MIM, GYM, AND JUNE

Parents and educators seeking to bully-proof their child and school will welcome this latest scenario from Roche (Little Pig Is Capable, 2002, etc.) depicting a child’s real-life problem and well-resolved conclusion. Second-grader Mim is comfortable and confident in her petite body as she is not only first in her class line-up, but in her mental outlook. That is until her class has gym simultaneously with the third graders and she meets June, oversized for her age, who uses her largess to intimidate Mim, literally bullying her way through every encounter. Expecting to be first in the joint class line-up, June is infuriated when she must line up after the second graders, vowing retaliation against Mim. Each day brings misery to poor Mim as June cuts in line grabbing the last grilled-cheese sandwich at lunch, threatens her privacy in the bathroom, and generally is the cause of Mim’s newfound anxiety. Through it all, Mim is encouraged by her mother, who suggests a peace offering of a cupcake, and her classmates, who rally round by singing a chant of support, all making June “ripping mad.” Finally, the end of the week brings Gym Olympics and both Mim and June inadvertently are the only two left after everyone pairs off in teams. Not wanting to miss out on the final event, both June and Mim discover each other’s strength and weakness, work together to finish the competition, come in “first” as a team, and proudly lead the class line-up wearing their winning medals. Roche’s colorful childlike gouache paintings of feline characters display a traditional, familiar home and school life as she adds detail to her scenes through body and facial movements. This is a well-crafted and believable story sure to relate to any school child facing her own concerns by creating her own solutions. (Picture book. 5-8)