting something a little more gruesome or horrifying due to earliest flashback when she's struggling to make it to the front yard of her home. I thought that one of her parents tried to kill the family the him/herself. When her memory finally returns, I admit I got teary but I also couldn't help feeling emotionally manipulated as well. The romance element was also disappointing. I guess it was hard to get on board with the idea of Louise being seriously in love when I kept thinking of her as a young child. Also, they're in seventh grade but they're going to prom? What? Why do people like this book?
April 27, 2013
Okay, to be fair, this book started off putting a bad taste in my mouth when Louise's best friend, a fat girl, is described as wearing this: "Her T-Shirt is a Gap XL and across the front are the printed words LOVE ME ANYWAY?" (page 24)
This is a powerful story of a girl dealing with trauma that's caused memory loss and the boy who starts her path to recovering her memories and dealing with them. But I got bogged down in details like being confused about whether she used to live in South Pottsville and now lives in North Pottsville or vice versa. Besides the trauma, Louise is also dealing with boys she may or may not have crushes on and the fact that she's quite gymnastics because the girls on the team bullied her. It's just a lot for one book and I wish I felt like I had gotten to know Louise more instead of just watching drama unfold in her life. (Albeit, Louise can't really remember a lot of the stuff from her past, so maybe that's realistic?)
Also, multiple references to Justin Bieber fandom are sure to date the book quickly (if it's not dated already... I know some of our library tweens have been over JB for *awhile* already).
This is a powerful story of a girl dealing with trauma that's caused memory loss and the boy who starts her path to recovering her memories and dealing with them. But I got bogged down in details like being confused about whether she used to live in South Pottsville and now lives in North Pottsville or vice versa. Besides the trauma, Louise is also dealing with boys she may or may not have crushes on and the fact that she's quite gymnastics because the girls on the team bullied her. It's just a lot for one book and I wish I felt like I had gotten to know Louise more instead of just watching drama unfold in her life. (Albeit, Louise can't really remember a lot of the stuff from her past, so maybe that's realistic?)
Also, multiple references to Justin Bieber fandom are sure to date the book quickly (if it's not dated already... I know some of our library tweens have been over JB for *awhile* already).
December 8, 2012
Oh mannnn.... this was so good. :D I loved that Henderson kid, but I loved Thumb so much too... and I loved Grandpa and Grandma and Reni too... I'm full of love right now lol. I even loved her mom... only I did not at all like her dad or that bullying kid or even the rest of the Elliots that much either. So I guess I'm not that full of love.
Still... Mmmhhhh... *happy sigh*
(Also: kissing with eyes? Too cute!)
(Even though Islamically and therefore according to my principles I don't agree with a lot of stuff, but as a story, 'twas awesome.)
Still... Mmmhhhh... *happy sigh*
(Also: kissing with eyes? Too cute!)
(Even though Islamically and therefore according to my principles I don't agree with a lot of stuff, but as a story, 'twas awesome.)
February 20, 2012
My sister told me about this book but I really didn’t really know what I was getting into when I started this book. I’m glad she put it on my radar because I loved it. It such a cute, fun and touching story that every person will enjoy.
Louise is a very cute character. She’s short (but hated that she’s short), bitter and sad… you can say she’s a little depressed. I could not blame her; she went through a lot for a seventh grader. She lost her mother and her father doesn’t live with her. She lives with her grandparents who love Louise and are worried about her, her memory loss or her denial. I adored Louise’s grandparents. They are caring and loving--grandparents everyone would love to have.
Louise used to love gymnastic, but the painful family problem she’s trying not to remember is keeping her from doing things that she loved, among other reasons. As much as we like to think that we are a lone now and then, there is at least one person who cares for us, about us. In this book, it’s Henderson, Louise’s best friend. I loved this little guy. He’s so geeky, funny, sweet and just an adorable kid. I also like his sister, Reni, and also Louise other best friend.
The Boy on Cinnamon Street is a well written book. I was able to figure out the book after reading the first 50 pages and the ending was predictable, but I really enjoyed knowing the how and the what.
A cute, easy, quick read that is good for summer or between dark books. Even though I cried in some part of the books, I admit. Overall, I very much enjoyed it.
Louise is a very cute character. She’s short (but hated that she’s short), bitter and sad… you can say she’s a little depressed. I could not blame her; she went through a lot for a seventh grader. She lost her mother and her father doesn’t live with her. She lives with her grandparents who love Louise and are worried about her, her memory loss or her denial. I adored Louise’s grandparents. They are caring and loving--grandparents everyone would love to have.
Louise used to love gymnastic, but the painful family problem she’s trying not to remember is keeping her from doing things that she loved, among other reasons. As much as we like to think that we are a lone now and then, there is at least one person who cares for us, about us. In this book, it’s Henderson, Louise’s best friend. I loved this little guy. He’s so geeky, funny, sweet and just an adorable kid. I also like his sister, Reni, and also Louise other best friend.
The Boy on Cinnamon Street is a well written book. I was able to figure out the book after reading the first 50 pages and the ending was predictable, but I really enjoyed knowing the how and the what.
A cute, easy, quick read that is good for summer or between dark books. Even though I cried in some part of the books, I admit. Overall, I very much enjoyed it.
June 15, 2012
Although the book is sad, it wasn't presented very well. I half-forced myself to finish this book (because I hate not finishing books I start) and only when I reached Chapter 21 did I get into it. I think it has a lot of potential, but ultimately, it's downfall was that the main character Louise/Thumbelina was very uninteresting, until it came to her background of course. I couldn't connect with her. In fact, I felt like I connected more with one of the other characters, Henderson. At the end, I didn't really care for this book as much as I wanted to.
October 17, 2017
I love how poetic this author is. She has a way of ending every chapter that makes you need to keep going. She makes the ordinary things into a poem.
There were a couple mentions of things like Evolution, and such which I didn't love, but it to be expected in a secular book. I didn't take anything off my rating for that.
The reason I only rated this book three (and a half) stars was because most of the book is spent with the main character trying to decide weather she had a crush on someone. Now I can stand someone having a crush, its not to bad, but when they can't even decide if they have it or not, that's a bit much for me. I also found it annoying that no one really liked their siblings.
But Louisa's backstory coming out was done perfectly. And the conclusion was beautiful. I really admire how this author manages to keep so many threads up throughout the book. She never mentions something to much, but just enough that you always remember it. And you probably will remember parts of the book forever.
There were a couple mentions of things like Evolution, and such which I didn't love, but it to be expected in a secular book. I didn't take anything off my rating for that.
The reason I only rated this book three (and a half) stars was because most of the book is spent with the main character trying to decide weather she had a crush on someone. Now I can stand someone having a crush, its not to bad, but when they can't even decide if they have it or not, that's a bit much for me. I also found it annoying that no one really liked their siblings.
