Books For Keeps
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Articles
  • Past Issues
  • Latest Issue
  • Authors and Artists
  • Latest News
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
January 1, 2005/in Fiction 10-14 Middle/Secondary /by Angie Hill
BfK Rating:
BfK 150 January 2005
Reviewer: Annabel Gibb
ISBN: 978-0439963220
Price: £9.99
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Genre: Fiction
Age Range: 10-14 Middle/Secondary
Length: 256pp
Buy the Book

Marshmallow Magic and the Wild Rose Rouge

Author: Karen McCombie

Lemmie’s parents are ‘nice but permanently busy’ – too busy to have paid much attention to the trouble she’s had from bullying in her previous school. She’s had a fresh start, in a new town, but hasn’t yet confided in her new friends. However, she has told them about Rose Rouge, her 18-year-old sister, and the ‘marshmallow magic’ Rose has taught her. When the chief bully moves to the new school too and the bullying starts again, Lemmie uses Rose’s ‘magic’ to help her through.

This is a book of surprises; the distinctly girly, pink cover gives the expectation of a rather less thoughtful book, and it is some time before we discover the truth about Rose. In a very sympathetic way, McCombie addresses aspects of teen life: trusting friends, getting parents and teachers to listen to you, ultimately having faith in your own strategies and personality. Lemmie’s busy parents are an all too common problem these days, while her friends are remarkably, if somewhat unrealistically, mature and well-adjusted, resulting in an affirming, heart-warming text with a positive message for children who feel overwhelmed and powerless. There is a well-structured description of the bully’s systematic infiltration of the group; however, she is not given a chance to redeem herself, and there is no analysis of her motivation, which would, perhaps, offer a more rounded picture.

Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • Share on Pinterest
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Reddit
  • Share by Mail
http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/bfklogo.png 0 0 Angie Hill http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/bfklogo.png Angie Hill2005-01-01 16:51:162023-05-05 16:55:02Marshmallow Magic and the Wild Rose Rouge

Search for a specific review

Author Search

Search







Generic filters




Filter by Member Types


Book Author

Download BfK Issue Bfk 272 May 2025
Skip to an Issue:

About Us

Launched in 1980, we’ve reviewed hundreds of new children’s books each year and published articles on every aspect of writing for children.

Read More

Follow Us

Latest News

Margaret McDonald and her editors Alice Swan and Ama Badu win the 2025 Branford Boase Award

July 9, 2025

‘The magic of poetry by heart’ Champions of the 2025 National Poetry Speaking Competition Announced

July 8, 2025
IBC

New National Year of Reading launching January 2026

July 8, 2025

Contact Us

Books for Keeps,
30 Winton Avenue,
London,
N11 2AT

Telephone: 0780 789 3369

ISSN: 0143-909X (this is our International Standard Serial Number).

© Copyright 2025 - Books For Keeps | Proudly Built by Lemongrass Media - Web Design Buckinghamshire
Brave Mouse The Harvest Tide Project (The Archisan Tales)
Scroll to top