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Diary #1
Skinny Melon and Me
Cherry's teacher has told her that keeping a diary is a good way to unclog your head - and Cherry certainly has a lot on her mind. Cherry's mother has just re-married, much to her disgust. Her best friend Skinny Melon is a sounding board for Cherry's disproval of her step-father, Roland Butter.
Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
13 people are currently reading
261 people want to read
About the author
Jean Ure
266 books122 followersProlific English children and young adult author.
Had her first book published while still in high school, then studied theater at Webber-Douglas in London. Her most well-known work is the Point Crime novel Dance with Death. Others include Plague 99, After the Plague (previously "Come Lucky April"), Big Tom, Family Fan Club and Shrinking Violet, as well as the fantasy The Wizard In the Woods.
Today, Ure is very popular with British female teenage readers with novels such as Shrinking Violet, Family Fan Club and Passion Flower.
Ure has also translated Danish writer Sven Hassel's WWII novels to English.
Had her first book published while still in high school, then studied theater at Webber-Douglas in London. Her most well-known work is the Point Crime novel Dance with Death. Others include Plague 99, After the Plague (previously "Come Lucky April"), Big Tom, Family Fan Club and Shrinking Violet, as well as the fantasy The Wizard In the Woods.
Today, Ure is very popular with British female teenage readers with novels such as Shrinking Violet, Family Fan Club and Passion Flower.
Ure has also translated Danish writer Sven Hassel's WWII novels to English.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
March 14, 2025
And I Like It.
I really like this book. It’s very well written and has very likable characters. I am placing this book in the category of fun, because this is what it is.
Cherry is the main character and boy is she a character. At eleven years old, she and her friend Skinny Melon are both very much alike. They are best friends and they agree on most things.
But Cherry has some changes in her life. Her mother has a beloved boyfriend and she is extremely happy to be marrying him. But Cherry doesn’t like it.
Cherry calls him Slimy Roly (his name is Roland). She doesn’t like him. She thinks he looks disgusting with his stringy hair and patchy beard. And his skinny legs are the most of it.
Cherry can depend on sympathy from Skinny. Skinny is able to connect Cherry to
their own strengths in camaraderie and empathy for one another, while they also have the power to challenge the status quo.
These two girls are both equally capable of being successful in their respective roles as friends and allies in their own lives, while also helping one another in their relationship.
For Cherry, Slimy Roly and her mother, Patsy, signify the tightening rope of adulthood and the adversity that children experience. Especially eleven years old, Cherry.
Four stars. ✨✨✨✨
I really like this book. It’s very well written and has very likable characters. I am placing this book in the category of fun, because this is what it is.
Cherry is the main character and boy is she a character. At eleven years old, she and her friend Skinny Melon are both very much alike. They are best friends and they agree on most things.
But Cherry has some changes in her life. Her mother has a beloved boyfriend and she is extremely happy to be marrying him. But Cherry doesn’t like it.
Cherry calls him Slimy Roly (his name is Roland). She doesn’t like him. She thinks he looks disgusting with his stringy hair and patchy beard. And his skinny legs are the most of it.
Cherry can depend on sympathy from Skinny. Skinny is able to connect Cherry to
their own strengths in camaraderie and empathy for one another, while they also have the power to challenge the status quo.
These two girls are both equally capable of being successful in their respective roles as friends and allies in their own lives, while also helping one another in their relationship.
For Cherry, Slimy Roly and her mother, Patsy, signify the tightening rope of adulthood and the adversity that children experience. Especially eleven years old, Cherry.
Four stars. ✨✨✨✨
February 13, 2009
I loved Skinny Melon and Me! It's set in a time when Doc Martens were fashionable, and revolves around one girl's relationship with her sweet-yet-geeky hippie stepfather. It's set in a diary form, it's easy to read, and it's cute to see the girl begin to warm to Slimy Roland. The poor guy will do anything to impress her, and now I think he'd be very likable, but you have to remember that the girl, Cherry, is only eleven. I think in that way it was probably true to eleven-year-olds. Roland wasn't 'cool' so she didn't like him. That's fair when you're that age.
There are lots of cute picture messages which Slimy would push under Cherry's door, so they're fun to interpret. Oh, and you get to see some letters her mum writes to a friend in Dallas. All the mum can talk about is Cherry Cherry Cherry, which vaguely annoyed me, but it gives you an adult's perspective.
There's also a deadbeat dad to contend with. I don't know. Thanks to my stable home, I never had to go through parents divorcing or stepfathers or anything of the like. I still really enjoyed the book though. Maybe kids from 'broken' families could get even more from it.
There are lots of cute picture messages which Slimy would push under Cherry's door, so they're fun to interpret. Oh, and you get to see some letters her mum writes to a friend in Dallas. All the mum can talk about is Cherry Cherry Cherry, which vaguely annoyed me, but it gives you an adult's perspective.
There's also a deadbeat dad to contend with. I don't know. Thanks to my stable home, I never had to go through parents divorcing or stepfathers or anything of the like. I still really enjoyed the book though. Maybe kids from 'broken' families could get even more from it.
Read
February 2, 2023the riddle letters were so cute and sweet
May 30, 2012
Skinny Melon and me was excellent!!
Melanie Skinner (Skinny Melon) was my favourite character because she seemed more happy and grateful than Cherry - I didn't mind Cherry but if you think about it, she is a terribly ungrateful child!
