Anastasia at Your Service

Anastasia Krupnik #3

by Lois Lowry

A long, boring summer--that's what Anastasia has to look forward to when her best friend goes off to camp. She's thrilled when old Mrs. Bellingham answers her ad for a job as a Lady's Companion. Anastasia is sure her troubles are over--she'll be busy and earn money!

But she doesn't expect to have to polish silver and serve at Mrs. Bellingham's granddaughter's birthday party as a maid! As if that isn't bad enough, she accidentally drops a piece of silverware down the garbage disposal and must use her earnings to pay for it! Is the summer destined to be a disaster?

Genres: Childrens, Fiction, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Humor, Juvenile, Realistic Fiction

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Taken from Lowry's website:
"I’ve always felt that I was fortunate to have been born the middle child of three. My older sister, Helen, was very much like our mother: gentle, family-oriented, eager to please. Little brother Jon was the only boy and had interests that he shared with Dad; together they were always working on electric trains and erector sets; and later, when Jon was older, they always seemed to have their heads under the raised hood of a car. That left me in-between, and exactly where I wanted most to be: on my own. I was a solitary child who lived in the world of books and my own vivid imagination.

Because my father was a career military officer - an Army dentist - I lived all over the world. I was born in Hawaii, moved from there to New York, spent the years of World War II in my mother’s hometown: Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and from there went to Tokyo when I was eleven. High school was back in New York City, but by the time I went to college (Brown University in Rhode Island), my family was living in Washington, D.C.

I married young. I had just turned nineteen - just finished my sophomore year in college - when I married a Naval officer and continued the odyssey that military life requires. California. Connecticut (a daughter born there). Florida (a son). South Carolina. Finally Cambridge, Massachusetts, when my husband left the service and entered Harvard Law School (another daughter; another son) and then to Maine - by now with four children under the age of five in tow. My children grew up in Maine. So did I. I returned to college at the University of Southern Maine, got my degree, went to graduate school, and finally began to write professionally, the thing I had dreamed of doing since those childhood years when I had endlessly scribbled stories and poems in notebooks.

After my marriage ended in 1977, when I was forty, I settled into the life I have lived ever since. Today I am back in Cambridge, Massachusetts, living and writing in a house dominated by a very shaggy Tibetan Terrier named Bandit. For a change of scenery Martin and I spend time in Maine, where we have an old (it was built in 1768!) farmhouse on top of a hill. In Maine I garden, feed birds, entertain friends, and read...

My books have varied in content and style. Yet it seems that all of them deal, essentially, with the same general theme: the importance of human connections. A Summer to Die, my first book, was a highly fictionalized retelling of the early death of my sister, and of the effect of such a loss on a family. Number the Stars, set in a different culture and era, tells the same story: that of the role that we humans play in the lives of our fellow beings.

The Giver - and Gathering Blue, and the newest in the trilogy: Messenger - take place against the background of very different cultures and times. Though all three are broader in scope than my earlier books, they nonetheless speak to the same concern: the vital need of people to be aware of their interdependence, not only with each other, but with the world and its environment.

My older son was a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. His death in the cockpit of a warplane tore away a piece of my world. But it left me, too, with a wish to honor him by joining the many others trying to find a way to end conflict on this very fragile earth.
I am a grandmother now. For my own grandchildren - and for all those of their generation - I try, through writing, to convey my passionate awareness that we live intertwined on this planet and that our future depends upon our caring more, and doing more, for one another."

Reviews

[Alisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book introduced me to the word "hors d'oeuvre" when I was a kid. I like that it unapologetically uses words like that and just assumes (correctly) that young readers will soak it all up even if they have to figure out what it means later.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing up, the closest thing to these that I had access to was Trixie Belden. But the Anastasia books are even better than Naylor's Alice books, imo. More emphasis on humor, less on angst. Of course no one library has them all anymore, but I'll keep looking.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book when I was a kid, and I just finished reading my childhood copy. It was written in 1982, and still holds up well. The writing is excellent and the story is about seeing people as who they are, without having prejudices about them. It's really quite a funny story, and I was able to pick out a lot of cultural references as an adult, that I wouldn't have picked out when I was a child.


I'm also just glad to finish a book. I'm been feeling unwell for a while, and the fact that I didn't finish a book for a while is one of my tells. :)

[Cynthia Egbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just really love Anastasia and her family and I appreciate some of the themes that are addressed in these books. Themes that need to be discussed with kids, especially as they approach their middle school years. I also appreciated that the adults, even the ones who seem evil early on in the book, take the time to speak to the young people as though they have brains. Even when, perhaps especially when, they do remarkably stupid things! While these books are slightly dated, they still make me smile.

