The Pity Party: 8th Grade in the Life of Me, Cass (Pity Party, The) [Hardcover]

Alison Pollet (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up | Series: Pity Party, The

The sequel to Alison Pollet's brilliant debut, NOBODY WAS HERE, follows quick-witted Cass Levin, through the rugged terrain of 8th grade at New York City's Elston Prep.

Why are there so many books about orphans? That's what Cass Levin wants to know. Why, just about every book on the reading list for her English class is about an orphan! Huckleberry Finn, Oliver Twist, Jane Eyre -- orphan, orphan, orphan! It's enough to make Cass, who just so happens to be an orphan herself, wonder: Is her English teacher out to get her?
Actually, when 8th grade begins, Cass feels like the entire school is out to get her. She's stuck in classes without her closest friends Penelope and Tillie to keep her company -- which is only made worse by the fact that they have all

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8–In this sequel to Nobody Was Here (Scholastic, 2004), readers get to know Penelope Schwartzbaum's friend Cass better. Orphaned when she was eight, she lives with her beloved guardian, Bea, and attends a New York City private school. Cass is devastated when she discovers that she does not have classes with her two best friends. While she is at first horrified that troublemaker Rod Punkin sits behind her in English class, the two eventually develop a friendship, and she begins to understand herself and why he is the way he is. She is able to come to terms with her parents' death, accept the benefits of counseling, and gain a sense of belonging. Inventive details, such as Cass's word lists, the comforting rhyming games she remembers playing with her mother, and the warm support of her art-collecting guardian and psychoanalyst aunt make this a first-rate purchase. Multilayered characters inhabit this complex, thoughtful book that beautifully hones in on middle-school friendships.–Debbie Stewart Hoskins, Grand Rapids Public Library, MI
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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Orchard Books (July 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439681944
• ISBN-13: 978-0439681940
• Product Dimensions: 1 x 5.8 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,219,582 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, August 15, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Pity Party: 8th Grade in the Life of Me, Cass (Pity Party, The) (Hardcover)

This is a great book!!!!! I also like pollet's other book Nobody was here.....Both books really tell the humors and drama of middle schoolers