The Melting of Maggie Bean facts for kids
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| Author | Tricia Rayburn |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's |
| Publisher | Aladdin |
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Publication date
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April 24, 2007 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 256 pp |
| ISBN | 978-1-4169-3348-9 |
| OCLC | 123193806 |
| Followed by | Maggie Bean Stays Afloat |
The Melting of Maggie Bean is an exciting children's novel written by Tricia Rayburn. It came out in 2007. The story is all about a girl named Maggie Bean. She wants to lose weight so she can join her school's synchronized swim team.
The Story of Maggie Bean
Maggie Bean is a regular seventh grader. She is having a really tough year. Her dad lost his job, and her mom is worried about money. Maggie tries to deal with this by getting straight A's in school. She also eats a lot of chocolate.
But everything changes for Maggie. She gets a chance to try out for the synchronized swim team. Becoming a "Water Wing" has always been Maggie's biggest dream. She and her friend Aimee work hard to reach this goal. Maggie hopes this will help her fit in at school. Who wouldn't want a cool silver swimsuit, a great group of friends, and a dream boyfriend? It all depends on Maggie and how she sees herself.
Maggie also has to join a club called the "Pound Patrollers." This club is for people who are trying to lose weight. There, she meets Arnie, another boy her age. It turns out Arnie is Peter's cousin. Peter is the boy Maggie likes! Maggie and Arnie become good friends. At school, Maggie also gets a little closer to Peter. They are not boyfriend-girlfriend, but they are friendly.
Maggie's sister, Summer, and her friend Aimee, help Maggie. They try to find a new job for Maggie's dad. Maggie also starts to lose weight. She loses almost 20 pounds. She eats less, stops eating chocolate, and practices for the Water Wings tryouts. She does really well at the tryouts.
However, the team captains, Julia and Anabel, do not let her join the team. This makes Maggie feel very sad. Later, her gym teacher notices how sad she is. The teacher offers Maggie a chance to join the Water Wings. Or she can join the regular swim team. Maggie chooses the regular swim team. Her dad also starts to make progress finding a job, thanks to Maggie's help.
Main Characters
Here are some of the important people in Maggie's story:
- Maggie Bean
Maggie is a seventh grader. She feels a bit shy about herself. Her dad recently lost his job. Because of this, Maggie gained weight. She is a very good student and gets straight A's. Maggie has a big crush on Peter Applewood, who plays baseball. Maggie does not like Anabel Richards and Julia Swanson. They are the captains of the Water Wings. But she wishes she was as popular as them. When she feels stressed, Maggie eats chocolate and focuses on her schoolwork.
- Peter Applewood
Peter is a popular and good-looking baseball player. He is Maggie's crush. He is kind to Maggie. His locker is right next to hers at school. Aimee thought Peter might like Julia Swanson. But it turns out Julia was just following him around. They were not actually dating.
- Arnie
Arnie is Peter Applewood's cousin. Maggie meets him at the Pound Patrollers club. Arnie is also trying to lose weight, like Maggie. He plays the flute. Arnie hopes to start his own business someday.
- Aimee McDougall
Aimee is Maggie's best friend. She is very athletic and always means well. She encourages Maggie to try out for the Water Wings. Aimee is thinner and has many friends who like her. But she always stands up for Maggie and helps her.
- Anabel Richards and Julia Swanson
These two girls are the most popular in seventh grade. They are also the co-captains of the Water Wings team. Julia seems to be the meaner one. She openly makes fun of Maggie and tries to get Peter's attention. Anabel seems a bit nicer. At the Water Wings tryouts, she actually encourages Maggie. She also seems to feel a little bad about not letting Maggie join the team.
- Summer Bean
Summer is Maggie's younger sister. She is ten years old. Summer is always supportive of Maggie.
- Aunt Violetta
Aunt Violetta is Maggie's aunt. She is also overweight. She convinces Maggie to try the Pound Patrollers club to help her lose weight.
