By Robin Mellom
4Rbooks 4/6 grades 4-6
Amazon 4.6/5 grades level 5-7
Goodreads 3.95/5
Common Sense Media Not yet reviewed
262 pages
Synopsis
Allie’s mom is the principal. That makes her life challenging at school. She gets there early and stays late. Other students don’t always trust her because they think she’ll tell her mom. Her former best friend, Chloe, won’t talk to her because Allie got her in trouble last year in fourth grade.
She does have some good friends in the “afters,” a group of students who also stay late because their parents work at the school. Graham is also a fifth-grade student who used to be her best friend. He’s being bullied at school and has become withdrawn. Lexa is a fourth grader who they call the “cruise director” because she likes to plan all the activities for the group. Finally, there is Maddie, a second grader who enjoys having older friends and just wants to keep busy.
Allie keeps hoping that something will change and she and Chloe can be friends again, and Graham will not be so isolated and can be connected with other students. Things start to look up when she and Chloe are paired for a school project and then she is invited to Chloe’s birthday party. Is she finally forgiven, or did her mom have something to do with it. And can she reconnect with her old friend and not lose her new friends in the process.
Parental Guidelines: low
Graham is bullied by Joel on a regular basis.
Recommendation
This was a cute book. Not the most exciting read but thought provoking and emotionally connecting. Allie is likeable and relatable; the supporting characters and situations are realistic.
This would be a good book for children, girls especially, who go to school where their mom’s, or dads, work. Also, children whose parents work long hours and they have to be responsible and learn how to entertain themselves.
This would be a good classroom read with opportunities for discussions on peer pressure, bullying, and making friends. It would also work well in a small group read, especially a group of girls. It is an easy read, accessible to all levels of readers.
I purchased this book at Arvida Book Store in Tustin, CA.
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