Abigail has been looking forward to having her best friend, Travis, attend her school, and is devastated when the fifth grade boy doesn’t want to be associated with her, a fourth grader, during school hours. Worse, he betrays her trust, joining a group of boys who tease her about her crazy grandmother. Abigail’s grandmother, who suffers from Alzheimer’s, has started calling her Frances, and Abigail believes that if she could “figure out Frances” and find out why her grandmother confuses them, then maybe “I could figure out myself a little bit too.” In addition to coping with Travis and unraveling the mystery of Frances, Abigail has to come to terms with her less-than-attuned friend Marlene, and try to win her hard-to-please mother’s understanding. Willner-Pardo (Jumping into Nothing, p. 637, etc.) effortlessly keeps the subplots in play, while Abigail’s incisive remarks—“I had the feeling that if Mom and I had gone to school together, we’d have had totally different friends”—have a ring of authenticity. Most readers will be gratified by the genuinely moving ending. (Fiction. 9-12)
Pub Date: Sept. 20, 1999
ISBN: 0-395-91510-4
Page Count: 134
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A skirmish over a favorite stuffed rabbit nearly destroys a friendship and the toy itself, but well-timed physical and emotional bandaging saves the day. When a little boy moves in next door to a little girl they quickly becomes friends and start sharing toys. This works well for cars, trucks, bears, and balls, but when the boy shows up with a new stuffed rabbit, cooperation goes out the window. In the ensuing tug-of-rabbit, each child yanks on the poor bunny’s ears until the stitching gives way. Figuring out a way to repair the rabbit also eventually patches up the friendship. Minor battles rage in homes and preschools everywhere, so children and adults alike will appreciate this subtle example of a peaceful resolution to toy disputes. Jahn-Clough’s pleasantly stubby children convey both healthy loud-mouthed anger and substantial charm. (Picture book. 3-8)
Pub Date: March 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-395-93545-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Ramona returns (Ramona Forever, 1988, etc.), and she’s as feisty as ever, now nine-going-on-ten (or “zeroteen,” as she calls it). Her older sister Beezus is in high school, baby-sitting, getting her ears pierced, and going to her first dance, and now they have a younger baby sister, Roberta. Cleary picks up on all the details of fourth grade, from comparing hand calluses to the distribution of little plastic combs by the school photographer. This year Ramona is trying to improve her spelling, and Cleary is especially deft at limning the emotional nuances as Ramona fails and succeeds, goes from sad to happy, and from hurt to proud. The grand finale is Ramona’s birthday party in the park, complete with a cake frosted in whipped cream. Despite a brief mention of nose piercing, Cleary’s writing still reflects a secure middle-class family and untroubled school life, untouched by the classroom violence or the broken families of the 1990s. While her book doesn’t match what’s in the newspapers, it’s a timeless, serene alternative for children, especially those with less than happy realities. (Fiction. 8-12)
Pub Date: Aug. 25, 1999
ISBN: 0-688-16816-7
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Morrow/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 1999
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