Nobody's Perfect [Paperback]

Marlee Matlin (Author), Doug Cooney (Author)

Book Description

Megan has spent forever planning her positively purple birthday sleepover. She's even made glittery purple invitations for every girl in her class. Then a new girl, Alexis Powell, joins their class. Alexis seems perfect: She's smart, pretty, and rules the soccer games on the playground. But no matter how hard Megan tries to be a friend to Alexis, the new girl is aloof or rude. At first Megan thinks Alexis is shy. Then Megan starts to fear that Alexis is treating her differently because she's deaf. When the girls are forced to collaborate on a science fair project, Megan learns the truth -- and realizes that nobody's perfect.

Once again Marlee Matlin draws on experiences from her own childhood to tell Megan's story. In this funny, poignant book, readers will root for Megan, a spirited young girl who doesn't let anything stand in her way.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6–This sometimes-tedious sequel to Matlin's Deaf Child Crossing (S & S, 2002) focuses on Megan, a deaf girl whose speechreading and signing skills allow her to thrive in the hearing world. Megan can't wait for her positively purple birthday party, but her perfect plans get derailed when a new girl, Alexis, joins her class and rebuffs Megan's invitation. Alexis seems to be smart, athletic, and pretty, but she brushes off all of Megan's attempts to be friendly. Not until the two girls are paired up for a science project does Megan find out the reason behind Alexis's behavior. She's ashamed of her autistic brother and is afraid that her new classmates will find out about him. When Megan teaches him some basic sign language, it opens up communication with both him and Alexis. As in the first book, every character except Megan is sketchy at best, and the plot hangs on the flawed, funny forcefulness of the protagonist's giant personality. Information about Megan's school days, though often clunkily inserted into the story, provides interest. Readers unfamiliar with deafness will be fascinated by the descriptions of how she studies for a spelling bee and her interactions with her American Sign Language interpreter in the classroom (though actual interpreters will be appalled at the woman's use of bright red nail polish, an extreme no-no). Illustrations showing the manual alphabet are appended.–Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, MD
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-6. In this sequel to Deaf Child Crossing (2002), fourth-grader Megan Merrill is caught off guard when the new girl at school rebuffs her gestures of friendship. Alexis Powell is pretty, smart, and a great soccer player, and she seems intent on ignoring Megan. Is Alexis shy, or is it because Megan is deaf? Megan gains some insight when the girls are assigned as partners for the science fair. Alexis' behavior around people who are "different" seems to be related to having an autistic brother. This surprises Megan, whose family and friends accept her deafness as part of their everyday lives. As Megan's dad reassures her, "Perfect isn't such a problem in the Merrill family." Some readers might roll their eyes at the lengths to which this story chronicles Megan's dramas; however, for the target audience, this book perfectly captures the intensity of a young girl's life, when even glitter and feathers on party invitations can generate high excitement. Nancy Kim
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (November 6, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416949763
• ISBN-13: 978-1416949763
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #119,831 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #38 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Social Issues > Special Needs > Fiction

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A heartwarming story, May 31, 2006

By 

A Customer (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nobody's Perfect (Hardcover)

NOBODY'S PERFECT
by Marlee Matlin and Doug Cooney
Simon & Schuster
ISBN-10: 068986986X
ISBN-13: 9780689869860
Ages 8-12
240 pages



In this companion to DEAF CHILD CROSSING, fourth grader Megan is busily planning her Positively Purple Birthday Party. Meanwhile, Alexis, the new girl in school, thwarts all attempts that Megan makes to befriend her. Alexis is pretty, smart, and a good soccer player; in fact, Megan thinks she's nearly perfect. She learns that Alexis has a secret --- a little brother who is autistic. Through trial and error, Megan finally realizes that Alexis is not the perfect person she appears to be, and that no one else is perfect either.

Alexis is aloof with everyone, but Megan takes it personally and assumes that Alexis doesn't like her because she's deaf. Megan has been deaf since she was a toddler; she wears a hearing aid, can read lips, and uses sign language. She's used to her handicap, however, and has adapted quite nicely.

Their teacher assigns Megan and Alexis to work together on a science fair project. Neither girl is at all happy about this; Alexis thinks Megan is a bit stubborn and outspoken, while Megan is rather touchy about Alexis's constant rebuffs. After much arguing the girls finally decide on a project that will involve the school hamster, Zippity. They create a cardboard maze out of shoeboxes and paint the little rooms --- one is red, one is blue, and, naturally, one is purple. Their goal is to run Zippity through the maze several times and see which room he prefers to be in. They assume he will like the purple room best.

When Megan's brother develops a nasty rash from handling Zippity, the science project gets moved to Alexis's house. She's very unhappy that her family secret is out when Megan gets a good look at Justin's unusual behavior. But a strange thing happens. Megan seems to be able to reach autistic little Justin and teaches him, using sign language, to communicate for the very first time.

NOBODY'S PERFECT will have readers chuckling over how much the color purple is a part of Megan's life. It will help you understand the many ways in which people can lead fairly normal lives by learning to adapt to their handicaps. Co-author Marlee Matlin, an Academy Award-winning actress, is herself deaf.

--- Reviewed by Carole Turner

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good and convenient for its price., June 18, 2010

By 

Kozeta Kondakciu - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Nobody's Perfect (Hardcover)

I loved this book. I read with my daughter every night and it brought up so many interesting discussions. I think it's a great book that adresses many self-image problems.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, March 8, 2007

By 

Misti Rambo "Misti Rambo" (Evanston, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nobody's Perfect (Hardcover)

This book is a terrific insight on the different ways people are viewed, I give it two thumbs up!