But Louisa's backstory coming out was done perfectly. And the conclusion was beautiful. I really admire how this author manages to keep so many threads up throughout the book. She never mentions something to much, but just enough that you always remember it. And you probably will remember parts of the book forever.
April 14, 2012
My rating: 3/5 stars
Read the review in my blog!
May contain some spoilers
Louise is a seventh grader, living with her grandparents. She wants to be called Thumbelina, because she's just as tiny. She has a best friend, Reni, who has huge crush on Justin Bieber. Yeah, I don't get it either.
Reni has a brother, Henderson, who is smart and also a friend of Louise.
One day, boy called Benny brings a pizza to Louise and she can't shake this feeling that there's something special about this boy.
Her friend Reni is convinced that Louise has a crush on Benny, and since Louise is receiving notes from a secret admirer, they're convinced that Benny likes her back.
This book did have a lot of potential, but I just didn't really connect with it. Through out the story you'll get little glimpses where you suspect that everything isn't what it looks like, but it's just too little information.
And it's really, really weird to constantly mention Justin Bieber and that Louise is convinced she has a crush on someone just because her friend tells her so. I mean, come on, wouldn't you know if you had crush on someone?! Especially since the feelings Louise has towards Benny aren't really that positive. It's just weird.
I actually thought this would be more about romance and young love than anything else. And I was nearly finished with the book when I realized that Oh, this is about some sort of trauma! It was pretty hard to figure this out, since nothing huge wasn't revealed until I was nearly finished with the book.
And I really did like the ending, since there was some real emotions. I actually did cry little, which is the main reason I didn't completely hate this book. I did consider few times that I would stop reading without finishing this book, but since the best part was in the end, I'm glad I finished this.
Though I still feel that you shouldn't just write a good ending, since some people might stop reading before that since the ride isn't just that nice.
Overall, a nice read. An okay read. And that's only because the ending was great, which somewhat balances the not-so-great parts. Maybe I'm just too old for this, and the Justin Bieber- references really didn't help. And it won't take long time before nobody remembers who the hell is Justin Bieber, so it probably would have been smarter to leave his name out altogether.
Love,
Monaliz @ Mind Reading?
Read the review in my blog!
May contain some spoilers
Louise is a seventh grader, living with her grandparents. She wants to be called Thumbelina, because she's just as tiny. She has a best friend, Reni, who has huge crush on Justin Bieber. Yeah, I don't get it either.
Reni has a brother, Henderson, who is smart and also a friend of Louise.
One day, boy called Benny brings a pizza to Louise and she can't shake this feeling that there's something special about this boy.
Her friend Reni is convinced that Louise has a crush on Benny, and since Louise is receiving notes from a secret admirer, they're convinced that Benny likes her back.
This book did have a lot of potential, but I just didn't really connect with it. Through out the story you'll get little glimpses where you suspect that everything isn't what it looks like, but it's just too little information.
And it's really, really weird to constantly mention Justin Bieber and that Louise is convinced she has a crush on someone just because her friend tells her so. I mean, come on, wouldn't you know if you had crush on someone?! Especially since the feelings Louise has towards Benny aren't really that positive. It's just weird.
I actually thought this would be more about romance and young love than anything else. And I was nearly finished with the book when I realized that Oh, this is about some sort of trauma! It was pretty hard to figure this out, since nothing huge wasn't revealed until I was nearly finished with the book.
And I really did like the ending, since there was some real emotions. I actually did cry little, which is the main reason I didn't completely hate this book. I did consider few times that I would stop reading without finishing this book, but since the best part was in the end, I'm glad I finished this.
Though I still feel that you shouldn't just write a good ending, since some people might stop reading before that since the ride isn't just that nice.
Overall, a nice read. An okay read. And that's only because the ending was great, which somewhat balances the not-so-great parts. Maybe I'm just too old for this, and the Justin Bieber- references really didn't help. And it won't take long time before nobody remembers who the hell is Justin Bieber, so it probably would have been smarter to leave his name out altogether.
Love,
Monaliz @ Mind Reading?
February 8, 2012
This is the story about a girl who used to be someone different. Who used to feel alive, loved gymnastics, being with her friends and writing poetry. It's a story about a girl who dealt with something so traumatic it changed her completely. This is the story about a boy who loves this broken girl and will do anything to make her feel whole again. This is a poignant story about love, forgiveness and finding the strength to move on.
If being in 7th grade wasn't already hard enough, think of how hard it would be if you moved schools, stopped talking to all your friends, quit gymnastics (even though you were the star on the team), moved in with her Grandparents and completely shut yourself off from the world around you. This happens to Louise, a once bright young girl who's only way to cope with something so horrible she locks it deep inside herself and pushes everyone and everything else away. Luckily for her, her best friend Henderson, his sister and her Grandparent's are in her life and no matter what never wavier on their love for her. Louise is a character I laughed with, cried with and wanted to give her a big ole mom hug and tell her she would get through this and be an even stronger person that she is now.
Phoebe Stone's prose is poetic, and hauntingly beautiful. She takes some serious, realistic subject matters and introduces them in a way that young readers will be able to relate to them. I loved the way she allowed me to get to know Louise through her interactions with those around her. Little by little Phoebe peeled back the layers of Louise and what her mind was shielding from herself and me as a reader, until one beautiful Spring morning Louise confronts everything she's kept locked up. Phoebe does such a brilliant job at creating moments that will rip your heart out with moments of humor, love and unbreakable friendship that will leave you sighing.
My favorite element to this story is Henderson, Louise's childhood best friend and romantic interest in this story. He is a rock for Louise and though he has his adorable moments of being nerdy, and down right funny, he is an deniable warrior in Louise's life. I love all the little things he does for her through out the story. It's hard not to love a character like him. The Boy on CINNAMON STREET is a story that will pull at your heart strings, make you laugh, and having you wiping your tears. It's a moving story about the power of love, learning to let go and finding the strength to carry on.
If being in 7th grade wasn't already hard enough, think of how hard it would be if you moved schools, stopped talking to all your friends, quit gymnastics (even though you were the star on the team), moved in with her Grandparents and completely shut yourself off from the world around you. This happens to Louise, a once bright young girl who's only way to cope with something so horrible she locks it deep inside herself and pushes everyone and everything else away. Luckily for her, her best friend Henderson, his sister and her Grandparent's are in her life and no matter what never wavier on their love for her. Louise is a character I laughed with, cried with and wanted to give her a big ole mom hug and tell her she would get through this and be an even stronger person that she is now.
Phoebe Stone's prose is poetic, and hauntingly beautiful. She takes some serious, realistic subject matters and introduces them in a way that young readers will be able to relate to them. I loved the way she allowed me to get to know Louise through her interactions with those around her. Little by little Phoebe peeled back the layers of Louise and what her mind was shielding from herself and me as a reader, until one beautiful Spring morning Louise confronts everything she's kept locked up. Phoebe does such a brilliant job at creating moments that will rip your heart out with moments of humor, love and unbreakable friendship that will leave you sighing.