[Swankivy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, the old Anastasia books. I missed some of them when I was reading these Lois Lowry favorites as a kid, so I wanted to go back and read them. This was a cute one from when Anastasia was twelve. It's mostly about how she expected to get hired as an old woman's companion and get paid tons of money just to keep her company, but getting disappointed when she's hired for babysitting wages and put to work in the kitchen. I like her funny little fantasies, and how she makes so many of her problems worse with her weird schemes (trying to dress like she's middle-aged so a child her own age won't realize she's a peer comes to mind). I always love her relationship with Sam, and that her brother's precocity is commented upon by people outside the family so you don't just sit there thinking "wow, this is an awfully verbally advanced two-year-old." There were a couple nice little lessons about charity and those less fortunate in the book, but I was kind of put off by the way Anastasia thinks about fat people in an unflattering way a couple times.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was lovely to discover that I still love Anastasia Krupnik as much as I did twenty years ago. (Added bonus: being older, I could appreciate just how artful Lowry is at her craft -- the way the two plotlines ultimately dovetailed was BEAUTIFUL.)

I picked these up as comfort reads and I'm looking forward to rereading the rest of the series. Lovely stuff!

THINGS I REMEMBERED:

- Daphne and her black-walled bedroom

- The "bocle"

- The ultimately successful dinner party

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lowry always manages to be funny and make social commentary while still being realistic. Anastasia and her family are relatable, and the situations she gets herself into are far-fetched in the way only adolescents can get themselves into them. I love rereading these as an adult and understanding the characters of the parents even more.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember LOVING this book as a middle schooler in the 80s, and googled it to see if I'd still like it as a 40 something. I gasped when I saw that Lois Lowry wrote it, and immediately purchased it to re-read.

And it made me love not just Lowry even more, but my young self for loving this book. Page one has our heroine Anastasia so bored/depressed that she's re-enacting death scenes from literature (Romeo and Juliet, Little Women, Charlotte's Web) - sweet! It's also the first time a joke in a book make me laugh out loud - a bit with Anastasia's precocious brother Sam and peas at the dinner table.

It's a bit of a time capsule - Anastasia and her friend discuss actresses like Jane Fonda and Bo Derek - which made me love it all the more. Humor, hard work, friendship, family - what's not to love?

[Athenameilahn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I loved these as a kid, but they didn’t age well. Mom leaves so the 13yr old is in charge? Why is her dad such a deadbeat? Youngest gets chicken pox & he expects his daughter to stay home & take care of him, rather than postpone a lecture? Decided to make his wife a schedule of all of the daily tasks he knows NOTHING about.

Still funny in places but dripping with sexism. Ugh.

[Sasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This girl is my spirit animal, as the kids say. And it's fun to come back to this as a grown-up, since I'm now recognizing the references to Fellini and understand what a freaking debacle is. Awesome fun and a trip down memory lane.

[Hally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this one is intense!! I love how nobody is simply bad or good in these books, and the character development in this one is particularly moving. It may seem a little didactic but children's books often have to be, and I didn't find it patronising or cringey at all.

[tuhseen · Rating 3 out of 5]

adorable story with funny moments and sympathetic characters. I recommend for younger readers.

[Marli · Rating 5 out of 5]

More adventures with Anastasia! I especially love the interlude with her father where he shows her where he grew up in poverty. A beloved re-read, still as wonderful as ever!

[Grazia, La spacciatrice di libri · Rating 4 out of 5]

La famiglia di Anastasia è un po'...folle? Anticonformista? Se nel primo libro li avevo trovati strani (in senso buono, eh) in questo lo sono ancora di più. Sto imparando a conoscerli e forse mi sono anche un po' affezionata, sono fantasticamente strani, sì.

Recensione: http://laspacciatricedilibri.blogspot...

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I definitely owned this book as a kid, and was pleased to remember some parts of it as I read—including the really excellent/hilarious opening scene, in which Anastasia is so bored she’s lying on the floor acting out all the deathbed scenes she can think of (Beth from Little Women, Juliet from Romeo and Juliet, Charlotte from Charlotte’s Web, Cleopatra), and in which Anastasia’s mom teaches her what a groan sounds like (Anastasia thinks it just consists of saying “groan”). But there were other things I didn’t remember at all, and I definitely did not remember how stressful this book is (which is something that, as an adult, makes me like it a bit less than I liked the first two books in this series).

