Lulu and the Brontosaurus (The Lulu Series) in Mock Newbery 2026

Feb 07, 2016 Carol Royce Owen rated it really liked it

If you don't know the name Judith Viorst, you're missing out on a lot of good picture books. Does the name Alexander - Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, Alexander Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday, Alexander, Who's Not (Did You Hear Me? I Mean it!) Going to Move - ring a bell? One of my favorites of the author's, though, is the delightful Earrings, in which a young girl desperately tries to convince her parents that she ought to be allowed to get her ears pierced. Well, If you don't know the name Judith Viorst, you're missing out on a lot of good picture books. Does the name Alexander - Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, Alexander Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday, Alexander, Who's Not (Did You Hear Me? I Mean it!) Going to Move - ring a bell? One of my favorites of the author's, though, is the delightful Earrings, in which a young girl desperately tries to convince her parents that she ought to be allowed to get her ears pierced. Well, that young girl did not have Lulu's pushover parents. Lulu is a spoiled , badly behaved only child. Or, as it says from the very first pages - "She was a pain - a very big pain - in the butt." Everything Lulu wants she gets, and if her parents dare say no, Lulu throws an embarrassing, full throttle, hissy fit, and continue it until she heard the words she was waiting for, "Well, just this once."

Lulu's birthday is coming, and two weeks before the date she has announced her wish - she wants a brontosaurus for her birthday. This is one of those places where the author interjects into the story and stops you from thinking she doesn't know what she's talking about. Yes, she knows that scientists decided that they weren't really brontosaurus, but an apatosaurus, and yes, of course, she knows that they aren't alive now, but this is her story, after all, and she should be allowed to tell it the way she wants to. So, anyway- for once, Lulu's parents say no, and unbelievably stick to their decision. Despite all of her crying and screeching and throwing herself on the floor, a day before Lulu's birthday they are still saying no. So Lulu takes matters into her own hands.

The rest of the story is the fun adventure of Lulu heading off into the forest to find a brontosaurus to be her pet, but not before she encounters other wild creatures who are not too happy with all of her noisiness.

A fun teaching point with this book is showing students how even authors sometimes can't decide how to end a book. In fact, this book has three different endings for the reader to consider and choose as their favorite. I definitely plan on using it in writing lessons to get students to think of alternate endings to their own stories. Now, however, I've got more reading to do - because I've also got Lulu's Mysterious Mission to read. Catch you later with that review! ...more

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Oct 10, 2012 KWinks rated it it was ok

This book was okay, the main seller for me the art of Lane Smith. The story could have used a little more....sparkle. Lulu is kind of grating and the author's insertion of herself into the story kept ruining the trance. I am always on the hunt for chapter books that I can read aloud in the first fifteen minutes of my older kids crafts (I have read a few chapters of My Weird School, Junie B, etc). This one will not work for that.
I think I would like to try Lulu Walks the Dogs, though. Perhaps it ...more

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Apr 29, 2016 Jessie rated it really liked it

For very young readers. I sat and read it to my 4 year old today and she loved it. About a sassy little girl that learns to say please and be polite. Fun writing. Sometimes a chapter is just one paragraph and there are a lot of illustrations. I loved the illustrations, as well.

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Apr 29, 2017 Karen Arendt rated it it was amazing

Lulu is a terribly selfish girl who treats everyone poorly. With a choice of three different endings readers will be sure to be happy. The animals in the story remind me a little bit of the animals in My Fathers Dragon.

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Sep 21, 2016 Kirsten rated it really liked it

Shelves: early-chapter-books

A perfectly delightful early chapter book about a girl who really, really, really wants a brontosaurus for a pet and a bronotosaurus who really, really, really wants a (somewhat bratty) little girl.

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Mar 07, 2013 Caren rated it it was amazing

Shelves: early-chapter-books, children-s-fiction

Hilarious! Can't believe that I haven't found this book earlier.
Purchase. ...more

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Mar 11, 2016 Dolores rated it really liked it

Fun read. Lots of humor and great pictures.

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Oct 04, 2012 Claire rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 9-to-11-year-old-readers, great-read-aloud-titles-for-all-age, beginning-readers, 2nd-grade-and-up

An easy reader from Judith Viorst. She has created Lulu an amaaazingly spoiled little girl who gets Everything she wants... that is until she wants a brontosaurus.
In this little morality tale Lulu meet her match when she thinks she has finally obtained her desired brontosaurus.
Tried and true read aloud that has the kids clamoring for more.

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