Lucy the Giant

by Sherri L. Smith

Book Overview

A 2003 YALSA nominee for Best Books for Young AdultsFifteen-year-old Lucy, the largest girl in her school, leaves her small Alaska town and her alcoholic father and discovers hardship -- and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385729405
• ISBN13: 9780385729406
• Release Date: February 2002
• Publisher: Delacorte Press
• Length: 217 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.9" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 12 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 7 to 12

Customer Reviews

Lucy the Giant

Lizbeth Santiago 1A This book is very good for kids that have physical problems like being a giant person. Lucy is a big girl that has a drunk father. her classmates make fun of her size and they start to call her bad names.She had a very hard life. She run away from Sitka to Kodiak. There she found a crew of a crabbing boat. They assumed she was much older and they invited her to sign on for season. she accepted the job and began work with them. At the end they found that she was only fifteen years old, and they did everything to take her to her father again. she went back to her normal life and began to be the daugther of a drunk man again.

Realistic read.

For anyone who's every been different, ever been mistreated, and ever wanted to run away (I know I have), this is the book for you. While Lucy does get to indulge in her every dream, we get to see, by the end, the consequences she has to pay for her actions. Realistically written, Lucy the Giant is filled with flawed characters and authentic dialogue. The already engrossing story is made even better by the setting of the Pacific Northwest - Sheri Smith paints a picture of a stark, but beautiful Alaska and the danger and excitement of the sea just as well as she evokes the emotions and actions of her characters. Wonderful story, guaranteed to tug at the heartstrings.

5 Giant Stars for Lucy!

Lucy is a real page turner! I couldn't put the book down once I started reading. The heroine is a strong and believable character. She has had to grow strong due to living with an inattentive, alcoholic father and no mother. She is ackwardly taller than the other students in school. Her life takes another tragic turn which leads her on a great adventure away from home, where she must live and act as an adult. I think teen-aged readers, both girls and boys, can identify with Lucy on many levels. What teenager doesn't have family issues and/or some feeling of physical ackwardness? The character inspires by being strong, yet vulnerable. It is also refreshing to read about a teenage girl with more interesting thoughts than worries about boys and clothes. This is an adventurous yet "real" story that both teens and adults can enjoy! I can't wait to see more books by Sherri L. Smith.

Terrific book!

An enjoyable read from start to finish! Terrific detail and a strong voice make this book really unique and believable. Many teen readers will relate to Lucy's struggling to play the role of an adult with parts of herself still a kid...all in the context of a high seas adventure. A great follow-up for kids who loved Avi's The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle in grade school! One of the best YA's of the the year so far, I hope this author gets the accolades she deserves!

Lucy The Giant Review

Lucy The Giant is a well written book dealing with the issues of pet loss, alcoholisnm, living with single parents, and fitting in. The story follows Lucy from her home in Sitka, Alaska to Kodiak, Alaska where she changes her name to Barbara in order to appear adult and me able to join the crabbing crew of the MIranda Lee. She makes good friends on the ship but is worried about the time when her secret will be spilled.