So, right: it’s summer vacation, and Anastasia’s broke (because her allowance is two dollars a week) and bored (because her family recently moved, and the only kid her age she knows in her new town is off at basketball camp). Her dad suggests that a summer job will solve both problems, so she writes up a flyer advertising her services as a lady’s companion and posts it around town. A woman named Mrs. Bellingham responds to the ad and hires her, but then, on her first day, Anastasia finds herself in the kitchen with the housekeeper and two cooks, polishing silver: she’s doing the tasks of a maid. And two things make the whole situation worse: first, she accidentally drops a silver spoon down the garbage disposal, and is told she’ll have to pay for it out of her wages—so she can’t just quit until she’s paid it off. And then she learns that the following day, she’s expected to serve appetizers and drinks at a birthday luncheon Mrs. Bellingham is throwing for her thirteen-year-old granddaughter, Daphne—who’s going to be in Anastasia’s class at school.

Which leads to the first stressful thing: Anastasia decides she’s going to disguise herself as a middle-aged lady, so maybe when school starts Daphne won’t recognize her. Clearly this is not the strongest plan, and a comedy of errors ensues at the party. But luckily, Daphne turns out to be nice, so Anastasia gains a friend. Which leads to the next stressful thing: Daphne’s upset at her grandmother for having given her a doll for her birthday, and Anastasia’s upset that she has to work as a maid rather than as a companion, so they decide to try to humiliate Mrs. Bellingham at the big charity party she’s throwing the following week. Again, not the best plan. There’s more stress, too, involving an accident that befalls Anastasia’s little brother. And oh, Anastasia gets in trouble with her parents because she says something really offensive about the town’s low-income housing development—never mind that she was only imitating Daphne imitating Mrs. Bellingham, not actually saying the offensive thing herself. Everything turns out fine, ultimately, and the stressful things resolve themselves in sometimes-hilarious ways, but I don’t really like reading about plans that are clearly doomed to go awry. Still, I liked this book, particularly the very beginning and the very end.

[Melinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Isaac and I continue our journey through the Anastasia books. This one was not quite as charming as its predecessors but still brought some belly laughs.

[Jenne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I forgot how funny this was!

[Aimee Massey · Rating 5 out of 5]

In which our heroine enters the workforce, is disillusioned, scared almost to death, behaves like a real jerk, and learns valuable lessons!
Yes, Anastasia is back for Round Three. Summer is dragging in the new suburban house the Krupniks have moved into, and Anastasia is bored. She wants a job, and not just any job. No, Anastasia wants to be a lady's companion, like in old mystery stories. She has blissful visions of polishing her rich and generous employer's jewelry, serving tea, and drawing the blinds when the boss wants a nap.
But when she posts an ad on the grocery store's bulletin board (for it is the eighties when our story takes place) she's contacted by Mrs. Willa Bellingham, an extremely wealthy, imperious woman in town who errs on the abrupt side of businesslike, to the point of rudeness. Anastasia is dismayed to learn that she will be doing scut work. Polishing silverware, dusting, serving snacks at the birthday party for Mrs. Bellingham's granddaughter, who, horror of horrors, is just Anastasia's age.
Anastasia further complicates things by accidentally dropping a spoon into the garbage disposal on her very first day. "Because of that debacle" Mrs. Bellingham says, Anastasia owes $35 more, so she's stuck. (She is also stuck thinking that what she calls a spoon is actually called a bockle.)
Anastasia is a very smart twelve-year-old, but sometimes she is too smart for her own good, and other times, she is not nearly smart enough. She attempts to look like a middle-aged woman at the birthday party so birthday-girl Daphne won't realize they are the same age, only to have Daphne see straight through her disguise.
It turns out that Daphne is something of a rebel, a minister's daughter whose parents never lose their tempers with her, never yell and always forgive. In an ongoing effort to see just how far she can push her parents before they act like everyone else's parents, Daphne devotes herself to causing as much trouble and embarrassment as possible. (In the original version of the book, she mowed a swastika into the lawn; in the later edition, this has been changed to her giving the cat a mohawk, doubtless on the correct theory that there is nothing funny or likable about Nazi symbolism.) And she dislikes her grandmother, Mrs. Bellingham, as much as Anastasia does.
Daphne's devious mind conjures up a clever revenge plot involving randomly distributing invitations to Mrs. B's upcoming charity gala ... distributing them to what most consider society's undesirables: former mental patients, the town drunk, a couple of stoners.
Anastasia is happy to go along with this, but is distracted from the plot when her little brother Sam takes a bad fall and ends up in the hospital. But she's confronted with the potential consequences of the scheme when, after she makes a very snobbish comment in imitation of her despised employer, her father takes her to visit the section of Boston where he grew up as the son of poor Czech immigrants. Anastasia feels guilty for the snobbish remark, which she thought was only making fun of Mrs. B but may have been at least a small reflection of her own feelings, and is further shocked and ashamed to learn that the party she and Daphne planned to ruin is in fact a fundraiser for the local hospital ... the very one that saved Sam's life after his fall!
Can Anastasia stop this runaway train and make amends?
I love Anastasia and her family. If I had ever had to pick a fictional family to grow up in, the Krupniks would be my choice, hands down. Wonderful story with wonderful messages taught so smoothly they don't feel like teaching.