I've never quite read a book like this before. It really shows a realistic veiw on what children think of their step-parents. Poor Roland seemed like a nice guy! But he'd take a bit of getting used to...I loved it how he was an enviromental freak like me! So NOT a "cranky vegetarian" like Cherry said...
Speaking of food, those school dinners! Ugh! They sound repulsive, at best. I'd take the vegetarian sandwiches!!
I really liked the letters Cherry's mum wrote to her friend in Texas - She was basically talking about the same things as Cherry, but it was completely different because, of course, she is an adult. It made you think about how adults see things!
To round things up I'd like to say Skinny Melon and Me was a really good book - it certainly taught me a few things!
Melanie Skinner (Skinny Melon) was my favourite character because she seemed more happy and grateful than Cherry - I didn't mind Cherry but if you think about it, she is a terribly ungrateful child!
I've never quite read a book like this before. It really shows a realistic veiw on what children think of their step-parents. Poor Roland seemed like a nice guy! But he'd take a bit of getting used to...I loved it how he was an enviromental freak like me! So NOT a "cranky vegetarian" like Cherry said...
Speaking of food, those school dinners! Ugh! They sound repulsive, at best. I'd take the vegetarian sandwiches!!
I really liked the letters Cherry's mum wrote to her friend in Texas - She was basically talking about the same things as Cherry, but it was completely different because, of course, she is an adult. It made you think about how adults see things!
To round things up I'd like to say Skinny Melon and Me was a really good book - it certainly taught me a few things!
October 5, 2007
she hv family prob..
her parents split up n her mom married to aguy whom she didnt like..
this book teach us to be tough,appreciate every time with ur loved ones...
we have to know the person b4 we make a conclusion~
her parents split up n her mom married to aguy whom she didnt like..
this book teach us to be tough,appreciate every time with ur loved ones...
we have to know the person b4 we make a conclusion~
March 16, 2023
Cherry is angry. Her mother has remarried and is having a baby. And no matter how hard her new stepfather tries, Cherry won't give him the time of day. Cherry relays all of this information into a diary, being kept only because a teacher promises it will "clear out her cupboard." To contrast Cherry's diary entries, we see her mother's letters to a friend, talking about Cherry's awful behavior. Can this family ever come to terms with the changes and unite? Will they be able to see their own flaws rather than just everyone elses?
August 13, 2018
This was a lovely tale about a girl trying to get used to her mums new husband who sends her messages. She dosent really like her stepfather that much but eventually she realises he is the only one truly kind to her apart from Skinny melon of course.
November 27, 2019
Ah nostalgia. This book reminds me of my sister because she had a copy of this and I used to borrow it and reread it quite often because I liked all of the picture messages in it!
September 17, 2024
Really liked it as a kid! The coded messages were so fun to decode, great starters book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2025
Could not finish book. Could not get in to book. I did not like book.
October 11, 2025
Knížka byla fajn. Dobře a rychle se četla.
December 1, 2010
I thought this book was pretty good. I picked this book up, well the book is a book with three of Jean Ures books in them, but anyways i thought the cover page was bright and colorful and fun looking so i decided to check it out. Since it is set in London, they spell a couple of things differently in the book. For example: favorite is spelled favourite, and color is spelled colour. I could still decipher what the words were tho because there is a one letter difference. This book is about a girl named Cherry. Her parents got divorced and her mom has married a man who she thinks is a dweeb in the beginning. She is going through a lot of tough times because her parents split. Both of her parents have remarried. Her dad has remarried to a lady who does not seem to be to fond of Cherry, and vice versa. So all in all this book was pretty good. I am currently reading the book Becky bananas by Jean Ure.
November 4, 2015
Just been reliving my childhood by rereading this. A favourite of mine when I was about 12. Its a quick read, written as a diary by Cherry, picture riddle postcards by her step father Roly and letters by her mother.
Definitely a book that stays within its age bracket. Deals with a child of divorced parents, step parents and issues from that etc.
The main reason I enjoyed it was to decipher the mini picture messages by Roly.
Characters Cherry and her mother were a bit grating though interesting to see their different perspectives and misunderstandings.
3.5/5 aimed specifically towards 9-13 year olds.
Definitely a book that stays within its age bracket. Deals with a child of divorced parents, step parents and issues from that etc.
The main reason I enjoyed it was to decipher the mini picture messages by Roly.
Characters Cherry and her mother were a bit grating though interesting to see their different perspectives and misunderstandings.
3.5/5 aimed specifically towards 9-13 year olds.
April 3, 2008
HI! I got this book while i was window-walking(haha. got the word from window-shoppung) in POPULAR book fair.. THIS book is really nice, and i have recommended the series by Jean Ure to my best friend, Amanda.. She thinks it is nice too! SO.. TRY IT!!
July 13, 2007
I love this book it very gd pictures
December 6, 2009
fun, lighthearted story
October 24, 2010
It was ok.It got pretty boring though
September 23, 2011
It had a good storyline but a bit confusing as the speech was not marked with speech marks("") this is probably because it is a diary though.
April 4, 2012
This book. spoke to me as I am a little girl turning into a pre-teenager
December 10, 2012
Really loved it! A very cute book and teach us some valuable lessons.
July 20, 2014
One of my childhood favourites! I can't wait to have children of my own and let them puzzle away at Ronald Butters brilliant coded letters!
July 19, 2014
Book I read when I was a preteen
June 27, 2015
I've read this so many times, ever since I was 11. :)
Everything was cute. Totally.
Everything was cute. Totally.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews