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First Love
Fifteen
This is an alternate cover edition for ISBN 0140309489
It seems too good to be true. A popular boy has asked Jane out -- and she's never even dated before. Stan is tall and good-looking, friendly and hard-working -- everything Jane ever dreamed of. But is she ready for this? Does she have the right clothes? Will he like her?
Suppose her parents won't let her go? What if she's nervous and makes a fool of herself? Maybe he'll think she's too young. If only she knew all the clever things to say. If only she were prettier. If only she were ready for this...
With her usual warmth, perceptiveness, and humor, Beverly Cleary creates the joys and worries of a young girl's first crush.
It seems too good to be true. A popular boy has asked Jane out -- and she's never even dated before. Stan is tall and good-looking, friendly and hard-working -- everything Jane ever dreamed of. But is she ready for this? Does she have the right clothes? Will he like her?
Suppose her parents won't let her go? What if she's nervous and makes a fool of herself? Maybe he'll think she's too young. If only she knew all the clever things to say. If only she were prettier. If only she were ready for this...
With her usual warmth, perceptiveness, and humor, Beverly Cleary creates the joys and worries of a young girl's first crush.
175 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1956
132 people are currently reading
3,482 people want to read
About the author
Beverly Cleary
258books3,293followersBeverly Atlee Cleary was an American writer of children's and young adult fiction. One of America's most successful authors, 91 million copies of her books have been sold worldwide since her first book was published in 1950. Some of her best known characters are Ramona Quimby and Beezus Quimby, Henry Huggins and his dog Ribsy, and Ralph S. Mouse.
The majority of Cleary's books are set in the Grant Park neighborhood of northeast Portland, Oregon, where she was raised, and she has been credited as one of the first authors of children's literature to figure emotional realism in the narratives of her characters, often children in middle-class families. Her first children's book was Henry Huggins after a question from a kid when Cleary was a librarian. Cleary won the 1981 National Book Award for Ramona and Her Mother and the 1984 Newbery Medal for Dear Mr. Henshaw. For her lifetime contributions to American literature, she received the National Medal of Arts, recognition as a Library of Congress Living Legend, and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal from the Association for Library Service to Children. The Beverly Cleary School, a public school in Portland, was named after her, and several statues of her most famous characters were erected in Grant Park in 1995. Cleary died on March 25, 2021, at the age of 104.
The majority of Cleary's books are set in the Grant Park neighborhood of northeast Portland, Oregon, where she was raised, and she has been credited as one of the first authors of children's literature to figure emotional realism in the narratives of her characters, often children in middle-class families. Her first children's book was Henry Huggins after a question from a kid when Cleary was a librarian. Cleary won the 1981 National Book Award for Ramona and Her Mother and the 1984 Newbery Medal for Dear Mr. Henshaw. For her lifetime contributions to American literature, she received the National Medal of Arts, recognition as a Library of Congress Living Legend, and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal from the Association for Library Service to Children. The Beverly Cleary School, a public school in Portland, was named after her, and several statues of her most famous characters were erected in Grant Park in 1995. Cleary died on March 25, 2021, at the age of 104.
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May 9, 2012
I wish I could go on a date in the 50s, in no small part because Stan Crandall is ever so dreamy. If you haven't met him yet, and you have a weakness for nice boys with a winning grin, you really should swing by to pick him up for your next book date!
Stan is the object of affection in Fifteen, and he has a golden tan, green eyes, brown hair with a dip in it, and a sincere smile. Jane Purdy meets him one summer afternoon when he saves her from a babysitting disaster, and though he asks her out shortly afterwards, she's never quite sure of herself when it comes to their relationship. Why should a popular boy like that like her anyway, when there are smooth girls like Marcy Stokes around? With her casually streaked blonde hair, Marcy is the "cashmere sweater type" who always has a way of making Jane feel completely out of place.
Remember when boys helped girls with their coats, when it was scandalous not to wear stockings, when high schools sponsored steak bakes, and when the triple feature was followed by a trip to the local soda shop? No? Well, I don't either, but I get to pretend I'm living in the 50s every time I reread one of Beverly Cleary's teen romances. She's more well known for her beloved middle grade books, but she brings the same sort of warmth and wisdom to her YA novels as well. While some of the customs and details are charmingly dated, the themes of self-discovery and heartbreak are timeless and, I daresay, universal.
After all these years, this book still feels so honest and engaging to me, and is such a great story about making the transition between childhood and adulthood. Jane tries her best to deal with her many uncertainties, from school to unfamiliar cultural experiences to her dating woes, and I feel such sympathy for her wistfulness at feeling left out of something and the small fibs she tells when she's trying to be sophisticated. And as liberated and independent as women are supposed to be now, I can't imagine there is a girl out there who doesn't identify with Jane's thrill at the prospect of beach picnics and swimming parties on Stan's arm. The author also does a wonderful job of creating a familiar sense of time and place, whether it's Jane's comfortably worn in home with her parents or a sitting on a rock by the river on a date.
The golden age of America depicted in Beverly Cleary's novels is idyllic and perhaps idealized, with nuclear families and strong moral values taking center stage. But that is exactly what I like so much about them. I love the sweetness and simplicity of this escapism, and I love Fifteen in particular because it's wonderful to read stories about ordinary girls like Jane--and how her attraction to Stan is mostly based on the fact that he's nice. How novel is that? Very much so, in these jaded times.
Stan Crandall may not be be the first guy teenage girls think of anymore when they fantasize about swoon-worthy boys. But he's welcome to stop by and take me for a ride in his powder blue coupé anytime.
Random Side Note
Incidentally, if you ever decide to try making a chocolate coke float, which is Jane's drink of choice at Nibley's Confectionery and Soda Fountain, I'd recommend using the usual paper-wrapped plastic straw as opposed to the paper ones that are so popular these days. The striped paper one I used looks pretty in the photo, but it got soggy before I'd even finished drinking it! And I didn't even have the distraction of sitting across the table from a cute boy.
Stan is the object of affection in Fifteen, and he has a golden tan, green eyes, brown hair with a dip in it, and a sincere smile. Jane Purdy meets him one summer afternoon when he saves her from a babysitting disaster, and though he asks her out shortly afterwards, she's never quite sure of herself when it comes to their relationship. Why should a popular boy like that like her anyway, when there are smooth girls like Marcy Stokes around? With her casually streaked blonde hair, Marcy is the "cashmere sweater type" who always has a way of making Jane feel completely out of place.
Remember when boys helped girls with their coats, when it was scandalous not to wear stockings, when high schools sponsored steak bakes, and when the triple feature was followed by a trip to the local soda shop? No? Well, I don't either, but I get to pretend I'm living in the 50s every time I reread one of Beverly Cleary's teen romances. She's more well known for her beloved middle grade books, but she brings the same sort of warmth and wisdom to her YA novels as well. While some of the customs and details are charmingly dated, the themes of self-discovery and heartbreak are timeless and, I daresay, universal.
After all these years, this book still feels so honest and engaging to me, and is such a great story about making the transition between childhood and adulthood. Jane tries her best to deal with her many uncertainties, from school to unfamiliar cultural experiences to her dating woes, and I feel such sympathy for her wistfulness at feeling left out of something and the small fibs she tells when she's trying to be sophisticated. And as liberated and independent as women are supposed to be now, I can't imagine there is a girl out there who doesn't identify with Jane's thrill at the prospect of beach picnics and swimming parties on Stan's arm. The author also does a wonderful job of creating a familiar sense of time and place, whether it's Jane's comfortably worn in home with her parents or a sitting on a rock by the river on a date.
The golden age of America depicted in Beverly Cleary's novels is idyllic and perhaps idealized, with nuclear families and strong moral values taking center stage. But that is exactly what I like so much about them. I love the sweetness and simplicity of this escapism, and I love Fifteen in particular because it's wonderful to read stories about ordinary girls like Jane--and how her attraction to Stan is mostly based on the fact that he's nice. How novel is that? Very much so, in these jaded times.
Stan Crandall may not be be the first guy teenage girls think of anymore when they fantasize about swoon-worthy boys. But he's welcome to stop by and take me for a ride in his powder blue coupé anytime.
Random Side Note
Incidentally, if you ever decide to try making a chocolate coke float, which is Jane's drink of choice at Nibley's Confectionery and Soda Fountain, I'd recommend using the usual paper-wrapped plastic straw as opposed to the paper ones that are so popular these days. The striped paper one I used looks pretty in the photo, but it got soggy before I'd even finished drinking it! And I didn't even have the distraction of sitting across the table from a cute boy.
November 5, 2020
Right around the age of 14, I walked in to my bedroom to find my father standing there, staring at my posters.
My dad didn't live with us at this point and he was home for a visit. I don't know how he discovered my “secret� posters so cleverly affixed to the back of my door, but he did, and he wasn't too thrilled about it.
There were exactly two men wallpapered all over my door at that time: Michael Jackson and Prince. Dad was standing with his arms crossed over his chest, scrutinizing my “artistic expression.� He might or might not have been tapping his foot. I was so nervous, I don't think there was any saliva left to gulp down my fear.
Finally, after a painful amount of silence, my dad pointed at one of the posters of Michael Jackson and said, “Well, he's as gay as they make 'em, so I'm not concerned about him, but that one (indicating the poster of Prince, lying naked, belly down, in a bed), that one's trouble.�
Dry gulp.
The next thing I knew, I was getting the “lust sermon.� (It may or may not have been the first time, but I would go on to hear it some 14 more times before my wedding night). The “lust sermon� typically began like this, “Let me tell you a little something about lust. . .�
Next came the new edict: no dating for Prince-loving daughters before the age of 16!!
Groannnn.
I was one of the most boy crazy girls you could imagine, and the year I was fifteen seemed to last several lifetimes.
It may have been 1986 at the time, but only three differences distinguished my experience of being 15 from Jane Purdy's experience of it in 1956: hairstyles, cars, and clothes. (Oh, and a boy who delivers horse meat to local dogs).
Poor Jane Purdy. . . she's so tired of babysitting for quarters and wearing girlish collars on her dresses. And flat shoes! She wants to wear high heels and stalk that hot horse meat delivery boy who works for the Doggie Diner.
She wants to date boys who drive cars, not that horrible George, the friend of the family who collects rocks and corrects her math homework.
It doesn't really matter when you've dated, or who you've dated. . . Beverly Cleary does what she always does well. . . gets right to the truth of the matter.
What an awkward and accurate account of being fifteen! Yes, there's horse meat being delivered and your date can buy you an elaborate dinner for one dollar in Chinatown, but some of the more “dated� aspects of this chronicle of teen dating make it even more delightful.
My 12-year-old covered her face through much of this read aloud and said, several times, “This is so painful, why does anyone bother?�
She has a good point; it is painful, and it's also precious.
I hope I never become too jaded to delight in a story of young love.
My dad didn't live with us at this point and he was home for a visit. I don't know how he discovered my “secret� posters so cleverly affixed to the back of my door, but he did, and he wasn't too thrilled about it.
There were exactly two men wallpapered all over my door at that time: Michael Jackson and Prince. Dad was standing with his arms crossed over his chest, scrutinizing my “artistic expression.� He might or might not have been tapping his foot. I was so nervous, I don't think there was any saliva left to gulp down my fear.
Finally, after a painful amount of silence, my dad pointed at one of the posters of Michael Jackson and said, “Well, he's as gay as they make 'em, so I'm not concerned about him, but that one (indicating the poster of Prince, lying naked, belly down, in a bed), that one's trouble.�
Dry gulp.
The next thing I knew, I was getting the “lust sermon.� (It may or may not have been the first time, but I would go on to hear it some 14 more times before my wedding night). The “lust sermon� typically began like this, “Let me tell you a little something about lust. . .�
Next came the new edict: no dating for Prince-loving daughters before the age of 16!!
Groannnn.
I was one of the most boy crazy girls you could imagine, and the year I was fifteen seemed to last several lifetimes.
It may have been 1986 at the time, but only three differences distinguished my experience of being 15 from Jane Purdy's experience of it in 1956: hairstyles, cars, and clothes. (Oh, and a boy who delivers horse meat to local dogs).
Poor Jane Purdy. . . she's so tired of babysitting for quarters and wearing girlish collars on her dresses. And flat shoes! She wants to wear high heels and stalk that hot horse meat delivery boy who works for the Doggie Diner.
She wants to date boys who drive cars, not that horrible George, the friend of the family who collects rocks and corrects her math homework.
It doesn't really matter when you've dated, or who you've dated. . . Beverly Cleary does what she always does well. . . gets right to the truth of the matter.
What an awkward and accurate account of being fifteen! Yes, there's horse meat being delivered and your date can buy you an elaborate dinner for one dollar in Chinatown, but some of the more “dated� aspects of this chronicle of teen dating make it even more delightful.