My favorite element to this story is Henderson, Louise's childhood best friend and romantic interest in this story. He is a rock for Louise and though he has his adorable moments of being nerdy, and down right funny, he is an deniable warrior in Louise's life. I love all the little things he does for her through out the story. It's hard not to love a character like him. The Boy on CINNAMON STREET is a story that will pull at your heart strings, make you laugh, and having you wiping your tears. It's a moving story about the power of love, learning to let go and finding the strength to carry on.
November 12, 2012
Very average. A 7th grade girl, small for her age, has given up gymnastics and her old life, because something terrible happened to her mother. She finds a note from a secret admirer, and her best friend is convinced it's the pizza delivery boy. Figuring it out causes her to confront her past.
A lot of things didn't ring true for me in this story, like the girl deciding to change her name to Thumbelina. One of her two best friends is accepted to a program for young writers in another state and leaves for it within a week of being accepted, without saying anything to her, then is at the program for several weeks during the school year. I've never heard of such a program, and I don't understand how a 7th grade kid would be able to miss weeks of instruction in all the other subjects. Maybe it's more like a special school for writers, including math and other subjects, but if so, it's not well explained.
The characters were really inconsistent as well. At one point, her best friend's mom is wonderful and she wishes she were part of their family. Later, the mom is inviting people to come up to a microphone at an art show and recite poetry about her 9th grade daughter's art work or otherwise praise that daughter, which just seemed bizarre, shallow, and unlikely. Just writing about this, I've changed my rating from 3 stars to 2 stars.
I think I'll give it away. There's nothing objectionable, but my daughter can pick out average books on her own. Not rated on common sense media.
A lot of things didn't ring true for me in this story, like the girl deciding to change her name to Thumbelina. One of her two best friends is accepted to a program for young writers in another state and leaves for it within a week of being accepted, without saying anything to her, then is at the program for several weeks during the school year. I've never heard of such a program, and I don't understand how a 7th grade kid would be able to miss weeks of instruction in all the other subjects. Maybe it's more like a special school for writers, including math and other subjects, but if so, it's not well explained.
The characters were really inconsistent as well. At one point, her best friend's mom is wonderful and she wishes she were part of their family. Later, the mom is inviting people to come up to a microphone at an art show and recite poetry about her 9th grade daughter's art work or otherwise praise that daughter, which just seemed bizarre, shallow, and unlikely. Just writing about this, I've changed my rating from 3 stars to 2 stars.
I think I'll give it away. There's nothing objectionable, but my daughter can pick out average books on her own. Not rated on common sense media.
October 1, 2014
This book is about a seventh grade girl named Thumbelina, who has been receiving love notes from a secret admirer who she thinks is the pizza delivery boy. The problem is that he's in high and she's only in middle school and looks like she should be in fourth. As the story progresses she begins to remember about what happened to her mom and gets closer to figuring out if the notes really were from the pizza boy. This is a great romance book as well as mystery. I would recommend it to all the girls in the class.
June 5, 2025
◇ Rereading books I loved as a tween - no. 8 ◇
This was heart wrenching 💔 I did not remember how intense one of the plotlines of this book was for a middle grade.
At times I really did feel Louise's pain. I could understand her moments of lashing out as well as the moments when she hid away.
The beginning is definitely a sharp start and I'd felt that the progression of the romance plot escalated too quickly. However, when I think about it more, I kind of understand because I definitely was one of those kids who fell in and out of crushes quickly.
My only big issues are with some of the writing and wording. Firstly, I didn't like the way Reni's weight was discussed. The book falls on her being pre-diabetic as reasoning for her needing to lose weight but the actual discussions felt rooted in unhealthy beauty standards. Secondly, I think that the word "stalking" was used too often and too frivolously. It just seems way too serious of a word to be used almost in lieu of "crushing".
Other than that, I'm kind of stunned at how painful and sorrowful this book is underneath. It almost came across as reading a diary. It wasn't at all what I was expecting but I'm glad I read it again; it truly makes me wonder what middle-grade-me thought and felt when I read it for the first time.
This was heart wrenching 💔 I did not remember how intense one of the plotlines of this book was for a middle grade.
At times I really did feel Louise's pain. I could understand her moments of lashing out as well as the moments when she hid away.
The beginning is definitely a sharp start and I'd felt that the progression of the romance plot escalated too quickly. However, when I think about it more, I kind of understand because I definitely was one of those kids who fell in and out of crushes quickly.
My only big issues are with some of the writing and wording. Firstly, I didn't like the way Reni's weight was discussed. The book falls on her being pre-diabetic as reasoning for her needing to lose weight but the actual discussions felt rooted in unhealthy beauty standards. Secondly, I think that the word "stalking" was used too often and too frivolously. It just seems way too serious of a word to be used almost in lieu of "crushing".
Other than that, I'm kind of stunned at how painful and sorrowful this book is underneath. It almost came across as reading a diary. It wasn't at all what I was expecting but I'm glad I read it again; it truly makes me wonder what middle-grade-me thought and felt when I read it for the first time.
March 5, 2013
Louise Terrance is a seventh grader in pain. She has suffered the traumatic loss of her mother and she just can't own it the circumstances surrounding her death. Instead, Louise has cut herself off from most of her friends, quit gymnastics and protects herself with a snarky attitude. Since her mother's death, Louise has been living with her grandparents, two free spirits doing their best to try to help Louise with her problems. But Louise won't be helped, by them or her best friend Reni, or even Henderson, Reni's brother.
On the very day that her grandmother sells her balance beam at a garage sale, Louise orders a pizza that comes with a note reading "I am your biggest fan." As more notes arrive, Louise sets off on an obsessive journey to discover who this secret admirer is. She and Reni decide that it must be Benny McCartney, the pizza guy, and eventually Louise obligingly fall in crush with him. What better way to push back the pain of trauma and it works throughout most of seventh grade. Well, that is until it doesn't.
And with no crush to blind her, Louise's defenses come tumbling down, forcing her to confront her demons. Will the real secret admirer be able to help her through all this? Or is he just too far away now?
I enjoyed reading Phoebe Stone's novel The Romeo and Juliet Code about a girl sent to live with some very eccentric relatives in Maine during World War II so much, that I was really looking forward to reading her newest book, The Boy on Cinnamon Street. And I am sorry to say, I was a little disappointed with this coming of age novel.
It wasn't that the writing was bad, that was fine. And the storyline offered so much potential. But for some reason, I couldn't connect with Louise's pain. It is a terrible thing to lose a parent, especially the way Louise lost her mother a year earlier. One can understand her PTSD reaction - changing her name to Thumblina, quitting her beloved gymnastics team, and unconsciously wiping her mind clean of all memories of her mother. And Louise's anger at her dad is also understandable. After all, he had left Louise and her mom and remarried a woman with a daughter the same age as Louise and is now living in New York. The mystery crush becomes a wonderfully simple way to again deflect the unbearable pain and anger she feels. And yet, somehow Louise just wasn't a sympathetic character.
