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Utterly Me, Clarice Bean
 
 

Utterly Me, Clarice Bean (Hardcover)

by Lauren Child (Author) "This is me, Clarice Bean ..." (more)
4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 192 pages
  • Publisher: Orchard (7 Oct 2002)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1841219185
  • ISBN-13: 978-1841219189
  • Product Dimensions: 18.8 x 14 x 2.3 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 246,377 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk review

Utterly Me, Clarice Bean is Lauren Child's rather marvellous follow up to the super-savvy picture books that first launched the unforgettable Clarice into Smarties Prize and Kate Greenaway Medal winning orbit. This time, Child has moved away from her usual format and strikes gold in a novel for younger folk.

Clarice's extraordinarily ordinary family are under pressure. Dad keeps muttering about how "there might be a reshuffle going on at work" and how he will "have to jump through hoops" if he wants to get a "share of the pie" because "the big cheese" has been making noises about "some people being left out in the cold if they don’t keep their eye on the ball", while mum spends her life "gribbling about pants on the floor and shoes on the sofa". And as for her brother, Minal Cricket, he "tends to be utterly a nuisance".

Meanwhile, Mrs Wilburton, the school teacher who insists that Clarice sets a book project "which sounds utterly dreary", until, that is, Miss Bean realises there is a prize. Together with best friend Betty Moody, Clarice sets about bagging the booty with the aid of The Ruby Redford Collection, a series of books about an 11-year-old detective.

As the games commence, Clarice tells her story through her diary, navigating childhood minefields and inviting readers to join her in her wide-eyed wonder at the madness of it all. Children will enjoy the easy-flowing, slightly breathless style and the familiarity of day-to-day dramas, and will undoubtedly agree with many of Clarice's observations on the utter unfairness of childhood in general.

Black and white drawings and random meanderings into alternative type faces that perfectly ape the bored scribblings of many a child add a visual dimension that will appeal even to less able or reluctant readers as well as to those who enjoy a good read. And let us not forget that Utterly Me, Clarice Bean is just about perfect for reading aloud--in fact, this option is highly recommended as depriving the grown-ups of this laugh-out-loud experience would be utterly, utterly unfair. Ages six and over. --Susan Harrison



Review

"Will win over readers in a second" Publishers Weekly "Lauren Child is so good, it's exhilarating" The Independent

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This is me, Clarice Bean. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews

10 Reviews
5 star:
 (9)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.9 out of 5 stars (10 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Utterly, a gem!, 18 Jun 2003
My seven year old daughter read this in an afternoon and utterly loved it. I read it too with a good deal of amusement and much admiration for the brilliant writing and illustration. Lauren Child presents the fun and frustrations of childhood with great wit and sympathy and a total lack of sentimentality. The first person narrative beautifully evokes the language of the primary school playground, while giving an inimitable, child's take on her own and the adult world.

As a child, my daughter could relate to Clarice's trials with her family and teacher (little brother Minal's bad jokes struck a particular chord!), her relationships with her friends and enemies, and her struggles with the dreaded class project. As a parent, I enjoyed the insights into the life of primary age children, the way in which relationships develop, the ambitious plans that don't quite work out, the misinterpretation of events, the independent thought often underestimated by adults.

Clarice's story is interwoven with that of Ruby Redfort - the heroine of a series of a much loved mystery-adventure books Clarice herself is reading. The two stories develop with Clarice and her friends using Ruby-like skills to solve the mystery of the missing trophy and complete their project. My daughter said she wished the Ruby Redfort books really existed, as they sounded excellent.

But perhaps the clearest compliment comes from her interpretation of Clarice's age, cleverly never stated. "I think she must be seven or eight", says my daughter, "Just like me!"

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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars best book I've ever read apart from the Giggler treatment, 5 Nov 2004
By ellie (Norwich) - See all my reviews
I am 9. I got this out of the school library for reading time and UTTERLY adored it. I couldn't stop reading it and finsighed it in 3 sessions. It's got a great sense of humour and I found at my first attempt I got up to page 90. I didn't laugh out loud because my teacher would have got annoyed but I hooted lots in my head. I really want to read some more Lauren Child books
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Utterly Me, Clarice Bean, 12 Jun 2003
By A Customer
I have just finished this book and was howling with laughter all the way through. Although I know it's not exacltly aimed at my age group (I'm 26!) I love Clarice Bean and have previously only read the picture books by Lauren Child so I was interested to see how she would make the transition from picture book to novel. She certainly didn't disappoint. The descriptions of Clarice's mad family are all here - the house is taken over by Grandad's friend's dogs, Kurt still smells of cheese - and Lauren's unique and amusing illustrations are the perfect accompaniment to the text. I loved the drawing of Clarice's teacher as a slug!

This book is absolutely fabulous, and can't fail to disappoint.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun for children and parents...
After much arguing among my three children (twins 9, plus an 8), we finally agreed that we would listen to 'girly, baby Clarice Bean' on a long car journey, and since then the... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Simon Hall

5.0 out of 5 stars Utterly Me, Clarice Bean
clarice bean is one of my utterly favourite books in a ceries with four siblings anything could go worng. with entertaining jokes it would make anybody like this book! Read more
Published 2 months ago

5.0 out of 5 stars Utterly great!
I think Clarice Bean is really, really funny and I just can't stop reading her books. There's a really funny bit in it where her teacher Mrs Wilberton says 'Clarice Bean will you... Read more
Published 9 months ago

5.0 out of 5 stars A GOOD BOOK
I am Sophie and I am 7, I read this book 2 months ago and thought it was good.It made me be like her.
Published 12 months ago

5.0 out of 5 stars clarice bean uttterly me
Clarice Bean is a brilliant creation.Its funny and quirky.Clarice Bean and her familes antics are portrayed extremley well from the point of veiw a child. Read more
Published on 17 Jul 2005 by isabella

5.0 out of 5 stars Utterly marvelous
I love this book because it is written exactly the way that young children think, speak and write. Clarice is up front, honest and offers no pretences: 'I am not an only child,... Read more
Published on 27 Sep 2004 by April Wallis

5.0 out of 5 stars utterly me, clarice bean- yes please
I bought this on a whim, seeing the cover, for my 9 year old daughter. Both she and I read it within 24 hours and now her 12 year old sister has it secreted under her pillow to... Read more
Published on 10 Feb 2003 by Judith M Crosse

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