Poor Jenny, Bright as a Penny

By Shirley Rousseau Murphy

Fifteen-year-old Jenny Middle struggles to hold her family together despite poverty, constant moves, the jail sentence and drunkenness of her mother, and a sister tragically involved with drugs.A... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0670564338
• ISBN13: 9780670564330
• Release Date: April 1974
• Publisher: Viking Juvenile
• Length: 174 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 20.0" x 20.0" x 20.0"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

An inspiring book for bright teenage girls growing up in broken homes

I loved this book when I was a teenager. What I remember most about it was how Jenny struggled to rise above her circumstances while still trying to protect her little brother and older sister. She was smart, brave, beautiful and imaginative - so much better than the places and company she often found herself in - like a lotus in mud. It could have been such a depressing book about a young woman who is dragged down by her environment, but instead it is a hopeful story of how the struggle to be true to oneself may be difficult, but is ultimately worth it. It also offers this important truth: you can try to help the people you love, but you can't save them - they have to do that for themselves.

Touching...

I first read this book as a young teenager. I was going through a lot of the same things Jenny was and I fell in love with the book simply because I could so identify with the title character. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever faced adversity and wondered what the future would hold for them.

This is a wonderful book

I first encountered this book at my church school library, and immediately identified with Jenny, both of us feeling unattractive and bookish, though she was skinny and I was fat. This book is a story of a young woman's triumph over adversity: difficult family circumstances, near-abuse and drugs. Very moving and incredible read.