Muggie Maggie

By Beverly Cleary, Tracy Dockray (Illustrator)

A young girl struggles to learn cursive writing in school, leading to a series of events that challenge her and her teacher

3.6/5 Goodreads · 3,360 ratings

96 pages· 5,881 words· Est. 50 min read

$6.99Save 7%

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Bookroo's summary

Maggie is determined not to learn cursive, convinced it's unnecessary. Her defiance earns her the nickname "Muggie," but she stands firm. When appointed class mail messenger, Maggie faces a dilemma: the letters are in cursive, and she suspects they're about her. Will curiosity drive her to uncover their secrets, or will she remain steadfast in her rebellion? Maggie's journey is a humorous exploration of stubbornness, curiosity, and the unexpected challenges of growing up.

From the publisher

In this humorous and relatable novel from Newbery Medal-winning author Beverly Cleary, a girl must overcome her rebellious attitude toward learning cursive.

At first, Maggie is just feeling plain stubborn when she declares she won’t learn cursive. What’s wrong with print, anyway? And she can easily type on a computer, so why would she need to know how to read those squiggly lines? But soon all her classmates are buzzing about Maggie’s refusal to learn, especially after her teacher, Mrs. Leeper, says Maggie’s cursive is so sloppy that her name looks like “Muggie.”

With “Muggie Maggie” ringing in her ears, Maggie absolutely, positively won’t back down…until she’s appointed class mail messenger. All the letters that Mrs. Leeper sends to the office are in cursive, and Maggie thinks they are written about her. But there’s only way to know for sure…so what’s Maggie going to do?

For generations, Beverly Cleary has captivated readers of all ages with beloved characters such as Ramona Quimby, Henry Huggins, Ribsy, and Ralph S. Mouse. Muggie Maggie follows suit with what School Library Journal calls “a likable, funny heroine whom readers will want to know.”

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