My 12-year-old covered her face through much of this read aloud and said, several times, “This is so painful, why does anyone bother?�
She has a good point; it is painful, and it's also precious.
I hope I never become too jaded to delight in a story of young love.
August 13, 2021
Ah, this was sweet and charming, Cleary writing about a time of innocence that probably never really existed.
But Ms Cleary captures very well the insecurities of the young and the manoeuvring between parents' wishes and Jane's own desire to grow up.
Although Jane does have some career ambitions and is part of a successful babysitting partnership, they pale to her desire to be Stan's girl. I like to think that modern teens think of more than this!
A quick, easy read and I loved spending time with people as nice as Jane & Stan.
But Ms Cleary captures very well the insecurities of the young and the manoeuvring between parents' wishes and Jane's own desire to grow up.
Although Jane does have some career ambitions and is part of a successful babysitting partnership, they pale to her desire to be Stan's girl. I like to think that modern teens think of more than this!
A quick, easy read and I loved spending time with people as nice as Jane & Stan.
June 2, 2010
Aawwwwww. Lovely.
THere are two things I really enjoyed about this book.
First, it's a great slice of life from the mid-fifties, when girls wore dresses and walking five blocks to the movies and stopping by the malt shop was the usual type of date that teenagers had. No hooking up, they don't even kiss for several dates. The parents being worried because she's going out with a boy in a car, shocking!!! The descriptions of the clothes and having to sneak into the closet for a few private minutes of a phone call, were all entertaining. The descriptions of Jane's babysitting job were believable and showed different bits of her personality.
I loved all of Jane's emotions and her daydreams were cute. "I'll say this, he'll say that. Oh, no what if he says this and I don't have an answer?"
Second, even though this book is about teens fifty years ago, the same things are still important, the basic feeling remain the same. Jane envies the popular girl and tries to be like her, before realizing that being herself is what attracted Stan to her. It's a lesson that continues to appear in books today.
So while the story is dated, in many ways it isn't, if that makes sense.
THere are two things I really enjoyed about this book.
First, it's a great slice of life from the mid-fifties, when girls wore dresses and walking five blocks to the movies and stopping by the malt shop was the usual type of date that teenagers had. No hooking up, they don't even kiss for several dates. The parents being worried because she's going out with a boy in a car, shocking!!! The descriptions of the clothes and having to sneak into the closet for a few private minutes of a phone call, were all entertaining. The descriptions of Jane's babysitting job were believable and showed different bits of her personality.
I loved all of Jane's emotions and her daydreams were cute. "I'll say this, he'll say that. Oh, no what if he says this and I don't have an answer?"
Second, even though this book is about teens fifty years ago, the same things are still important, the basic feeling remain the same. Jane envies the popular girl and tries to be like her, before realizing that being herself is what attracted Stan to her. It's a lesson that continues to appear in books today.
So while the story is dated, in many ways it isn't, if that makes sense.
June 5, 2021
Truth be told is that albeit I have certainly found Beverly Cleary's 1958 young adult novel Fifteen delightfully dated and as such also an engaging as well as an educational sojourn into and through 1950s America and its teen culture, as a story in and of itself, the constant focus on boys, love and more boys and more love of not only main protagonist Jane Purdy but basically ALL of her friends and acquaintances (including in my opinion even the adults, even Jane's parents, teachers etc.) has actually and in fact rather majorly bored me (and to the point that I indeed have ended up skimming through the final chapters of Fifteen because yes, I was defintely getting really sick and tired of same old, same old with regard to thematics and contents). For while reading about how Jane and Stan meet, start dating and finally end up going steady has been interesting to a point, as someone who at the age of fifteen was actually not yet all that into boys, I for one have certainly felt as though Beverly Cleary spends far far too much time just on boy/girl relationships and 1950s dating culture in Fifteen and well, I would have appreciated a bit more of a balance, to have Fifteen present more than just Jane's relationship with Stan and its ups and downs. I guess I was just expecting a bit more of a rounded and nuanced storyline from Beverly Cleary, as yes, the one-sidedness of there being mostly just girl/boy and boy/girl scenarios depicted (and even though I do appreciate reading about the American 1950s and indeed how important meeting, dating and going steady with a cute and dreamy boy seemingly was for teenaged girls), on a personal reading pleasure level, sorry, but I really have found Fifteen more than somewhat dragging, repetitive, and as such also personally rather emotionally distant).
November 9, 2011
This book is brilliant and I love everything about it, it is simple and witty, and for a long time what I wanted my life to be like when I was fifteen. This book is probably the one book that has the most sentimental value for me, it's because the first time I ever read this was when it was read aloud to my sister, Michelle and I when I was about nine years old, it was read to us by our cousin Dominique, or D.D to us. She was five years older then me and two years older then my sister and we all where super close, like sisters. And we all giggled all the way through it and fawned over Stan (the heart throb in this book), and squealed at all the embarrassing moments. But then me and Michelle had to move away, and the giggles became rarer, the fawning stopped completely and this book was almost forgotten. Until about two summers ago, when me and my family went to visit my cousins for a couple weeks. That's when it was picked up again, and read aloud by the same girl and was read to the same people (plus to my cousin Sebastian, who wanted in on it). And the giggles where repeated so where the fawns and the squeals had been brought back too. And though we had all utterly changed in the years we spent apart, we sill had "Fifteen".
February 27, 2009
This book was my all time favorite book until I reached high school. There is so much affection for this book that just seeing the cover makes me smile. This book was read between 1987-1989, right at the peak of my adolescence. I wish I could remember the exact time that I read this book, but I do remember re-reading this book several times. I remember wishing that the boy that I liked would ask me to go steady and give me his ID bracelet. Unfortunately, I don't think that this book would be as lovingly accepted by pre-teens today. Perhaps it would only be enjoyed by 7 or 8 year olds! tried reading it again when I was about 18 and it didn't have the same effect on me. I guess you can't go back!
June 27, 2010
This is a sweet little book written in the fifties, about being fifteen in the fifties, that is probably too dated for a modern fifteen-year-old. Cleary's books about the children of the Klickitat Street neighborhood written in the same period have retained more relevance, and kept their bloom much better.
I read this at the same time as Lynne Rae Perkins's 'Criss Cross.' It was interesting how much more jaded kids in that book were, written five years ago about being fourteen in the seventies.
But Cleary's 'first love' books, despite the demise of the ID bracelet and the idea of 'going steady,' remain in print. Some things never change, like teen-age girls obsessing about boys (and vice-versa), and 'eyeing with disapproval' their mothers' attire.
