From School Library Journal
Grade 4-6–When Effi's 12-year-old sister demands her key to the Angel Scout treasury box at their Catholic school, the 10-year-old reluctantly hands it over, only to find out later that the treasury has been robbed. On top of trying to solve the mystery of the missing money and finding some way to replace it, Effi is dealing with her beloved grandfather's recent death and has a science project to do, a big sister to get even with, and a new best friend to find. The protagonist's thought processes, family history, and Catholic values come through in her first-person narration. She also reveals what she knows about sex, including the fact that "If you don't have holy sexual relations for five years, your periods just stop." Humorous sketches at each chapter heading are a nice touch. Set in a modern-day Texas town, Hershey's first novel is an amusingly realistic story that touches on some serious issues. While most of it focuses on the siblings' squabbling and their harried single mom, the conclusion expresses well the love of sisterhood and the true meaning of friendship.
–Amanda Rose Conover, St. John's County Public Library System, Ponte Vedra Beach Branch, FL Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Gr. 4-6. Very little is going right for 10-year-old Effie: her father is in prison for embezzlement; her mother works two jobs to make ends meet; her beloved grandfather died; and her older sister, Maxey, bullies her mercilessly. School has been difficult, too, since her best friend moved away, but Effie hopes she'll become friends with Aurora, her science-project partner. After Maxey steals Scout money that has been entrusted to Effie, Effie is frantic, but she can't tell her mother or her teacher, Sister Lucille, what happened. Desperate to replace the funds, she makes a deal with an oddball classmate that nearly ends in disaster. A satisfying, realistic conclusion eventually ensues, addressing Maxey's bullying and bringing Effie, Maxey, and their mother closer. The kidlike dialogue occasionally seems forced, but Hershey's descriptions of school and home activities are just right, and she includes several comic scenes that lighten the tension. Effie often seems older than 10, and the issues and reading level will make this more appropriate for the upper end of the book's readership.
Chris ShermanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
