The Melting of Maggie Bean

By Tricia Rayburn and Tricia Levenseller

Book Overview

Maggie Bean is a top student, a loyal friend, and has a great sense of humor. But the past year's been kind of rough, what with her dad losing his job and her loads of schoolwork. Maggie's learned to cope by eating chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolate. So much so, that Maggie is dragged by her aunt to weekly Pound Patrollers meetings. No big deal, just utter social devastation. She keeps her mind off PP meetings by "accidentally" running into gorgeous 8th grader Peter Applewood; updating her study spreadsheet--a.k.a, Maggie's Master Multi-Tasker; finding a job for her dad; and secretly practicing for one of the two freshman spots on the synchronized swim team. She's got a long way to go to reach her goals, but when Maggie Bean sets her mind on a goal, nothing--not even a bag of Kit Kats--can stand in her way.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1416933484
• ISBN13: 9781416933489
• Release Date: April 2007
• Publisher: Aladdin Paperbacks
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.4" x 7.5"
• Age Range: 9 to 13 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 8

Customer Reviews

A student's review

My favorite book this year is called The Melting of Maggie Bean. It is a very good and fascinating book. Maggie loves to keep up with her average of an A, but one thing she gets an A+ in is eating chocolate. One of Maggie's friends thwarts her from eating chocolate for a week, but every time she sees the chocolate machine, she goes crazy! I recommend this book to nine to fourteen year olds because they can get a sense of what happens to them if they eat chocolate. If you like this book, you'll like The Secret Identity of Devon Delaney.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

Maggie Bean is addicted to candy. She needs a few bags to get her through the pressures of the week. At her house, the tension adds up because her dad's been out of work for months and they're barely scraping by. Maggie's gained weight during this time - so much weight that it's embarrassing her family. And they've decided to take action. Her parents force her to join a weight center with her aunt. Maggie can't believe the humiliation, but neither can she stop eating candy. Things turn around when two coveted spots on the swim team open up and both Maggie and her best friend decide to try out. Only Maggie's too embarrassed to be seen in the local pool wearing a swimsuit that grandmothers and pregnant women also wear. So, she decides to train in secret, and no one knows except the other teen in her weight program. THE MELTING OF MAGGIE BEAN takes a tale of a social outcast and creates a realistic outcome. Maggie has two main goals, but to accomplish them, she'll need to dig down deep and discover her inner strength. Maggie Bean will inspire readers everywhere to strive towards their own goals and make them a reality. Reviewed by: Jennifer Rummel

To be or not to be....

Maggie Bean is on the plump side with self esteem so low that she avoids looking into mirrors. Every week she sneaks into the drug store while her mother does the grocery shopping to buy that weeks supply of chocolate and candy. She realizes that being fat isn't what she wants. What she wants is to be popular, pretty, and thin. She thinks trying out to become a Water Wing is the way to get there. I really loved this book. Whether your a bit too plump or on the skinnier side, I think there's a message for it you.