RATS, SPIDERS, AND LOVE

by Bonnie Pryor ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 15, 1986

A fast-paced story about an 11-year-old who must come to terms with her mother's remarriage and the family's relocation. Samantha (Sam) is the uneasy middle child: Kevin, older, is touted as a genius; Julie, younger, is a spoiled beauty. Sam dislikes her mother's boyfriend, nice steady Jim. He's allergic to animals; and if he and her mother marry, they'll have to move from Sam's beloved house by the Pacific to Ohio. Convinced her teacher, Mr. Ditmar, would be a better suitor, Sam tries vainly to encourage a meeting between Mom and her teacher. But she gives up after she sees Mr. Ditmar's girlfriend, a blonde bombshell. Plunging into a study of spiders, she hopes to be one of two students selected to show her project on Parent-Teacher night. Everybody pitches in to help Sam complete her project. As a result, Sam learns to like Jim and accept the marriage; she also sees how a family can be a loving, helpful unit. Pryor's characters are likable and easy to identify with. Readers will come to realize, as Sam does, that realistic endeavors can bring solid contentment. A bouncy, humorous story, likely to become a favorite.

Pub Date: April 15, 1986

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 118

Publisher: Morrow

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1986

Categories: CHILDREN'S