This book is just the perfect mixture of a Slice Of Life story, a mild drama, and a true-to-life look at childhood. When I was in fifth grade myself and I read it, I could totally relate to the kids and the situations, as everything was just dead accurate and spot-on. Even as an adult, reading this book gave me a feeling of nostalgia and totally took me back, as its accurate portrayal of childhood still stands the test of time.
The pacing is excellent, as something interesting happens in every single chapter, which is more than I can say for most books. The characterization is believable, other than one little "too good to be true" thing: when Jenny starts sticking up for Elsie, she doesn't instantly become a bully magnet herself. Then again, that doesn't always happen in real life either, and I'd imagine that the author of the book, a former teacher and school psychologist, was probably realistically representing what her own school might have been like.
There's genuine character development. Jenny starts out treating Elsie the way pretty much any kid reading the book would, and the first-person narration is sarcastic and mocking at times. But as Jenny begins to see Elsie as human and starts to feel sorry for her, the narration becomes more sympathetic as well (but still occasionally makes jokes at Elsie's expense, as Jenny is a kid after all). Jenny's transition from viewing Elsie with disdain to becoming her friend may happen a little quickly considering it's a 120 page book, but it's handled believably, as we see from her own perspective why Jenny becomes sympathetic.
This book is enjoyable just as much for its portrayal of childhood as for the story itself. As Roger Ebert once said, "it's not what the story is, but how the story is told", and that's very true in many cases, including here. That's because there's more to this story than the main plot. While the plot doesn't stop progressing, there's a great many Slice Of Life moments that are just fun and sometimes funny, and very enjoyable to read. Something interesting or fun is always happening.
So come for the storyline, which is good, but stay for the fun and nostalgic trip back to childhood. Both tie into each other perfectly.
An excellent story that's just as good now as when I first read it
This book is just the perfect mixture of a Slice Of Life story, a mild drama, and a true-to-life look at childhood. When I was in fifth grade myself and I read it, I could totally relate to the kids and the situations, as everything was just dead accurate and spot-on. Even as an adult, reading this book gave me a feeling of nostalgia and totally took me back, as its accurate portrayal of childhood still stands the test of time.
The pacing is excellent, as something interesting happens in every single chapter, which is more than I can say for most books. The characterization is believable, other than one little "too good to be true" thing: when Jenny starts sticking up for Elsie, she doesn't instantly become a bully magnet herself. Then again, that doesn't always happen in real life either, and I'd imagine that the author of the book, a former teacher and school psychologist, was probably realistically representing what her own school might have been like.
There's genuine character development. Jenny starts out treating Elsie the way pretty much any kid reading the book would, and the first-person narration is sarcastic and mocking at times. But as Jenny begins to see Elsie as human and starts to feel sorry for her, the narration becomes more sympathetic as well (but still occasionally makes jokes at Elsie's expense, as Jenny is a kid after all). Jenny's transition from viewing Elsie with disdain to becoming her friend may happen a little quickly considering it's a 120 page book, but it's handled believably, as we see from her own perspective why Jenny becomes sympathetic.
This book is enjoyable just as much for its portrayal of childhood as for the story itself. As Roger Ebert once said, "it's not what the story is, but how the story is told", and that's very true in many cases, including here. That's because there's more to this story than the main plot. While the plot doesn't stop progressing, there's a great many Slice Of Life moments that are just fun and sometimes funny, and very enjoyable to read. Something interesting or fun is always happening.
So come for the storyline, which is good, but stay for the fun and nostalgic trip back to childhood. Both tie into each other perfectly.