In the end, I found the characters all needed to be developed more as individuals and less as stereotypical ideas - there is Reni, the overweight best friend who has no boy friend prospects and crushes out just too much on safe, distant, never-can-break-your-heart Justin Bieber (there was way too much Justin Bieber in this book which will quickly date it). And Reni's quirky, geeky brother who is almost always there at the right time for Louise even though he goes to a different school. And of course, the distant father and his daughter replacement. In a way, it felt to me like Louise's life was a combination of Carmen and Bridget's stories from The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.
Does this book have no redeeming qualities, then? Of course it does. It is a book that will find it way into the hands of middle grade girls who will identity with and love Louise. And her story does bear reading about. It is a healing, hopeful story in the end and traumatic loss has become so much a part of our society these days, that a novel that addresses this issue is absolutely of value and certainly worth reading.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was borrowed from the Webster Branch of the NYPL
On the very day that her grandmother sells her balance beam at a garage sale, Louise orders a pizza that comes with a note reading "I am your biggest fan." As more notes arrive, Louise sets off on an obsessive journey to discover who this secret admirer is. She and Reni decide that it must be Benny McCartney, the pizza guy, and eventually Louise obligingly fall in crush with him. What better way to push back the pain of trauma and it works throughout most of seventh grade. Well, that is until it doesn't.
And with no crush to blind her, Louise's defenses come tumbling down, forcing her to confront her demons. Will the real secret admirer be able to help her through all this? Or is he just too far away now?
I enjoyed reading Phoebe Stone's novel The Romeo and Juliet Code about a girl sent to live with some very eccentric relatives in Maine during World War II so much, that I was really looking forward to reading her newest book, The Boy on Cinnamon Street. And I am sorry to say, I was a little disappointed with this coming of age novel.
It wasn't that the writing was bad, that was fine. And the storyline offered so much potential. But for some reason, I couldn't connect with Louise's pain. It is a terrible thing to lose a parent, especially the way Louise lost her mother a year earlier. One can understand her PTSD reaction - changing her name to Thumblina, quitting her beloved gymnastics team, and unconsciously wiping her mind clean of all memories of her mother. And Louise's anger at her dad is also understandable. After all, he had left Louise and her mom and remarried a woman with a daughter the same age as Louise and is now living in New York. The mystery crush becomes a wonderfully simple way to again deflect the unbearable pain and anger she feels. And yet, somehow Louise just wasn't a sympathetic character.
In the end, I found the characters all needed to be developed more as individuals and less as stereotypical ideas - there is Reni, the overweight best friend who has no boy friend prospects and crushes out just too much on safe, distant, never-can-break-your-heart Justin Bieber (there was way too much Justin Bieber in this book which will quickly date it). And Reni's quirky, geeky brother who is almost always there at the right time for Louise even though he goes to a different school. And of course, the distant father and his daughter replacement. In a way, it felt to me like Louise's life was a combination of Carmen and Bridget's stories from The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.
Does this book have no redeeming qualities, then? Of course it does. It is a book that will find it way into the hands of middle grade girls who will identity with and love Louise. And her story does bear reading about. It is a healing, hopeful story in the end and traumatic loss has become so much a part of our society these days, that a novel that addresses this issue is absolutely of value and certainly worth reading.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was borrowed from the Webster Branch of the NYPL
June 9, 2012
“Reni and Henderson are the only friends that I have in the entire universe. That includes all the millions and billions of solar systems and all the trillions and jillions of light-years and black holes and meteor showers that Henderson loves to talk about...”
----
A very heartbreaking story yet filled with a large dose of hope. Though the pretty and sweet cover does not speak to the depth of the book itself with its deep and dark subject accompanied with loss, survival and memories, this book would easily capture the hearts of the people especially the group that belongs to the middle ones.
First thing I feel as I started reading this is the uncomfortable sense of uneasiness. As the story starts, it also starts to show the readers that something wrong has happened way before Louise, the main character, comes to the realization of things and begins to enjoy her own young self. The whole story is full of clues that lead to what really happened before.
Thumbelina . That's what Louise renamed herself. This name fits her more than any clothes she could wear because she is rather short and she feels like she doesn't want to be herself anymore. Louise was gone for her. She helplessly felt loss and disconnected with things and people since the loss of her mother. She built a safe world for herself living with her grandparents. She gave up gymnastics and tumbling. She stopped seeing her old friends from her old neighborhood trying to convince herself that it’s better to stay away from her past and move on.
Louise is just a young girl who has a blocked memory, created a new life and finds the clues crumbling down at her. She is so adorable that I want to hang her up like a key chain. She was fun, open and honest despite of the things that has happened to her.
Though Louise centers the book, it also has other meaningful and amazing characters. Henderson and Reni are brothers and sisters whore are Louise's best friends. I loved them both for being supportive to Louise, embracing her to their own family and standing by her side as the truths reveal themselves to Louise. Reni makes me laugh the whole time, with her wild and enthusiastic behavior and her Justin Bieber obsession. God! She's just so hilarious. haha. Henderson, on the other hand, was dorky, adorable, fun, and absolutely positive in everything that is happening.
Boy on Cinnamon Street is a very short story and a fast-paced novel. It was very engaging and charming and adorable and very light to read. I easily find myself connected with its characters and greatly sympathizing with them. So, yes it’s very much adorable. :)
Reader's who likes Middle School Contemporary type of novels would surely enjoy this one!
----
A very heartbreaking story yet filled with a large dose of hope. Though the pretty and sweet cover does not speak to the depth of the book itself with its deep and dark subject accompanied with loss, survival and memories, this book would easily capture the hearts of the people especially the group that belongs to the middle ones.
First thing I feel as I started reading this is the uncomfortable sense of uneasiness. As the story starts, it also starts to show the readers that something wrong has happened way before Louise, the main character, comes to the realization of things and begins to enjoy her own young self. The whole story is full of clues that lead to what really happened before.
Thumbelina . That's what Louise renamed herself. This name fits her more than any clothes she could wear because she is rather short and she feels like she doesn't want to be herself anymore. Louise was gone for her. She helplessly felt loss and disconnected with things and people since the loss of her mother. She built a safe world for herself living with her grandparents. She gave up gymnastics and tumbling. She stopped seeing her old friends from her old neighborhood trying to convince herself that it’s better to stay away from her past and move on.
Louise is just a young girl who has a blocked memory, created a new life and finds the clues crumbling down at her. She is so adorable that I want to hang her up like a key chain. She was fun, open and honest despite of the things that has happened to her.