[Scheggia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recensione completa su Scheggia tra le pagine

L’esuberante Anastasia è tornata! Questo è il secondo volume che leggo dedicato a questa ragazza e, nonostante mi sia piaciuto un pizzico in meno rispetto al precedente, confermo la mia impressione positiva su questa serie per ragazzi.
È un’ottima serie e spero che in tanti decidano di leggerla.

In questo nuovo volume, Anastasia ha due problemi: si annoia ed è senza soldi. Dopo il trasferimento ci sono tante spese e la sua paghetta non può essere aumentata, quindi decide di cercarsi un lavoro.

La fervida immaginazione di questa adolescente la porterà a sperare di diventare la dama di compagnia di una donna anziana, ricca e facoltosa, ma ovviamente le cose andranno in maniera ben diversa.

Una serie di imprevisti la porteranno a svolgere un lavoro decisamente diverso, oltre a spingerla a volersi mostrare ben diversa da quel che è, seppur sempre con il suo piglio divertente e a tratti comico.

In questo secondo volume viene anche inserita una componente che rasenta il dramma e che avrei preferito meno evidente, perché purtroppo si prende a mio avviso troppo spazio.
Credo che il punto centrale della trama sia stato messo un po’ in disparte e non mi ha fatta impazzire anche il ragionamento fatto dai genitori per il torto subìto dalla ragazza.
Son comunque piccolezze che non scalfiscono la piacevolezza del libro, che si conferma molto divertente e con bei messaggi.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some books you go back to and are disappointed... but these ones I think are even better reading them decades later. Anastasia is bored and needs money so she advertises herself as a “ladies’ companion,” but her new employer baits and switches her into being a maid. Anastasia is both ridiculous and relatable during the hijinks that ensue. Anastasia has difficulties with a first impression, her younger brother ends up in the hospital after a severe injury, she makes a new friend and learns more about her dad’s poverty-stricken childhood (during the depression). There are some moments when the story seems historical (not “dated,” somehow it escapes that feeling), but overall this is still incredibly relevant.

Note: After his hospital stay, Sam tapes a feather to his head in order to play “Indian.”

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anastasia has some spunk! This story has her getting a job, her dream versus her reality. Category: juvie realistic fiction.

This series is a delightful change from my usual dystopian/teen dysfunctional angst books that I have been reading. There are some good lessons thrown throughout the series. For this book, I especially liked how Anastasia dealt with first impressions, misconceptions, and taking responsibility.

[victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book! In the beginning, it starts out with Anastasia having the most boring summer of her life. Her parents convince her to get a job, and she agrees. The only problem is that Anastasia doesn’t know what type of job to get. She realizes she would like to be a rich woman’s companion, and she thinks that’s the job she got. Well, things really go downhill from there. This summer might not be so boring!

[Shannan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely rereading these classics from my childhood. Yes, Anastasia Krupnik was a classic in my household. This one in particular I thoroughly enjoyed reading and loved the angle of Anastasia wanting to become a companion to a “rich old lady”. Although, as an adult reader, I wish there had been more to the story once we discover who Mrs. Flypaper was/is. But alas, this is a book for younger readers so I suppose they don’t want long, drawn out character development.

[Kaisa N · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kolmas osa Anastasiasta uusintakierroksella - ensimmäisellä kerralla varhaisnuori ja sittemmin keski-ikäinen lukija. Yhä edelleen jaksan ihmetellä, miten hyvin tämä on kestänyt aikaa ja toisaalta se, miten maailma on muuttunut on ilmeistä. Aikanaan tämä tuntui tosi rohkealta ja ennakkoluulottomalta ja ymmärrän hyvin miksi. Kerrassaan onnellista että muistin yhtäkkiä vuosien takaa nämä.

[Izic JOro · Rating 4 out of 5]

YEE! I appreciate the humor of this series! By the way... I like it... and... ye... so... like... ye... so... ye.

[Allison Renner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anastasia gets a job but quickly finds out it’s not what she expected, so she plots her revenge. It backfires in a funny way and there are a lot of layers to this story that made it an enjoyable re-read, decades later.

[Amy Meyers · Rating 2 out of 5]

Once again, the content is too mature for the younger readers who would be reading this...talk about sex, drug dealers, troubled teens, stuffing bras with pantyhose, disrespect to authorities, lack of healthy communication between adults and kids, nudity, etc.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly love all of the Anastasia books. They are funny, and relatable, and real and great.

[Monica M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny read. I love the dramatic personality of Anastasia, her parents relaxed approach on their daily life and her brother's old soul traits.

[AS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even funnier in Spanish : )