Earrings - Softcover

Judith Viorst was born and brought up in New Jersey and has lived in Washington, DC, since 1960, when she married Milton Viorst, a political writer. A graduate in 1981 of the Washington Psychoanalytic Institute, Viorst writes in many different areas: science books, children’s chapter and picture books—including the beloved Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, which has sold some four million copies; adult fiction and nonfiction including the New York Times bestseller, Necessary Losses; poetry for children and adults, and four musicals. Her most recent book of poetry for children, What Are You Glad About? What Are You Mad About? was published in 2016. Lulu Is Getting a Sister is the fourth book in the Lulu series.

Grade 1-3-- Pierced ears and beautiful earrings are this protagonist's sole desire. She tries everything to convince her parents of the positive results of such acquisitions: her posture will improve and she won't need new clothes. If arguments won't work, there are always tears or promises. The outcome of such exhortations is not known because the situation remains unresolved, but one can count on the persistence of this child. Although not Viorst at her best, she does capture the immediacy of young demands. The girl must have her earrings now, because she is the "only girl . . . in the solar system" (not to mention in her multiethnic classroom) who doesn't have pierced ears. Malone's watercolor and ink illustrations depict a curly-haired redhead straining to look in jewelry store windows, imagining herself in various earrings, poring over pictures of sophisticated models, and being very helpful. Her comfortably baggy outfits are accented by her signature hairbow in dazzling colors, but her age seems to fluctuate greatly from page to page. The conflict is authentic, and the humorous illustrations expand the drama and exaggeration of this child's obsession. Parents and youngsters caught in this struggle will recognize themselves, although they won't find any answers in this book. --Jane Saliers, Atlanta-Fulton Pub . Lib .
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