To give you some examples of 'Fifteen's' age: Jane Purdy runs into her dream boy, Stan Crandall, when he's on his route delivering horsemeat for pets. Jane's town, Woodmont, seems to be exclusively populated by middle-class white families. On a visit to the Chinatown of the nearby metropolis, one boy makes jokes about 'flied lice,' and Jane can't handle the unfamiliar food.
Then again, there is something appealing about Jane's innocence and earnestness, and something timeless about her struggle to be herself in high school.
People still watch 'Leave It to Beaver' (), for which Cleary wrote an accompanying series of books (no longer in print). Ken Osmond, who played Wally, explaining the staying power of that TV series, says, 'Kids are still the same as they were in 1810.'
I read this at the same time as Lynne Rae Perkins's 'Criss Cross.' It was interesting how much more jaded kids in that book were, written five years ago about being fourteen in the seventies.
But Cleary's 'first love' books, despite the demise of the ID bracelet and the idea of 'going steady,' remain in print. Some things never change, like teen-age girls obsessing about boys (and vice-versa), and 'eyeing with disapproval' their mothers' attire.
To give you some examples of 'Fifteen's' age: Jane Purdy runs into her dream boy, Stan Crandall, when he's on his route delivering horsemeat for pets. Jane's town, Woodmont, seems to be exclusively populated by middle-class white families. On a visit to the Chinatown of the nearby metropolis, one boy makes jokes about 'flied lice,' and Jane can't handle the unfamiliar food.
Then again, there is something appealing about Jane's innocence and earnestness, and something timeless about her struggle to be herself in high school.
People still watch 'Leave It to Beaver' (), for which Cleary wrote an accompanying series of books (no longer in print). Ken Osmond, who played Wally, explaining the staying power of that TV series, says, 'Kids are still the same as they were in 1810.'
January 1, 2018
Loved this book. A true classic.
August 5, 2024
School library copy
All fifteen year old Jane Purdy wants to do is to meet a boy. Preferably older (so he can drive a car), with crinkles around his eyes showing that he has a good sense of humor. When she is babysitting a particulary nasty charge while her mother attends a hospital tea, he shows up in the family's kitchen, delivering fresh horse meat right to the refrigerator for the family's spoiled dog. The boy helps her manage the little girl by spouting pig Latin, but he leaves before Jane can get his name. She asks her parents if maybe they can get a dog or feed her cat horse meat, but her parents decline. When Stan calls the very next day, Jane suspects he needs a babysitter for his sister, but he actually asks her out on a date. She wears her blue cotton dress, and he wears gray flannel slacks, a polo, and a green wool sweater, and even helps her put on her jacket. They even stop by the local drugstore for an ice cream, and run into an annoying popular girl who drinks coffee. Stan asks Jane to drive into Chinatown, and bring a friend to date his friend, so she brings poor Julie, who is miserable in her girdle, but ends up dating Buzz. Jane struggles with the strange new food but tries her best, and Stan understands and takes her for a hamburger afterwards. Things are great until the school dance. Jane turns down an invitation from geeky George, but Stan not only doesn't ask her, but is seen at the dance by Julie with a girl from the city named Bitsy. It ends up being a lot of confusion, but Stan saves the day by having Jane be the first girl to ride in his brand new car-- a Model T that he has repainted himself. They eventually share a sweet kiss, and Jane's life is perfect, since she has Stan in her life.
This is the part of a vintage book review where I usually get pretty snarky-- cases in point.
And poor Reenie:
I actually feel good about Stan and Jane's trajectory. They are both sensible and hard working. They go to community college where Stan becomes a vet, and Jane becomes a kindergarten teacher. She stays home for a few years with their three kids, but then goes back to teaching. When the kids are older, Stan encourages her to go back to school, and she becomes an elementary principal. They live in an older home, and even when the neighborhood changes, are glad to stay put, volunteering at the neighborhood community center, where Jane has story times and Stan offers free vet care for the homeless. They're 84 and 85 now, and have moved into a retirement community after the stairs in the house became too much for them, and they still see Julie, who is devasted by Buzz's recent death.
All fifteen year old Jane Purdy wants to do is to meet a boy. Preferably older (so he can drive a car), with crinkles around his eyes showing that he has a good sense of humor. When she is babysitting a particulary nasty charge while her mother attends a hospital tea, he shows up in the family's kitchen, delivering fresh horse meat right to the refrigerator for the family's spoiled dog. The boy helps her manage the little girl by spouting pig Latin, but he leaves before Jane can get his name. She asks her parents if maybe they can get a dog or feed her cat horse meat, but her parents decline. When Stan calls the very next day, Jane suspects he needs a babysitter for his sister, but he actually asks her out on a date. She wears her blue cotton dress, and he wears gray flannel slacks, a polo, and a green wool sweater, and even helps her put on her jacket. They even stop by the local drugstore for an ice cream, and run into an annoying popular girl who drinks coffee. Stan asks Jane to drive into Chinatown, and bring a friend to date his friend, so she brings poor Julie, who is miserable in her girdle, but ends up dating Buzz. Jane struggles with the strange new food but tries her best, and Stan understands and takes her for a hamburger afterwards. Things are great until the school dance. Jane turns down an invitation from geeky George, but Stan not only doesn't ask her, but is seen at the dance by Julie with a girl from the city named Bitsy. It ends up being a lot of confusion, but Stan saves the day by having Jane be the first girl to ride in his brand new car-- a Model T that he has repainted himself. They eventually share a sweet kiss, and Jane's life is perfect, since she has Stan in her life.
This is the part of a vintage book review where I usually get pretty snarky-- cases in point.
And poor Reenie:
I actually feel good about Stan and Jane's trajectory. They are both sensible and hard working. They go to community college where Stan becomes a vet, and Jane becomes a kindergarten teacher. She stays home for a few years with their three kids, but then goes back to teaching. When the kids are older, Stan encourages her to go back to school, and she becomes an elementary principal. They live in an older home, and even when the neighborhood changes, are glad to stay put, volunteering at the neighborhood community center, where Jane has story times and Stan offers free vet care for the homeless. They're 84 and 85 now, and have moved into a retirement community after the stairs in the house became too much for them, and they still see Julie, who is devasted by Buzz's recent death.
September 13, 2019
Beverly Cleary is better with children books. But still, I enjoy her coming-of-age stories. Whenever you need a funny and innocent book between these heavy mind-blowing and twisted stories, you know you can't go wrong with Cleary. The way she describes ordinary life of families and social life... it's so pure. I don't think I ever read anything about this type of family and school life.
