MY LIFE IN THE SEVENTH GRADE

by Mark Geller ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1986

A breezy, easily read story about Marvin Berman's ups and downs with friends, school, and baseball. Inspired by Anne Frank's diary, Marvin writes his own in the glib, colloquial style of a nice, not very deep seventh grader. Large type, lots of white space, and a cheerful jacket featuring baseball should make this attractive to reluctant readers, who will find a number of incidents familiar to them: baiting the substitute teacher, falling in love with one of the prettier girls in the class, cheating and worrying about it, fearing the class bully (in this case, he turns out to be a battered child who runs away and is then befriended by Marvin in the book's most heartwarming moment) and baseball. Marvin is captain of the class team; when he acts on the realization that a reorganization of positions played would be better for both the team and its members, the others oust him; but by sticking to his principles, he makes a new, better friend (one who doesn't cheat, at least) and is both vindicated and reinstated on the team. Not an important book, but one which will give pleasure to kids who see themselves in Marvin's world.

Pub Date: April 1, 1986

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 160

Publisher: Harper & Row

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1986

Categories: FICTION