Lucy the Good

by Marianne Musgrove, Cheryl Orsini (Illustrations)

Lucy van Loon knows she’s a good girl.  So why is she always sitting in the Time Out chair?  After all, she had a very good reason for dumping Jacinta’s unicorn pencils all over the floor.  And she only threw a tantrum because her aunt from Holland called her a bad girl and a greedy liar, which was UTTERLY untrue. But what if Lucy is bad?  Her grumpy aunt certainly seems to think so. Now Lucy has to figure out how to prove she really is Lucy the Good. But how? In this gently humorous story, Marianne Musgrove takes a look at one child's temper and how she begins to get it under control.

Genres: Childrens

144 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Anne Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucy van Loon has trouble at school. Jacinta the unicorn-lover insists Lucy's poem is copied. Is it time for a tantrum or time for the "Time Out" chair?

Lucy van Loon has trouble at home. Her Tante Bep has come from Holland and is sharing her room. They get off to a bad start when Tante Bep decides that Lucy is lying about her little brother's allergy to eggs just so she can get more for herself.

Tante tells her it's only a few days until Sinterklaas Day when the good kids are divided from the bad. Lucy is scared she's going to wind up in Black Piet's coal sack and be whisked off to Spain, never to return.

She's determined to become Lucy the Good. But how do you decide whether something's good or not? Perhaps there's a simple way and those eggs Calvin is allergic to can help. A good egg sinks and a bad egg floats.

Lucy decides to test her sinking/floating theory on all number of household items.

A fun read.

[Ashley Green · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lucy van Loon is a young girl who struggles with her inner goodness and badness. Oftentimes, she thinks she is doing good, but she is treated like she has done bad. This has only been made worse by the visiting of her Great Aunt from Denmark. Lucy expects her to be a sweet new roommate with which she can share bedtime stories and late night chats, but Tante Bep turns out to be a staunch disciplinarian. Will Lucy ever figure out how to sort out what is good to do, what she wants to do, and what is bad to do? This book is a realistic fictional tale that explores the fine lines between good and bad, and the relationship between the independent minds of kids and their adult caretakers. Find out how Lucy reconciles her personality and desire for "goodness" with the rules placed upon her. Recommended for grades 2-5.

Realistic Fiction
Kirkus Reviews

Musgrove, M. & illustrator Orsini C. (2010). Lucy the good. Henry Holt and Company, LLC: New York.

[Lora · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is about a Dutch little girl! I couldn't believe it when I started reading the book. I thought the plot was about a girl trying to control her anger (and it is), but it's about a Dutch girl too and all sorts of Dutch customs!

I do have to say that this book covered the topic of anger management really well for second graders (that's Lucy's age) without being preachy. Musgrove really gets into the head of children for this book and it shows. A very well written book.

Fans of Clementine will love Lucy.

[Patricia Puddle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I bought it in a bookshop in NSW for one of my nieces, but I liked it so much that I kept it for myself instead. I figured my grandkids, nieces and nephews could still read it at my house. LOL.

Lucy a delightful and funny character and is a lot like I was as a child. The author's writing is excellent and as she writes in the same genre as me, this book caught my attention. I also love writing about naughty, mischievous characters. And I'm so glad I bought it. It's hillarious. I highly recommend it for boys as well as girls.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lucy doesn't think she's bad, but she keeps getting in trouble. And when her great aunt arrives from Holland, Lucy can't seem to do anything right. The more she tries to be good, the worse it gets. She has to figure out once and for all if she's good or bad.

This is a fun story about learning to control your temper, and helping others understand you. It's also set in Australia, and so gives glimpses into life in that country.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggled between giving this 2 stars and 3 stars, and ultimately decided on 3 because the theme -- how hard it is for a young student to deal with anger -- is a good one. But I don't even accept the concept of kids being "good" or "bad": surely it's the actions that are good or bad, not the kids. So I was frustrated with that through the whole book. If you set that one huge issue aside, though, Lucy's concerns and frustrations are real ones, and they were dealt with sympathetically.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is pretty humorous. Lucy is always getting into trouble, then her aunt from Holland comes to visit. Her aunt tells her about Black Piet who takes bad children to Spain and she shows Lucy the bad that Black Piet will use. Lucys attempts to be good just get her into more and more trouble. My 9 year old loved this book. It is very similar in style to "Junie B. Jones" or "Clementine".

[Peter McDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a stunning read for children and their parents. Lucy finds herself exploring good and bad and that messy space inbetween. We read it aloud to our 8&9 year olds after the evening meal - and had much fun and good conversation.

[Zoe Mezzino · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its very easy to relate to Lucy Van Loon. She is defiant, hilarious, uncontrollable, energetic and unbelievable all in one. She does things we would all like to do very much at some point in our lives.

[Addison Children's Services · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fans of Ramona and Junie B. will enjoy Lucy. She is the girl who wants to be good, tries to be good, but it never quite works out for her.

[Ellie Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

recommended for people who are 6-9 years old! this is a fantastic book

[Lucyc]

i thought the book was awesome i really want to read it again