Though Louise centers the book, it also has other meaningful and amazing characters. Henderson and Reni are brothers and sisters whore are Louise's best friends. I loved them both for being supportive to Louise, embracing her to their own family and standing by her side as the truths reveal themselves to Louise. Reni makes me laugh the whole time, with her wild and enthusiastic behavior and her Justin Bieber obsession. God! She's just so hilarious. haha. Henderson, on the other hand, was dorky, adorable, fun, and absolutely positive in everything that is happening.
Boy on Cinnamon Street is a very short story and a fast-paced novel. It was very engaging and charming and adorable and very light to read. I easily find myself connected with its characters and greatly sympathizing with them. So, yes it’s very much adorable. :)
Reader's who likes Middle School Contemporary type of novels would surely enjoy this one!
March 16, 2013
can’t say I’ve read a lot of books in which the narrator has repressed memories about a parent’s suicide. Even if I did, I doubt they would be as well-rounded, empathetic and hopeful as The Boy on Cinnamon Street. Louise (or Thumb, as Henderson calls her) is irrepressible, even in the states of denial, grief, and anger she experiences throughout the book. She is self-effacing but also totally hopeful, latching on to the idea of the pizza boy as her secret admirer so wholeheartedly that you can’ t help but cheer for her. Of course the pizza boy is not the one with a crush on her, but the reader is very aware of who Thumb’s true admirer is, and you root for him the whole time.
I admire how Phoebe Stone creates unlikable (or at the very least) unreliable parents, but not in a comedic, absurdist Roald Dahl way. These are adults who are ill-equipped to parent, and Stone explores the ramifications of this in her books. When we do learn about Thumb’s mother and her absentee father, you feel horrified and sad, but this is mitigated because her new family, consisting of her grandparents and The Elliots, are so wonderful. Just like in The Romeo and Juliet Code, when we realize Felicity’s parents have left her with distant family in order to pursue their careers as spies and are likely not coming back, instead of outrage and numb horror we are happy that she has found her new family.
Stone is also very good at creating a male friend/potential love interest for her heroines, Henderson in The Boy on Cinnamon Street and Derek in The Romeo and Juliet Code. Both Derek and Henderson are interesting, sensitive, and though the romance may not be fully realized in the book, the reader has the sense that it will be at some point. Which brings me to yet another thing I love about Stone’s work- the sense of that these characters will leave and breathe beyond the last page. As a reader, I love feeling like I have caught a glimpse of the characters and the author has created an open ending in which I can image all sorts of lives for them.
One of the things that separates straight-forward issue-driven fiction from just plain good fiction is a well-rounded experience. This isn’t a book solely about grief, it’s also about first crushes, friendship, family, bullying, giving up and starting over again, and body image. You may think, how on earth can all of that fit into one book, but even in a tragic or low point in life chances are there are other things going on. Life is never one plot line. Stone handles this incredibly well, probably because she is a middle-grade genius.
I admire how Phoebe Stone creates unlikable (or at the very least) unreliable parents, but not in a comedic, absurdist Roald Dahl way. These are adults who are ill-equipped to parent, and Stone explores the ramifications of this in her books. When we do learn about Thumb’s mother and her absentee father, you feel horrified and sad, but this is mitigated because her new family, consisting of her grandparents and The Elliots, are so wonderful. Just like in The Romeo and Juliet Code, when we realize Felicity’s parents have left her with distant family in order to pursue their careers as spies and are likely not coming back, instead of outrage and numb horror we are happy that she has found her new family.
Stone is also very good at creating a male friend/potential love interest for her heroines, Henderson in The Boy on Cinnamon Street and Derek in The Romeo and Juliet Code. Both Derek and Henderson are interesting, sensitive, and though the romance may not be fully realized in the book, the reader has the sense that it will be at some point. Which brings me to yet another thing I love about Stone’s work- the sense of that these characters will leave and breathe beyond the last page. As a reader, I love feeling like I have caught a glimpse of the characters and the author has created an open ending in which I can image all sorts of lives for them.
One of the things that separates straight-forward issue-driven fiction from just plain good fiction is a well-rounded experience. This isn’t a book solely about grief, it’s also about first crushes, friendship, family, bullying, giving up and starting over again, and body image. You may think, how on earth can all of that fit into one book, but even in a tragic or low point in life chances are there are other things going on. Life is never one plot line. Stone handles this incredibly well, probably because she is a middle-grade genius.
June 22, 2013
After I read Romeo Blue by Phoebe Stone, I wanted to read more of this author’s work. Although appropriate for middle graders, the two books that I have read so far are by no means unappealing for adults.
Louisa Terrace is 13, lives with her grandparents, and is going to a new school this year. At first, we aren’t sure why any of this is the case, except we know she is withdrawn and angry, doesn’t feel anything except resentment toward her grandparents, and has a big blockage in her memory. Even her two best friends, brother and sister Henderson and Reni, don’t know her secret. We gradually find out as the story progresses.
Meanwhile, Louisa (who has such a diminutive stature she calls herself “Thumbelina”) starts getting anonymous love notes from someone. She and Reni think they are from the cute pizza delivery guy, Benny McCartney. But they aren’t sure. It makes Louisa uncomfortable, but Reni tells her:
The two girls decide to investigate, and ask for Henderson's help to discover if Benny is actually Louisa's secret admirer.
In spite of the serious underlying problems, there is plenty of humor, plenty of middle-grader-realism, and plenty of heart. And best of all, the book deals with a tough subject that doesn’t get magically fixed. Rather, it shows, as Louisa observes, that “some people in peril don’t get saved… and some people do…”
Evaluation: I can’t recommend this author highly enough. I love the dialogue (a bit of which is “blah blah blah” and “whatever” as it should be, for 13-year-olds!) and I love the characters. They are all imperfect, but most of them are trying hard to do the right thing, and you can’t help but love them, especially Grandma, Grandpa, Henderson and Reni. Okay, especially Henderson.
If you have a tween going through a hard time, this is a great book about dealing with hurt, anger, and loss. Even though nothing can be the way it was before, it ends in an upbeat, positive way.
Louisa Terrace is 13, lives with her grandparents, and is going to a new school this year. At first, we aren’t sure why any of this is the case, except we know she is withdrawn and angry, doesn’t feel anything except resentment toward her grandparents, and has a big blockage in her memory. Even her two best friends, brother and sister Henderson and Reni, don’t know her secret. We gradually find out as the story progresses.
Meanwhile, Louisa (who has such a diminutive stature she calls herself “Thumbelina”) starts getting anonymous love notes from someone. She and Reni think they are from the cute pizza delivery guy, Benny McCartney. But they aren’t sure. It makes Louisa uncomfortable, but Reni tells her:
You should be happy. I never got a letter from Justin Bieber, and I wrote him five times. I can understand not answering one letter, but five letters? It’s like rejection times five.”