April 7, 2010
What a cute read. It reminds me of the Avalon books I read in junior high where the climactic event was that simple first kiss.
It was nice to read a story about a first crush, self doubt, and simple love. Even though this book was written back in the fifties, I was still able to enjoy it for what it was worth. No sparkly vampire waiting around the corner in a silvery volvo, just a nice boy with a dip hair cut and an innocent girl waiting for his call and looking forward to a date at the movies and ice cream parlor.
Funny to think that fifteen year olds back then rushed home to wait by the phone and worried about tying up the lines because they didn’t want to miss a call. In today’s age of cell phones, emails and texting, we sure communicate a lot differently. Fun read!
It was nice to read a story about a first crush, self doubt, and simple love. Even though this book was written back in the fifties, I was still able to enjoy it for what it was worth. No sparkly vampire waiting around the corner in a silvery volvo, just a nice boy with a dip hair cut and an innocent girl waiting for his call and looking forward to a date at the movies and ice cream parlor.
Funny to think that fifteen year olds back then rushed home to wait by the phone and worried about tying up the lines because they didn’t want to miss a call. In today’s age of cell phones, emails and texting, we sure communicate a lot differently. Fun read!
September 21, 2013
Upon finishing Fifteen, I consider it to be a simple, but powerful story of a young girl (Jane) experiencing love and dating for the first time. The inner growth that she undergone by the end of the book was remarkable-she learned to accept herself for who she was, and realized she didn't need to change to please other people (not only when it came to dating, but to life in general). While, in the beginning, Jane only wanted a boy, she gained so much more. Not only did she end up with a great boyfriend (Stan) at the end, but, more importantly, a sense of self-confidence and fresh insights about herself as an individual, also.
Read
April 2, 2021Reading about Beverly Cleary, who recently died at the amazing age of 104, made me recall this book. I was lukewarm about the Beezus and Ramona books, have vague but pleasant memories of Henry Huggins and The Mouse and the Motorcycle, but for some reason this book, one of her lesser-known works for slightly older readers, had stayed in my head. What would it be like to read it again? Had I remembered it right? The e-book was available from the library, so I downloaded and read in an evening, instead of the much chewier Copenhagen Trilogy I am supposed to be reading right now.
There were certain scenes I remembered with weird vividness: the little girl Jane babysits who sniffed from allergies and ate an apple rhythmically while reading, pausing chewing at a particularly exciting moment, as Jane tried to do her homework of translating a scene from Julius Caesar into modern English. Others that I had forgotten entirely.
As it was with The Saturdays, it is so fascinating to read a favorite childhood book with the eyes of a grown-up, the strange double vision of remembering what stayed with you then and noticing such entirely different things now. And this one, I see, was a favorite.
Though it was obviously a book with a "message," it went down so enjoyably, I think because of Cleary's eye for the weirdly specific (like the sniffing reader girl, or another baby sittee who is about to pour blue ink on the rug before she is distracted by the sudden appearance of Stan, the Nice Boy, on the scene. That he delivers horse meat for a dog food company, another bizarrely specific detail. It is at many points hilarious because of this specificity. The particular way her parents mortify her. The close attention Jane pays to the clothing and hairstyles of mean girl Marcy, her would-be nemesis, bring both girls so vividly to life.
Even at the time I was reading it, this world it depicts, of a small self-contained town where 15-year-olds dress up to go "on dates" and drink coke floats at the diner downtown, was clearly not a place that existed anymore, or at least did not exist anywhere near me.
But I was reading it, as I understood even at the time, to learn something about the world nonetheless -- what it might feel like to be a little older than I currently was. It was Jane Purdy's inner life that I found so compelling, in particular how she always feels wrong, awkward, gauche. Tries on a variety of personas (though more in her imagination than in reality) and finally finds on self-acceptance. This, more than the boy, who never quite comes to life, was the real message of the book for me.
It's not that easy, obviously, but there is something so powerful in it. She is not perfect and she will not be going forward, but she has grown immensely in the few month span this book covers. And that is also very true to the inner life of 15-year-old, when a few seemingly small events can change everything.
There were certain scenes I remembered with weird vividness: the little girl Jane babysits who sniffed from allergies and ate an apple rhythmically while reading, pausing chewing at a particularly exciting moment, as Jane tried to do her homework of translating a scene from Julius Caesar into modern English. Others that I had forgotten entirely.
As it was with The Saturdays, it is so fascinating to read a favorite childhood book with the eyes of a grown-up, the strange double vision of remembering what stayed with you then and noticing such entirely different things now. And this one, I see, was a favorite.
Though it was obviously a book with a "message," it went down so enjoyably, I think because of Cleary's eye for the weirdly specific (like the sniffing reader girl, or another baby sittee who is about to pour blue ink on the rug before she is distracted by the sudden appearance of Stan, the Nice Boy, on the scene. That he delivers horse meat for a dog food company, another bizarrely specific detail. It is at many points hilarious because of this specificity. The particular way her parents mortify her. The close attention Jane pays to the clothing and hairstyles of mean girl Marcy, her would-be nemesis, bring both girls so vividly to life.
Even at the time I was reading it, this world it depicts, of a small self-contained town where 15-year-olds dress up to go "on dates" and drink coke floats at the diner downtown, was clearly not a place that existed anymore, or at least did not exist anywhere near me.
But I was reading it, as I understood even at the time, to learn something about the world nonetheless -- what it might feel like to be a little older than I currently was. It was Jane Purdy's inner life that I found so compelling, in particular how she always feels wrong, awkward, gauche. Tries on a variety of personas (though more in her imagination than in reality) and finally finds on self-acceptance. This, more than the boy, who never quite comes to life, was the real message of the book for me.
It's not that easy, obviously, but there is something so powerful in it. She is not perfect and she will not be going forward, but she has grown immensely in the few month span this book covers. And that is also very true to the inner life of 15-year-old, when a few seemingly small events can change everything.
September 26, 2013
Fifteen shows a generation where life seemed simpler. Walking to the soda shop and hanging out with friends and waiting for the phone to ring. On page 4, when Jane speaks of no-down-payments-to-veterans neighborhoods I think of the Sears house kits which were built when the soldiers came home from war. I like the feel of the time Jane lived in and think of how many other kids could use that type of laid back teenage life now. Marcy makes Jane feel like plain boring Jane but her relationship with Stan shows Jane she isn’t as boring or as uninteresting as she thinks. When Jane realizes she is best at being herself the intent of the story shines through.
