Tools for this page
Print

Lake Rescue: Beacon Street Girls, Book 6

(2005, Fiction - Friendship, Written by Annie Bryant)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

    (Flash is loading. If this text does not disappear you need to install the latest flash version)

    Not age appropriate for kids under 7, age appropriate for kids over 9; suggested age 9.
  • Is it any good?

    3.0
  • Common Sense says

    After-school special-style novel on weight loss.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 9 and Up

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    Chelsea knows that students talk about her behind her back about her weight. Some girls defend her: Dillon calls Chelsea a bear, which Maeve tells him is really mean. Chelsea skips gym class and gets sent to the principal's office. The girls wear striped pajamas to look like convicts and wear signs saying "This school is a prison" and "No more homework." The girls are cliquish and always want to be together. Students get into a food fight at camp until the counselor tells them it's wrong to waste food. Kiki tells a teacher to "chill out." The teacher responds by stamping her foot and shouting. Chelsea learns "I can't let how much I weigh stop me from having a great life!" The book ends with health tips.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    Not an issue.
  • Sex:

    Girls have crushes on boys. Charlotte and Nick hold hands. Charlotte feels jealous when Nick pays attention to Isabel.
  • Language:

    Kiki insults Chelsea by calling her fat; Chelsea calls her "Kiki Underpants."
  • Consumerism:

    The girls go shopping to buy new things for camp. Katani complains that she has to wear her sisters' hand-me-downs. There are several name-brand references. Pop culture shout-outs -- like Legally Blonde, the comic "Cathy," and Mariah Carey -- date the content. There's a big push for Outward Bound camps for weight loss, with at least three mentions of the program.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    The girls discuss how they would never smoke. Isabel tells them how her sister broke up with a cute boy because he smoked. "He said he was addicted and he was only fifteen." Nick says his parents let him drink lattes because "it's kind of a Latin thing."
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Lake Rescue: Beacon Street Girls, Book 6

Parents need to know that this book, which garnered media attention for helping girls lose body mass, features an overweight girl who's ostracized at school. A one-dimensional beautiful girl is mean and insults other girls. A formerly overweight camp counselor shares tips for making healthy choices. There's a mild romantic subplot.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about ways they could exercise together or eat more healthfully. Parents can discuss scientific research and how it's represented in the media. For example, the New York Times (Oct. 13, 2008) and other media outlets covered a Duke University study featuring this book. The study involved fewer than 100 girls, all already enrolled in a weight-loss program at the university. One group of 31 girls read Lake Rescue; another group read Charlotte in Paris. A smaller group of 14 girls didn't read anything. After six months, researchers found that the girls who read a book posted a larger drop in their body mass index. What do you think of this study? Do you think there's enough evidence to support the connection between the book and weight loss? Does any media you watch, read, or listen to sway your behavior in a positive way?

Want more? Get Common Sense recommendations delivered to your inbox.

Our Members Say

Have you read it? Review It!

  • What did you think about Lake Rescue: Beacon Street Girls, Book 6?
  •  I think this book is

    for ages

  •  I also give it

  •  Any concerns?

  •  Any highlights?

  •  Love it? Hate it?

  • or to post a review

More Great Stuff For Your Kids

  • New in Theaters

    Fantastic Mr. Fox

    Fantastic Mr. Fox

    Offbeat family adventure may charm adults more than kids.

  • Advice for Parents

    Are Your Kids Obsessed with Twilight & New Moon?

    Are Your Kids Obsessed with Twilight & New Moon?

    Discussion pointers for parents of "twilighters."

  • Book of the Week

    Million-Dollar Throw

    Million-Dollar Throw

    Another Lupica sensitive dad/son sports story.

  • Pick of the Week

    Holiday Websites

    Holiday Websites

    Where to surf, turkey time and beyond.

  • Game of the Week

    LEGO Rock Band

    LEGO Rock Band

    Simplified, no-fail Rock Band with a whimsical story.

Give Us a Minute, Get a Lot of Common Sense!
  • Age-appropriate best bets for your kids
  • Weekly email alert with the latest picks, reviews & advice
  • Post your own reviews and share them with friends

This will never be displayed to others.
Your email will never be displayed to others.
Your password should be 6-10 characters long.
A screen name protects your privacy
To post a review or comment you must become a Common Sense Member. It's easy!

Set-up your account
This will never be displayed to others.
Your email will never be displayed to others.
Your password should be 6-10 characters long.

Choose a screen name
It will appear when you post your own reviews and recommendations.
A screen name protects your privacy

Tell us your children's ages
You'll see the movies, games, books, shows, music, and sites our editors select just for them. As your children get older, our picks will grow with them!Why we ask for this
We never display your children's names, (or nicknames) to anyone, but you. Providing your children's ages allows us to personalize information on our site, so you get better information, faster.
is
until
(optional)
is
until
is
until
is
until
is
until
is
until
Add another child

We can make Common Sense just right for you. With a little info about you and your family, you'll get the most out of our site.

Set-up your account
This will never be displayed to others.
Your email will never be displayed to others.
Your password should be 6-10 characters long.

Tell us your children's ages
You'll see the movies, games, books, shows, music, and sites our editors select just for them. As your children get older, our picks will grow with them!
Why we ask for this
We never display your children's names, (or nicknames) to anyone, but you. Providing your children's ages allows us to personalize information on our site, so you get better information, faster.
is
until
is
until
is
until
is
until
is
until
is
until
Add another child

Choose a screen name
It will appear when you post your own reviews and recommendations
A screen name protects your privacy
Register to add this school to your profile. You'll be able to see and share reviews from parents, teachers, and kids at your child's school.
I'm already a Common Sense member.
Kids under 13 must use a screen name