The two girls decide to investigate, and ask for Henderson's help to discover if Benny is actually Louisa's secret admirer.
In spite of the serious underlying problems, there is plenty of humor, plenty of middle-grader-realism, and plenty of heart. And best of all, the book deals with a tough subject that doesn’t get magically fixed. Rather, it shows, as Louisa observes, that “some people in peril don’t get saved… and some people do…”
Evaluation: I can’t recommend this author highly enough. I love the dialogue (a bit of which is “blah blah blah” and “whatever” as it should be, for 13-year-olds!) and I love the characters. They are all imperfect, but most of them are trying hard to do the right thing, and you can’t help but love them, especially Grandma, Grandpa, Henderson and Reni. Okay, especially Henderson.
If you have a tween going through a hard time, this is a great book about dealing with hurt, anger, and loss. Even though nothing can be the way it was before, it ends in an upbeat, positive way.
October 7, 2012
The Boy on Cinnamon Street
Published by:Athur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.
Genre: realistic fiction
Louise or Thumbelina (as she likes to go by because she is so small) lives with her grandparents on a road called Cinnamon Street. One day as she was working at her indoor garage sale in the middle of winter, she gets this note saying, " I'm you're biggest fan", but of course she is so confused. She doesn't know who wrote it, and she doesn't know what it means. Thankfully she has her two best friends Reni and Henderson for help. She calls them over right away. They try to decode the note, after thinking long and hard they assume its the pizza boy, Ben, a 9th grader that goes to their school. Louise keeps denying the facts that she has a crush, and that Ben likes her, but lately she is noticing all the clues point to him and only him. Louis, Reni, and Henderson head out on a mission to find out about this lovesick pizza boy.
I read The Boy on Cinnamon Street by Phoebe Stone in 2-3 days so it was a pretty easy read. I recommend this book to any 5th or 6th grade girls because I think that is when you really start to notice boys, when you stop reading those little kid books and move up to more realistic things. I strongly agree that this book is not made for boys and if any boy picks it up, they will not enjoy it. It's like a boy going to a chick flick and crying it would be embarrassing. I also think she meant the book to be for girls. For 7th grade and up girls this book will be incredibly easy for you. If you love mystery books and love, well love, you will keep your eyes glued to this book. It will teach you to expect the unexpected because you won't believe what happens next.
Published by:Athur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.
Genre: realistic fiction
Louise or Thumbelina (as she likes to go by because she is so small) lives with her grandparents on a road called Cinnamon Street. One day as she was working at her indoor garage sale in the middle of winter, she gets this note saying, " I'm you're biggest fan", but of course she is so confused. She doesn't know who wrote it, and she doesn't know what it means. Thankfully she has her two best friends Reni and Henderson for help. She calls them over right away. They try to decode the note, after thinking long and hard they assume its the pizza boy, Ben, a 9th grader that goes to their school. Louise keeps denying the facts that she has a crush, and that Ben likes her, but lately she is noticing all the clues point to him and only him. Louis, Reni, and Henderson head out on a mission to find out about this lovesick pizza boy.
I read The Boy on Cinnamon Street by Phoebe Stone in 2-3 days so it was a pretty easy read. I recommend this book to any 5th or 6th grade girls because I think that is when you really start to notice boys, when you stop reading those little kid books and move up to more realistic things. I strongly agree that this book is not made for boys and if any boy picks it up, they will not enjoy it. It's like a boy going to a chick flick and crying it would be embarrassing. I also think she meant the book to be for girls. For 7th grade and up girls this book will be incredibly easy for you. If you love mystery books and love, well love, you will keep your eyes glued to this book. It will teach you to expect the unexpected because you won't believe what happens next.
June 1, 2012
The first thing I want to say about this book is that the author has a seventh grader's voice pitch perfect. Louise, who has changed her name to Thumbelina because she is so small, lives with her grandparents after some sort of trauma in her family. Her best friends are brother and sister Henderson and Reni. She has recently moved in with her grandparents - who are certainly unique individuals - and changed schools. She used to love gymnastics but doesn't do them anymore because she is being harassed by other girls on the squad.
The main focus of this story is a sort of mystery. Someone is leaving Thumb notes and other indications of regard. Her best friend Reni decides that it is the pizza delivery boy - Benny, who is a ninth grader at her school. She immediately starts making plans to get Benny to invite her to the upcoming dance. They find out where he lives and "casually" walk by his house. Reni puts a note which she and Thumbelina wrote together in his locker. They buy him a cute bumper sticker for his locker. They go to his house on the excuse of selling magazines in case he answers to door. Reni is sure that Thumb has a crush on Benny. Thumb is not sure she does. After all, the last crush she had was on Frosty the Snowman when she was six.
While the girls are doing their plotting and planning, Henderson is there as a sturdy and secure best friend to Thumb. Careful readers will know who was leaving the things for Thumb to find long before she figures it out.
The startling reason for Thumb's change of name, change of address, and almost change of personality and her gradual recover make this a very heart warming story. I recommend it for thoughtful readers and think it is a great pick for a mother daughter book club.
The main focus of this story is a sort of mystery. Someone is leaving Thumb notes and other indications of regard. Her best friend Reni decides that it is the pizza delivery boy - Benny, who is a ninth grader at her school. She immediately starts making plans to get Benny to invite her to the upcoming dance. They find out where he lives and "casually" walk by his house. Reni puts a note which she and Thumbelina wrote together in his locker. They buy him a cute bumper sticker for his locker. They go to his house on the excuse of selling magazines in case he answers to door. Reni is sure that Thumb has a crush on Benny. Thumb is not sure she does. After all, the last crush she had was on Frosty the Snowman when she was six.
While the girls are doing their plotting and planning, Henderson is there as a sturdy and secure best friend to Thumb. Careful readers will know who was leaving the things for Thumb to find long before she figures it out.
The startling reason for Thumb's change of name, change of address, and almost change of personality and her gradual recover make this a very heart warming story. I recommend it for thoughtful readers and think it is a great pick for a mother daughter book club.
November 4, 2013
Sometimes you may think a certain person did something but ask if they did it then just thinking they did because you may be wrong.
This is book about a girl who thinks she got a love letter from a guy who she didn't expect to get a love letter from. She believes she got it from Benny.The setting of the book is in her neighborhood, school, and her friends house. The book is being told by Louise, but she wants people to call her Thumbelina. The other characters you are gonna read about are Reni, Benny, and Henderson. Do you think she got the note from Benny McCarthy?
I like this book a lot because it was an easy book to read. I still liked it because it was about a girl thinking she has a secret admirer. I wish it was little challenging, but I wouldn’t change the story. “Two beautiful dolls and I’m here in the middle. I call that luck.”, I like that quote because it is positive, but also sweet because Louise lives with her grandpa and grandma. I don’t like that her mother passed away and her father left her with her grandma and grandpa, but this is a girl in seventh grade so I think it is supposed to be that way, but I wish it wasn’t. It was a sad kind of, but not the complete book was sad. Part of the book was adventure and mystery, which is what I like in some books.
