A third grader's bumpy road is full of small setbacks and troubles that only seem burdensome, and that she soon overcomes. Cammie wants her new stepfather, Mike, to adopt her so she will have the same last name as he and her mother. She decides she must be a perfect daughter, but being perfect is hard, especially with a new extended family to get used to (including obnoxious cousin William), a new school, and all the other adjustments that follow the wedding. Mike doesn't seem to notice her mild efforts, anyway, which is why winning the school essay contest suddenly seems so important. Cammie is completely wrapped up in her own trials; it will be a little frustrating to readers who will wish she would just speak up instead of trying to manipulate. Ransom (Jimmy Crack Corn, 1994, etc.) makes Cammie's dilemma mildly amusing in places, slightly touching in others. A pleasant tale with appeal for children in similar situations. (Fiction. 7-10)
