Publication Date: March 2016
SYNOPSIS: Raymie Clarke has come to realize that
everything, absolutely everything, depends on her. And she has a plan. If
Raymie can win the Little Miss Central Florida Tire competition, then her
father, who left town two days ago with a dental hygienist, will see Raymie's
picture in the paper and (maybe) come home. To win, not only does Raymie have
to do good deeds and learn how to twirl a baton; she also has to contend with
the wispy, frequently fainting Louisiana Elefante, who has a show-business
background, and the fiery, stubborn Beverly Tapinski, who’s determined to
sabotage the contest. But as the competition approaches, loneliness, loss, and
unanswerable questions draw the three girls into an unlikely friendship — and
challenge each of them to come to the rescue in unexpected ways.
THOUGHTS: There is a reason Kate DiCamillo is the best in the business. Because she creates such great characters, even a relatively spare and quiet story such as this one is very compelling. I loved it.
The
three main child characters have so many different layers, particularly
Raymie's friend Beverly. Beverly, who is stubborn and impatient for most of the
story, lets her guard down at times later in the story to show her real self.
Each girl is brittle in her own way and every time the story breaks your heart,
it glues it back together.
This
is definitely a character-driven story, which I think (unfortunately) will rule
out a considerable number of readers who will seek more action, mystery, or
humor. However, it will be cherished in the right reader's hands.
CARTWHEEL AWARD NOMINEE?: Possible, but I’m not sure if it has the broad interest level that we usually look for. Either way, I will definitely encourage kids to read this story. It’s really great.
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