The reading wasn’t difficult, but the reading was effective by being true to some kids. I recommend this book to a classmate because it is a easy book, but also I would believe a girl would like this book. Honestly I would not read the books if it was part of a series. I believe this should be a one time story to read about.
This is book about a girl who thinks she got a love letter from a guy who she didn't expect to get a love letter from. She believes she got it from Benny.The setting of the book is in her neighborhood, school, and her friends house. The book is being told by Louise, but she wants people to call her Thumbelina. The other characters you are gonna read about are Reni, Benny, and Henderson. Do you think she got the note from Benny McCarthy?
I like this book a lot because it was an easy book to read. I still liked it because it was about a girl thinking she has a secret admirer. I wish it was little challenging, but I wouldn’t change the story. “Two beautiful dolls and I’m here in the middle. I call that luck.”, I like that quote because it is positive, but also sweet because Louise lives with her grandpa and grandma. I don’t like that her mother passed away and her father left her with her grandma and grandpa, but this is a girl in seventh grade so I think it is supposed to be that way, but I wish it wasn’t. It was a sad kind of, but not the complete book was sad. Part of the book was adventure and mystery, which is what I like in some books.
The reading wasn’t difficult, but the reading was effective by being true to some kids. I recommend this book to a classmate because it is a easy book, but also I would believe a girl would like this book. Honestly I would not read the books if it was part of a series. I believe this should be a one time story to read about.
November 18, 2012
In The Boy on Cinnamon Street by Phoebe Stone, Louise was once a girl who was the life of the party, star of the gymnastics teams, had many friends and wrote poetry. But a traumatic event completely changed her that she locks it all away deep insider herself and pushes everyone and everything away. She’s in the 7th grade, moved to a new school, quit gymnastics, cut-off her friends, and now living with her grandparents. Although she has distant herself from everything, her grandparents, sister, and best friend Henderson are there for her no matter what. Henderson will do just about anything to complete this broken girl. Louise’s life is an interesting story about forgiveness, love, and finding the strength to go on.
Phoebe’s story of Louise’s life is compellingly beautiful. Her writing style allows very serious and realistic themes to become relatable to young readers. The way Phoebe picked Louise’s wall apart brick by brick is brilliant. It allows readers to get to know her and get a sense of why she is shielding everything away. The book presents some tear-jerking moments, as well as humor, love, lasting friendship, and shocking moments. Henderson is like Louise’s protector. With all the things he does for her, he is undeniably likable. He certainly added spark to the story. The Boy on Cinnamon Street is an emotional roller coaster ride. A powerful tale about trusting the people you love, learning to let go, and having the will to move on.
Phoebe’s story of Louise’s life is compellingly beautiful. Her writing style allows very serious and realistic themes to become relatable to young readers. The way Phoebe picked Louise’s wall apart brick by brick is brilliant. It allows readers to get to know her and get a sense of why she is shielding everything away. The book presents some tear-jerking moments, as well as humor, love, lasting friendship, and shocking moments. Henderson is like Louise’s protector. With all the things he does for her, he is undeniably likable. He certainly added spark to the story. The Boy on Cinnamon Street is an emotional roller coaster ride. A powerful tale about trusting the people you love, learning to let go, and having the will to move on.
December 3, 2015
This book was pretty much four stars the whole was through but the ending was really good and thoughtful and cute so it goes up to a 4.5. I adore Henderson so much. He's definitely my favorite character in the book. You could guess all the plot twists from a mile away but I suppose that's because I'm a bit older than the intended audience.
But seriously how did Thumb not realize it was Henderson the whole time!
Henderson reminds me so much of Farkle from Girl Meets World it's scary. He would totally go to the lengths Hen did for Thumb.
I really didn't like Reni, like at all. I guess because she's 12/13 and loves Justin Bieber that it shows what kind of person she is and that it all kind of falls in line with her character but there is a way to write a love and boyband obsessed girl without them coming off annoying, cough cough, Mabel Pines from Gravity Falls, cough cough.
There was one line that I didn't comment on in my notes that was on page 191 and it was "Reni tell me something. Does Annais ever have to show support to you?" And this plus right before Annais's party when Reni was gonna show her drawing to her mom backed out of it showed why Reni does act the way she does and is annoyingly obsessed with horrible role models like Justin Bieber, because her family doesn't pay any attention to her. So I just thought that was kind of interesting.
But seriously how did Thumb not realize it was Henderson the whole time!
Henderson reminds me so much of Farkle from Girl Meets World it's scary. He would totally go to the lengths Hen did for Thumb.
I really didn't like Reni, like at all. I guess because she's 12/13 and loves Justin Bieber that it shows what kind of person she is and that it all kind of falls in line with her character but there is a way to write a love and boyband obsessed girl without them coming off annoying, cough cough, Mabel Pines from Gravity Falls, cough cough.
There was one line that I didn't comment on in my notes that was on page 191 and it was "Reni tell me something. Does Annais ever have to show support to you?" And this plus right before Annais's party when Reni was gonna show her drawing to her mom backed out of it showed why Reni does act the way she does and is annoyingly obsessed with horrible role models like Justin Bieber, because her family doesn't pay any attention to her. So I just thought that was kind of interesting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 7, 2012
Louise used to be the top gymnast on the team. But now she isn't even out for gymnastics. Louise used to live with her mom and dad in a little house on Cinnamon Street. Now she lives with her grandparents in a condo across town. Someone has a crush on Louise. He's leaving her notes and signs everywhere. Is it really the pizza boy or is there someone else out there for her?
This turned out to be a better read than I thought when I first started it. The beginning was somewhat confusing because of the memory loss that that Louise had about her situation. I kept trying to figure out why quitting gymnastics made her lose her family. Then I thought that she quit gymnastics because she lost her family. I can see my daughter, who is 4th grade, struggling with this part of the story. I kept thinking that I had missed something along the way that explained things more. I even went back to check. It is definitely a book that you have to stick with until the end to get the full story. The only part I really didn't like was Ren. Her obsession with Justin Bieber was irritating; however, I know many middle school girls who do obsess and send letters to him, so it was believable. It's just that she would have annoyed the crap out of me if she were my friend.
This turned out to be a better read than I thought when I first started it. The beginning was somewhat confusing because of the memory loss that that Louise had about her situation. I kept trying to figure out why quitting gymnastics made her lose her family. Then I thought that she quit gymnastics because she lost her family. I can see my daughter, who is 4th grade, struggling with this part of the story. I kept thinking that I had missed something along the way that explained things more. I even went back to check. It is definitely a book that you have to stick with until the end to get the full story. The only part I really didn't like was Ren. Her obsession with Justin Bieber was irritating; however, I know many middle school girls who do obsess and send letters to him, so it was believable. It's just that she would have annoyed the crap out of me if she were my friend.