All teenagers at some level can relate to Jane, including myself. Who hasn’t felt left out or felt they weren’t part of the “in� crowd? What girl hasn’t waited for the phone to ring with the guy of their dreams on the other end?
This book is low on real drama or serious issues but it does convey a feeling that many have felt when they were young and wanting to experience their first love or kiss.
All teenagers at some level can relate to Jane, including myself. Who hasn’t felt left out or felt they weren’t part of the “in� crowd? What girl hasn’t waited for the phone to ring with the guy of their dreams on the other end?
This book is low on real drama or serious issues but it does convey a feeling that many have felt when they were young and wanting to experience their first love or kiss.
August 30, 2021
Yes, I may have spent a small part of the book fangirl squealing, why do you ask?
Wow, that was, wow......
First off, Jane Purdy and Stanley Crandall may be the single cutest couple in all YA literature, they are so darn cute!! The last 5 pages or so I started hyperventilating This is what I hope my first relationship is like.
I liked the message that once you stop trying to impress everyone, that's when they are impressed. And I also liked that characters make mistakes and then have to deal with the consequences (something we don't see to often these days).
I loved the little Easter eggs of classic literature, especially Shakespeare.
Well done, Cleary, well done.
Wow, that was, wow......
First off, Jane Purdy and Stanley Crandall may be the single cutest couple in all YA literature, they are so darn cute!! The last 5 pages or so I started hyperventilating This is what I hope my first relationship is like.
I liked the message that once you stop trying to impress everyone, that's when they are impressed. And I also liked that characters make mistakes and then have to deal with the consequences (something we don't see to often these days).
I loved the little Easter eggs of classic literature, especially Shakespeare.
Well done, Cleary, well done.
May 23, 2021
2021 reads, #16. Stop everything! BEVERLY CLEARY HAS DIED! Like millions of others, Cleary is one of the authors I used to regularly read back in my childhood in the 1970s; and I've been meaning to do a middle-aged reassessment of her work, much like I did with Judy Blume in 2019, so her unfortunate passing seemed as good a day as any to jump on the Chicago Public Library website and check out eight of her ebooks before everyone else could come around to the idea of doing so themselves.
One of the big surprises I've learned about Cleary from this exercise is that back in the '50s when her career was first taking off, she wrote not only the Klickitat Street chapter-book series that she's now largely remembered for, but a whole series of "young romance" novels designed specifically for teenage girls, with this one being the first of a string of books with such provocatively '50s titles as The Luckiest Girl and Sister of the Bride. And indeed, this book is as delightfully dated as the Klickitat books are elegantly timeless, all poodle skirts and drugstore milkshakes and ducktailed boys with fintailed cars. It's quite clearly the reason these books were largely forgotten during the countercultural age of the late '60s (the last of Cleary's "young romance" books was published the exact month and year of Kennedy's assassination), and never rediscovered by further generations the way her books for younger reasons have perpetually been since then; but still, there was something delightful about reading this and being reminded that these kinds of stories used to be published all the time without even the slightest trace of irony, even if one such book of this type was way more than enough to satisfy my curiosity for the rest of my life. If they're to be read at all, they should be read in this forgiving, nostalgic spirit, an age when picking the right chiffon dress for the coming sock hop was what the American arts thought was the most pressing concern for the average teenage girl.
The 2021 Beverly Cleary Memorial Re-Read:
Henry Huggins (1950)
Henry and Beezus (1952)
Otis Spofford (1953)
Henry and Ribsy (1954)
Fifteen (1956)
Henry and the Paper Route (1957)
Henry and the Clubhouse (1962)
Ribsy (1964)
Ramona and Her Mother (1979)
Dear Mr. Henshaw (1983)
Ramona Forever (1984)
Strider (1991)
One of the big surprises I've learned about Cleary from this exercise is that back in the '50s when her career was first taking off, she wrote not only the Klickitat Street chapter-book series that she's now largely remembered for, but a whole series of "young romance" novels designed specifically for teenage girls, with this one being the first of a string of books with such provocatively '50s titles as The Luckiest Girl and Sister of the Bride. And indeed, this book is as delightfully dated as the Klickitat books are elegantly timeless, all poodle skirts and drugstore milkshakes and ducktailed boys with fintailed cars. It's quite clearly the reason these books were largely forgotten during the countercultural age of the late '60s (the last of Cleary's "young romance" books was published the exact month and year of Kennedy's assassination), and never rediscovered by further generations the way her books for younger reasons have perpetually been since then; but still, there was something delightful about reading this and being reminded that these kinds of stories used to be published all the time without even the slightest trace of irony, even if one such book of this type was way more than enough to satisfy my curiosity for the rest of my life. If they're to be read at all, they should be read in this forgiving, nostalgic spirit, an age when picking the right chiffon dress for the coming sock hop was what the American arts thought was the most pressing concern for the average teenage girl.
The 2021 Beverly Cleary Memorial Re-Read:
Henry Huggins (1950)
Henry and Beezus (1952)
Otis Spofford (1953)
Henry and Ribsy (1954)
Fifteen (1956)
Henry and the Paper Route (1957)
Henry and the Clubhouse (1962)
Ribsy (1964)
Ramona and Her Mother (1979)
Dear Mr. Henshaw (1983)
Ramona Forever (1984)
Strider (1991)
August 18, 2018
Probably my favorite in the First Love series. This was the first romance novel I purchased at 14 years old, and I'm sure I'll still enjoy its sweetness and simplicity for a long time. In a world where many teen books focus on infatuation and how hot and sexy everyone looks, it's incredibly refreshing to go back to the way love stories used to be. You won't find smoking hot guys with amazing six packs, whiny girls and steamy scenes in here, or in any of the other First Love books. Not even a hint of it.
I find all the characters pleasant, except, of course, the quick-witted and super popular Marcy. I like Jane very much. She's so relatable and a lot like me: a nice girl that's a little rebellious on the inside and wants to be as smooth as the popular girl, but is a bit afraid to go about it. She's a little awkward and doesn't always know what to say, yet she's smart, and not whiny or annoying as hell.
