TRIPPING OVER THE LUNCH LADY

Laughing so hard that milk comes out of your nose; crossing the finish line first in the three-legged race; harboring a secret crush on someone with whom you have never spoken. The ten stories in this collection manage to capture the action, the politics, the memories, and the heartache of life in grade school. Tackling topics such as unfortunate nicknames, illiteracy, and improbable friendships, the stories entertain as well as enlighten. Smart children, conniving children, and amusing children populate the pages of this collection, but mostly they are children who seem familiar and real. Well-known children’s authors such as Avi, Sarah Weeks, and Susan Shreve have managed to capture the magic as well as the pain of the elementary years. Grade school never looked so good. (Fiction. 10+)