Wanda the Worrywart

Potter's Lodge #1

by Mary Towne

Potter's Lodge has been the scene of many happy summer vacations for Wanda Munson. She always enjoys them even though she worries a lot. She worries about getting lost in the woods, about moose attacks, about rainstorms—anything at all, all the time. Somebody has to tackle the world's worries and it may as well be Wanda, as she is so good at it. In fact, she can't help herself. And while the other kids at Potter's don't exactly despise Wanda, they don't hesitate to point out to her that she's a worrywart.
This summer, Wanda has a bigger than usual worry: Phyllis. Phyllis is Wanda's former stepgrandmother, an ill-tempered woman who thinks spiked heels and dangly earrings are proper dress for a hike in the woods. Though she is no longer married to Wanda's grandfather, Phyllis obviously intends to stay a long time with the Munsons—perhaps forever. As far as Wanda is concerned, this is her biggest worry yet.
But it may be the worrywarts of the world who are most alert to solutions. When Phyllis sets her cap for an elderly bachelor, Wanda (worrying all the way) is unusually eager to speed the romance along. In fact there is rather a lot of scheming going on before Wanda proves, at least to herself, that worrying pays off.

138 pages, Hardcover

First published September 30, 1989

About the author

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Mary Towne grew up in Long Island, California, and Massachusetts. She was associated with the Institute of Children's Literature as an instructor and consultant.

Reviews

[Josiah · Rating 1 out of 5]

A summer getaway to the woodlands of Vermont can be relaxing, and Wanda the Worrywart attempts to recreate that feeling. The story is set at rustic Potter's Lodge, which is based on a resort where author Mary Towne enjoyed many happy summers with her own husband and children. This year at the lodge is going to be different for Wanda Munson than past summers spent here. She, her parents, and younger brother Andrew are coming as usual, but so is Phyllis, her grandfather's ex-wife. Phyllis has a bit of con artist in her, and lobbied Wanda's mother to invite her along while Phyllis regains her footing after the divorce. The rest of the family isn't pleased to have her join them, but Wanda wants to make the best of it. Phyllis can't get in the way too much if Wanda focuses on having fun with her own friends.

Steve and Angie, Wanda's friends from previous summers, are back at Potter's Lodge. This is Rita's first year, a tough, quirky girl who seems at home in the woods. Gus is also new, a smart boy Wanda takes a special liking to. He isn't talkative and glowers a lot, but Wanda finds it nice being around him. Steve and Angie remember Wanda's habit of worrying about everything, and pick right up this year teasing her about it. Wanda prepares for outlandish contingincies as well as reasonable ones, fretting that she'll get lost in the woods, run out of some vital supply where she can't restock, or be waylaid by wild animals. She worries about her friends, too, which exasperates them. Now she also has Phyllis to worry about, a woman with no affinity for outdoor living. Maybe if she finds Phyllis a rich new husband among the lodge guests to replace Wanda's grandfather, her ex-stepgrandmother won't be a nuisance all summer. The plan seems to go well until an unexpected emergency triggers Wanda's anxiety like never before. Will everyone end up thanking her for showing foresight when no one else bothered to be prepared?

I'm not sure I grasp the theme of Wanda the Worrywart, and the writing is less evocative of summer in the Vermont woods than I hoped, but the kid characters are fun. Wanda, Steve, Angie, Rita, and Gus have distinct personalities, and this book isn't the last we see of them. A sequel, Steve the Sure, came out in 1990, followed by Angie the Airhead five years later. I get the feeling the narrative isn't complete without those sequels, and I look forward to them. Wanda the Worrywart might not stand well on its own, but I liked it, and it might be worth one and a half stars. Mary Towne isn't a famous author, but I encourage readers to pick up this book and discover what she has to offer.

[Bekah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Revisiting a childhood book. Just ok. Not sure what the message about worrying is supposed to be.