by Robin Mellom
272 pages; ages 10-12
HMH, 2017
Every school year starts a bit differently. This one...
"...starts with a Jupiter-size spitball stuck to the cafeteria floor, the one that was flung at the back of Graham Parker's head. He never saw it coming. But I did."
Allie West is running the buffer across the cafeteria floor while the custodian takes a break. It's a Mastercraft 300, and Allie loves working it. There's only one reason she gets to do it; she's the PK. The Principal's Kid. Her life is different from the other kids: she doesn't get to ride home on the school bus; she has to stay after until it gets dark. And all the kids are afraid of her mom.
The only redeeming thing: the custodian lets her buff the cafeteria floor. That and the Afters - a club of kids whose parents work at the school. They meet in the band room to plan such after school activities as cleaning chalk boards or playing Evesdroppping Bingo".
All Allie wants is to be treated like any other kid - and to get a place on the math team. There's only one problem: the captain of the math team is her once-upon-a-time best friend Chloe who will never speak to her again. Ages ago she ratted Chloe out for something. Now Allie is trying to repair that friendship, if any tatters remain.
What I like about this book: It's fun to read. The characters in Allie's circle of friends seem like the kids you'd find at any school. Allie commits social faux pas and causes pain to the people she loves most. And the hardest lesson she learns is that it's not her mom who's ruining her life. It's her. And there is no easy way to repair damage when trust has been broken. If I gave out stars, this one would garner some of every color.
This one sounds really, really good. I will have to check it out. I think the idea of being a principals kid and having to attend that school is fertile ground for a story. Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteAgree with Rosi. This sounds like a really good story and probably one that more kids than week think may experience.
ReplyDeleteI've seen this happen once or twice. It's a rather unique and potentially uncomfortable situation. This books sounds like it covers all the bases in a fun and endearing way.
ReplyDeleteI really want to read this, now even more than before. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine how tough it would be to be the principal's kid. This sounds like a very good read. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI like the intriguing twist on PK. This sounds like a fun read. And I can tell that the character arc is really interesting. Thanks for featuring this!
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