The Six Rules of Maybe
By Kate Pavao,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Tender tale of good girl learning to live her own life.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this book.
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What's the Story?
Scarlett is upset when her selfish sister Juliet returns home pregnant and married to a kind man she doesn't seem to love. Romantic Hayden, whoconstantly writes love notes that her sister doesn't appreciate,seems like a better match for Scarlett; she is the selfless sister who always gets involved in everyone's lives, trying to help them out. But Scarlett has a lot to learn about how complicated love can be -- and about how to start pursuing her own path.
Is It Any Good?
Like Caletti's other work, this is a rich, emotional novel filled with life lessons that will touch readers' hearts. They will certainly identify with sweet Scarlett and understand why she is angry at her sister's inability to appreciate all that she has, including a wonderful husband and baby on the way.
They may, however, find that some of Scarlett's kind acts strain credibility; towards the end of the book she goes so far as to stuff a lonely neighbor's mailbox full of letters and postcards she has written, and even hangs paper cranes from his tree. Even so, it's the smaller, more realistic moments that will really stick with readers, such as when Scarlett's mom realizes how much her younger daughter needs her, or when Juliet finally admits that she is afraid of how much she loves the new family she's creating.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the actual "Six Rules of Maybe." These rules say that your should "Begin with belief" and "Know what you desire"... but also that you should quit when you've figured out you can't get what you want. How do you know when you've reached that point? Do you think quitting is ever the right decision?
This book features two very different sisters: One who is very selfless, and one who is used to getting what she wants. Which one do you identify more with? Which sister do you think has more to learn?
Scarlett is always doing nice things for other people, including sending mail to a lonely neighbor. Do people like this really exist in the world? Can you think of real life people who've gone out of their way to help others? What are some things you can do to help people in your school or community?
Book Details
- Author: Deb Caletti
- Genre: Coming of Age
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Simon Pulse
- Publication date: March 16, 2010
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 12 - 17
- Number of pages: 336
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
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