The story drew me in almost immediately. Nothing extraordinary, just sweet and simple and VERY believable. I love how Jane doesn't like Stan solely for his looks, or how "dark and edgy" he is. He seems like a really thoughtful and friendly guy. I love how their relationship isn't exactly friendship, but not really boyfriend and girlfriend either, until he asks her to "go steady with him" at the end. Normally, something like this might frustrate me. Honestly, how many of you reading this have had at least one friend who really liked someone, and everyone knew they were meant to be, but they took forever to ask each other out, much to everybody's annoyance? That's what Jane and Stan's relationship does not feel like.
Let me take a second to comment on one small detail: I love how Beverly Cleary totally GETS our way of thinking! All the thoughts running through Jane's mind sounded exactly like something I would think! I was thinking, "I know, right?" the whole way through.
Anyone who says that something like this is boring and stupid because Jane doesn't fall completely in love with Stan right off the bat (and experiences "electricity" in his presence. *snicker*), then I would like to kick them into the next week. A real relationship doesn't feel selfish or manipulative or obsessive, and nothing like that is found in any of these books, which I applaud.
I find all the characters pleasant, except, of course, the quick-witted and super popular Marcy. I like Jane very much. She's so relatable and a lot like me: a nice girl that's a little rebellious on the inside and wants to be as smooth as the popular girl, but is a bit afraid to go about it. She's a little awkward and doesn't always know what to say, yet she's smart, and not whiny or annoying as hell.
The story drew me in almost immediately. Nothing extraordinary, just sweet and simple and VERY believable. I love how Jane doesn't like Stan solely for his looks, or how "dark and edgy" he is. He seems like a really thoughtful and friendly guy. I love how their relationship isn't exactly friendship, but not really boyfriend and girlfriend either, until he asks her to "go steady with him" at the end. Normally, something like this might frustrate me. Honestly, how many of you reading this have had at least one friend who really liked someone, and everyone knew they were meant to be, but they took forever to ask each other out, much to everybody's annoyance? That's what Jane and Stan's relationship does not feel like.
Let me take a second to comment on one small detail: I love how Beverly Cleary totally GETS our way of thinking! All the thoughts running through Jane's mind sounded exactly like something I would think! I was thinking, "I know, right?" the whole way through.
Anyone who says that something like this is boring and stupid because Jane doesn't fall completely in love with Stan right off the bat (and experiences "electricity" in his presence. *snicker*), then I would like to kick them into the next week. A real relationship doesn't feel selfish or manipulative or obsessive, and nothing like that is found in any of these books, which I applaud.
May 14, 2012
THE SUNDAY FAMILY READ
This was Beverly Cleary's first novel for teens, preceding The Luckiest Girl by two years. I had not read it when I was growing up, but if I had I probably would have loved it. I wasn't a complete girly girl but I certainly was interested in boys!
Jane Purdy is 15 and a high school sophomore. She has never been on a date with a boy she likes; only some boring boy named George, a friend of the family.
" 'Today I'm going to meet a boy,' Jane Purdy told herself, as she walked up Blossom Street toward her babysitting job." She does. She meets Stan and eventually they do go on dates, have misunderstandings, and it all ends happily.
Cleary gets it exactly right from a 1950s teen girl's viewpoint. The worries about her clothes, her hair, her parents. The inability to think of anything to say when she and Stan go on their first date. The extreme tension when she is waiting for a phone call. It is all there just as it was for me.
I don't think 15 year old girls will ever be that innocent again, but many will have similar insecurities. The girl in 13 Reasons Why is more of a modern day Jane Purdy than anything else though less able to deal with the stress. Jane has to deal with some bullying but has the resources to figure out how to handle it.
Those first experiences of going out with boys are a rite of passage even though the social conventions change through the decades. I wonder what a 15 year old girl would think of this book today.
This was Beverly Cleary's first novel for teens, preceding The Luckiest Girl by two years. I had not read it when I was growing up, but if I had I probably would have loved it. I wasn't a complete girly girl but I certainly was interested in boys!
Jane Purdy is 15 and a high school sophomore. She has never been on a date with a boy she likes; only some boring boy named George, a friend of the family.
" 'Today I'm going to meet a boy,' Jane Purdy told herself, as she walked up Blossom Street toward her babysitting job." She does. She meets Stan and eventually they do go on dates, have misunderstandings, and it all ends happily.
Cleary gets it exactly right from a 1950s teen girl's viewpoint. The worries about her clothes, her hair, her parents. The inability to think of anything to say when she and Stan go on their first date. The extreme tension when she is waiting for a phone call. It is all there just as it was for me.
I don't think 15 year old girls will ever be that innocent again, but many will have similar insecurities. The girl in 13 Reasons Why is more of a modern day Jane Purdy than anything else though less able to deal with the stress. Jane has to deal with some bullying but has the resources to figure out how to handle it.
Those first experiences of going out with boys are a rite of passage even though the social conventions change through the decades. I wonder what a 15 year old girl would think of this book today.
March 12, 2012
An old favorite. I think I ran across this in my middle school library when I was about fourteen or fifteen and I instantly fell in love with Jane and have never stopped siince. She is so relatable in the way she feels about Stan and her worries that he won't like or or that he does like her but ohmygod, her parents are so embarrassing and the dance is coming up and she assumes he is going to ask her because they've been spending time together but she doesn't want to ask him straight out, she wants him to bring it up but he doesn't and then it's Thursday and the dance is Friday night and ugh...have I mentioned I love Jane? Because I do. And even though this book takes place in the 1950's with no cells phones or computers or television, the trials and tribulations of first love are easily identifiable with today. This book always makes me smile and reminds me of my fifteen year old self.
September 15, 2013
My first impressions of reading fifteen are that it is a well written novel. I found it to be an easy read, from chapter to chapter with no breaks in the plot. The story flowed well and engaged the reader with areas of conflict and suspense as Jane developed meaningful relationships with her peers, Stan, and her parents. I enjoyed reading the story about a young girl beginning high school and finding her first love. I feel this book is suitable for the young adult reader, probably young women aged ten to thirteen would enjoy this the most. I am not sure if young male readers would have the same response to this book. I have not read any of Beverly Clearly novels in the past. I can relate to Jane’s experiences as a young freshman starting high school and not knowing what to expect. This is a great novel for middle school readers who are learning to develop meaningful relationships and transition into young adulthood.
June 29, 2011
So when I finished The Group on Monday I thought Gee I wish I wish I wish I had a wonderful YA to read next, but I was in a hurry to get out of the house and didn't have time to loot the other girls' shelves so I just picked up Einstein's Dreams, which is okay-seeming so far. But THEN the very NEXT day I received in the mail from my brilliant magical perfect mother THIS! Like she heard me in a dream from the future and mailed it. And as soon as I'd read the first page I remembered all these brilliant bits and it was SUCH a perfect thing, to read, right now, just now. All the world all the world, I loove love love you these days.
