From Booklist
Gr. 4-7. This light novel, which opens with an eleventh birthday and ends with a twelfth, recounts narrator Winnie's year as she reluctantly grows apart from her best friend, Amanda, and grows closer to Dinah, a girl she previously pitied. Her disappointment when Amanda becomes occupied with fashion and boys and finds a new best friend is deftly portrayed, as is Winnie's increasing respect for the awkward but kind Dinah. The stilted structure of covering one month per chapter, each with a main episode, creates a choppy pace that detracts from the effectiveness of an otherwise enjoyable read, but all three girls, and Winnie's sulky older sister, come across as fully rounded characters that interact in believable ways.
Kathleen OdeanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Product Description
Starting with her birthday in March, every chapter brings a new month and a new event in Winnies life. From surviving her teenage sisters grumpy mood swings in April to dealing with prissy new rival Gail Grayson in September, theres a calendar full of the ups and downs of being eleven years old. Especially hard for Winnie is the growing distance between herself and her best friend, Amanda, as both girls grow into different social circles. The big
and little moments of Winnies year are captured with honesty and warmth, and her sharp observations and infectious enthusiasm make for hilarious storytelling. Eleven-year-olds of all ages will discover themselves in this winning young heroine on the brink of adolescence.
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