Yours Truly, Lucy B. Parker: Take My Advice!

Gr 5–7—Seventh-grader Lucy B. Parker returns with a new set of problems. When the post of advice columnist for the school paper becomes available, Lucy's superstar stepsister, Laurel, suggests that Lucy would be the perfect replacement. Lucy is hesitant at first but, feeling pressure from her stepfather to participate in some kind of extracurricular activity, agrees. The upcoming Sadie Hawkins dance at school means there will be no shortage of letters requesting advice on getting the right date, though Lucy herself is dead set against asking anyone. Realizing the irony, and hypocrisy, of encouraging others to face their fears while she can't summon the courage to tell her BFF that she has a crush on her friend's brother, never mind asking said crush to the dance, Lucy has to decide whether to take her own advice. Shana Dowdswell narrates Palmer's novel (Putnam, 2012) with a believably youthful voice that captures the preteen's personality, though her delivery falters at times during very lengthy sentences. She convincingly portrays Lucy's emotions as the narrative covers familiar territory like crushes and parental pressure. Since Lucy often refers to events from previous titles and those new to the series may wonder about some details, this title is most suitable for listeners already familiar with the series.—Amanda Raklovits, Champaign Public Library, IL