September 13, 2013
This book does take you back to when you were just starting to date and nothing else mattered but what you were wearing, what you were driving, and what he thought of you. Just like in life she figures out that most of that really doesn't matter.
July 31, 2021
A gem. It was sweet, understanding, true, and charming.
A simple book about an ordinary fifteen-year-old American girl living in 50. of the XX century (although her emotional world was similar to teenagers of the whole second half of the century, at least I felt often that was about my young anxieties too). Yet, this simplicity made the story great. Must read for every girl, let's say from twelve to fifteen. In this precious period of life, when you want to be grown-up, although you don't feel comfortable with pre-adulthood (or even pre-teenager-hood). It is objectively a short period of everybody's life, yet intense and important.
Of course, there were 50-ties in the background. On one hand, it can make harder to like it by some of today's teenagers, on the other hand, to me, it was more precious because it gave a view of the begone world.
A simple book about an ordinary fifteen-year-old American girl living in 50. of the XX century (although her emotional world was similar to teenagers of the whole second half of the century, at least I felt often that was about my young anxieties too). Yet, this simplicity made the story great. Must read for every girl, let's say from twelve to fifteen. In this precious period of life, when you want to be grown-up, although you don't feel comfortable with pre-adulthood (or even pre-teenager-hood). It is objectively a short period of everybody's life, yet intense and important.
Of course, there were 50-ties in the background. On one hand, it can make harder to like it by some of today's teenagers, on the other hand, to me, it was more precious because it gave a view of the begone world.
January 10, 2022
A short and sweet teen romance. I just love Beverly Cleary's writing!
February 1, 2020
**slight spoilers ahead**
1-27-20: It's her earliest teen book and the only one that's a true teen romance. Shelley moves back to Portland. Jean and Barbara are destined for More. But Jane and Stan are destined for each other, and it feels cruel to even imagine them not together. When they discuss the kiss over the phone...we should all be so lucky to have such a moment of enthusiastic consent.
4-5-14: one of those unintentional re-reads that just happen
6-19-12:
Ha! I'm bumping this up a star but, by a slim margin, I'm also lowering it in my Cleary malt shop ranking. I now like J&J just a little more than Fifteen.
4-10-08:
"And all at once she was no longer sure what kind of boy Stan was....maybe he would walk on the inside of the sidewalk and let her walk beside the curb."
Oh horrors! I didn't even know the man-beside-the-curb rule, until a few years ago when I was walking down the street with an older male friend. As a kid, I stuck with Ramona and Henry and Mitch & Amy, and I stayed away from Cleary's malt shop books. So this is my first time reading this. It's not as good as The Luckiest Girl, but is better than Jean & Johnny. The 'to thine own self be true' message is always a winner with me, and I like that Jane figured it out on her own.
1-27-20: It's her earliest teen book and the only one that's a true teen romance. Shelley moves back to Portland. Jean and Barbara are destined for More. But Jane and Stan are destined for each other, and it feels cruel to even imagine them not together. When they discuss the kiss over the phone...we should all be so lucky to have such a moment of enthusiastic consent.
4-5-14: one of those unintentional re-reads that just happen
6-19-12:
Ha! I'm bumping this up a star but, by a slim margin, I'm also lowering it in my Cleary malt shop ranking. I now like J&J just a little more than Fifteen.
4-10-08:
"And all at once she was no longer sure what kind of boy Stan was....maybe he would walk on the inside of the sidewalk and let her walk beside the curb."
Oh horrors! I didn't even know the man-beside-the-curb rule, until a few years ago when I was walking down the street with an older male friend. As a kid, I stuck with Ramona and Henry and Mitch & Amy, and I stayed away from Cleary's malt shop books. So this is my first time reading this. It's not as good as The Luckiest Girl, but is better than Jean & Johnny. The 'to thine own self be true' message is always a winner with me, and I like that Jane figured it out on her own.
September 15, 2014
Fifteen is a cute and innocent story about a young girl, Jane, and her dating experiences. The book was not clear of the time period it was set, but I am assuming in the fifties which is when it was published. I thought the book was a little hard to get into, because there wasn't a whole lot to the plot. I prefer to read more exciting stories and I thought Fifteen was lackluster. I saw Jane as somewhat of a dull main character. She was so wrapped up in "being someone" at her high school that it got in the way of getting to know her. I think that Fifteen would be a good book to use as a comparison between our culture now, and what the culture used to be. There were several nuances in the book I had never really heard of and didn't quite get what the big deal was, mainly because I didn't grow up in the fifties so I wouldn't have known.
With that being said, I think the story was overall very cute. I enjoyed reading a story about young love that didn't involve two young people making stupid mistakes. I am interested in reading more of Cleary so I can get to know her writing style as well.
With that being said, I think the story was overall very cute. I enjoyed reading a story about young love that didn't involve two young people making stupid mistakes. I am interested in reading more of Cleary so I can get to know her writing style as well.
February 11, 2015
No one Realy is writing reviews about books they didn't like so I decided to make one. This book was written a while back I think the 50's. Which I think is probably why I don't like it because im more of a girl who reads newer book. So I guess what I'm trying to say is This book is good and stuff although it's not my cup of tea. So basically it's about a girl who falls in love for the first time with what she describes as a cute delivery guy. Although Jane never has dated before and doesn't know how to act. I don't recommend this book to girls who are like me and like more "up to date books" because you will get bored just like I did at parts in the story, but if you like old romance kind of things then you should definitely try reading the book fifteen.
August 10, 2010
When we went to the library today, I saw this book and had to check it out. It's such a short and easy book that I finished it after dinner. Fifteen by Beverly Cleary was one of my favorite books when I was in jr. high. I've read this book so many times. Even though it was written in 1956 and life was so different then, I could totally relate to the main character, Jane. The way Jane thinks, the things she worries about, and her insecurities were just like mine when I was a teenager. It brought back so many funny memories to read this book again, now that I am 20 years past 15.
September 9, 2021
As a teenager this was one of my favorite Beverly Cleary's books, the other being .
RIP Ms. Cleary April 12, 1916 - March 25, 2021 (age: 104). Thank you, your stories made my teenage years more enjoyable.
RIP Ms. Cleary April 12, 1916 - March 25, 2021 (age: 104). Thank you, your stories made my teenage years more enjoyable.
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