July 10, 2013
This book was really good. I loved the characters and how they interacted with each other. This book is a little corky, but in the end I kind of think that that's what makes it good and interesting. I love how it has this innocents, but yet insightfulness about the story too. It has a lot of truth to it, but you really don't see that about the story until it gets close to the end. However, when you do your heart just melts and you see how insightful this book really is. It is a little unbelievable sometimes, as in, yeah right that would never happen, but every book I think has a little bit of that and I think that is what the imagination is for. To dream and hope that things happen in a perfect way such as the story in this book. However, at the same time, in the way that this story is told, there is also always a lot of heart ache and confusion in real life and I think the author hit it right on the head with this novel.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys heartfelt reads, and stories that are good natured and innocent. Also for parents, this book is age appropriate for all ages. There is no over the top graphically descriptive scenes in this book. Further more, this was a great book and I will recommend it to many!
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys heartfelt reads, and stories that are good natured and innocent. Also for parents, this book is age appropriate for all ages. There is no over the top graphically descriptive scenes in this book. Further more, this was a great book and I will recommend it to many!
September 24, 2013
The Boy on Cinnamon Street, by Phoebe Stone, is a quirky young-adult romance book. A girl named Louise (she prefers to be called Thumbelina, because she's short) should still be the best on the gymnastics team, but she's not. She's not even on the team anymore, because she has a dark past. Extremely dark. Louise lives with her grandparents in an apartment, and one day, she ordered pizza as usual. After it was delivered by a cute boy named Benny, Louise found a note under the doormat that said: "I am your biggest fan." It was a mystery about who sent it, and so Louise and her two best friends, who were siblings, decided that it must have been Benny. Reni and Henderson, (Her two best friends, one a boy and one a girl,) tried their very hardest to get Louise and Benny together, but they just couldn't seem to meet! Chalk hearts outside her door, and books called Thumbelina sent in the mail made Louise absolutely crazy about this boy. In this tale, a dark secret and a secret admirer somehow make a connection in a girl's life, and it opens her mind to new things. I learned from this book to always be open minded, and to never jump to conclusions. It is a quick read with spunk, perfect for any preteen!
April 10, 2012
"My own stupidity caused me to lose what I didn't even know I had. I was blindfolded, baffled, and blundering." --Louise/Thumbelina.
This quote reminds me of the things we taken for granted. Sometimes there are times that are in front of us but still we are looking beyond and never appreciates their presence. It is true that when they were gone, you only see their worth and have regrets that you shouldn't have to feel at all.
I cried at the part where Louise found out that Henderson was the one who is her secret admirer, loving her unconditionally and secretly. The emotions are there, you could feel the pain, as if you are Louise too and that you find the feeling of lost loved.
This book also teaches me that there are certain things in life that we should let go and accept. Forgetting what happened on the past was impossible but what we need to do is to put it in our heart, good or bad, and just be part of our memory.
This quote reminds me of the things we taken for granted. Sometimes there are times that are in front of us but still we are looking beyond and never appreciates their presence. It is true that when they were gone, you only see their worth and have regrets that you shouldn't have to feel at all.
I cried at the part where Louise found out that Henderson was the one who is her secret admirer, loving her unconditionally and secretly. The emotions are there, you could feel the pain, as if you are Louise too and that you find the feeling of lost loved.
This book also teaches me that there are certain things in life that we should let go and accept. Forgetting what happened on the past was impossible but what we need to do is to put it in our heart, good or bad, and just be part of our memory.
May 23, 2012
Super sweet, super sad. Made me cry for both reasons.
Two things:
1. It makes me sad that the main characters are only in 7th grade. I know that the amazingly cute love story behind it will not last. Because, yes, I think about things like this... What happens to the characters after the book ends? Do they get married, become rich and travel the world, become Olympic gymnasts, etc? Well, with 7th graders, you know they date for like a week and then move on. Maybe remain friends, but probably not. The last page of the book kind of touches on that... The main character can look back fondly years later... Well, not good enough for me. Haha.
2. In a few years this book will be irrelevant. It's such a sad and sweet story, that I wish it would have refrained from the Justin Bieber references and the 7th grade lingo ("she goes," "freaking," "i was like," etc.) so it could better stand the test of time.
Two things:
1. It makes me sad that the main characters are only in 7th grade. I know that the amazingly cute love story behind it will not last. Because, yes, I think about things like this... What happens to the characters after the book ends? Do they get married, become rich and travel the world, become Olympic gymnasts, etc? Well, with 7th graders, you know they date for like a week and then move on. Maybe remain friends, but probably not. The last page of the book kind of touches on that... The main character can look back fondly years later... Well, not good enough for me. Haha.
2. In a few years this book will be irrelevant. It's such a sad and sweet story, that I wish it would have refrained from the Justin Bieber references and the 7th grade lingo ("she goes," "freaking," "i was like," etc.) so it could better stand the test of time.
March 25, 2016
Ugh. Terrible. Slow reveals were super annoying. THUMB's obliviousness got old quick. "Oh, why is he looking at me like that while I prance about in my dress?" Naive and traumatized does not have to equal cluelessly dumb.
And she decided on PAGE 151 that she is STARTING to crush Benny? Who even says "crush" like that? Who goes to writer's camp in the middle of spring semester? Who gets to randomly show up at a different school for lunch? Why didn't Reni know where she lived before if they were so close?
Also, the voice just didn't ring true. And enough Justin Bieber references.
I HATED THIS BOOK and I wish I hadn't bothered finishing.
And she decided on PAGE 151 that she is STARTING to crush Benny? Who even says "crush" like that? Who goes to writer's camp in the middle of spring semester? Who gets to randomly show up at a different school for lunch? Why didn't Reni know where she lived before if they were so close?
Also, the voice just didn't ring true. And enough Justin Bieber references.
I HATED THIS BOOK and I wish I hadn't bothered finishing.
September 20, 2012
This book had a lot of potential. A girl who discovers her mother's body after she commits suicide, and completely blocks out the memory of what happened. Events triggering that memory and everything coming crashing down.
But unfortunately, I couldn't get far enough into it to get to that point. The dialogue was painful and poorly written. The main character and her best friend were overly boy crazy and somewhat ridiculous with their ideas. It didn't feel realistic, it felt silly and like it was trying to hard to be a shallow "chick-lit" book. You can have boy crazy characters that are interesting and well developed - these were not.
But unfortunately, I couldn't get far enough into it to get to that point. The dialogue was painful and poorly written. The main character and her best friend were overly boy crazy and somewhat ridiculous with their ideas. It didn't feel realistic, it felt silly and like it was trying to hard to be a shallow "chick-lit" book. You can have boy crazy characters that are interesting and well developed - these were not.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 399 reviews