Anastasia Has the Answers

March 1, 2003
Gr 3-7-A 13-year-old girl growing up in the suburbs of Boston, Anastasia Krupnik is looking for ways to make an impact on the world around her. She likes her gym teacher, Wilhelmina Willoughby, and wants her approval but can't seem to master climbing the ropes during gym class. Thus, deeming her recently widowed uncle as dreamy as Rhett Butler in Gone with the Wind, Anastasia decides to play matchmaker. All of her attempts to be noticed (by anyone at all) meet with hilarious results. Alonso's illustrations provide a comical balance to the story. The chapters are short and can be easily read by older readers, while also providing good read-aloud material for teachers and librarians to use with younger readers. This Spanish translation of the immensely popular Anastasia series (Yearling Books) is recommended for all collections.Mercedes Smith, Bishop Kenny H.S., Jacksonville, FL

May 1, 1986
The sixth story about irrepressible Anastasia Krupnik begins with Anastasia deciding she cannot attend the funeral of her Aunt Rose in California. Anastasia, it turns out, is afraid not only of flying, but of dying. So the Krupniks leave Anastasia and her brother with a sitter, and she must face her fears and problems without her parents for several days. Determined to become a journalist, Anastasia believes she should have "all the answers,'' and is dismayed to discover things do not always go her way. She's humiliated in gym class because she's the only one who can't climb the ropes, and, upon her parent's return, her plan to fix up her newly single Uncle George with her friend Daphne's divorced mother falls flat. But in a hilarious ending that only Anastasia could set in motion, she not only puts things right, but realizes that a lot of people consider her very special. Funny and touching, this new book is every bit as lively and touching as Lowry's first five, and definitely another winner.