Gracies Girl

Rating:
Summary: Overcoming Misconceptions and Making a Difference
Review: Bess Cunningham is a rising sixth grader who wants to be noticed in middle school and, she tries clothes and being a stage director, but it is her work with a homeless shelter that gets her noticed. The story deals with friend dynamics, family dynamics, school relationships, personal interests and how they all weave together to form an individual. Bess encounters many of the dilemma's common to middle schoolers from seeing a friend start dating to working with her brother. In the end, Bess must deal with the death of a homeless lady that she befriended.

The book is engaging from start to finish.

Rating:
Summary: Gracie's Girl
Review: Bess is preparing to go to middle school and she wants to be popular. In her effort to be "popular" she tries wearing outragous clothes and particpating in the school play. Bess's parents are very involved in volunteering at a homeless shelter. At first she resists assisting her parents, but eventually becomes more involved and committed to procurring a building for homeless women. Bess also befriends a homeless woman and learns to empathize with her plight. In the end Bess does get noticed; however, now popularity is not her primary goal. This book is realistic and does an excellent job of protraying adolescents.

Gracie's Girl was a fast reading book that should appeal to adolescents. It also shows that pre-teens and teens CAN make a difference and help others.

Rating:
Summary: Gracie's Girl
Review: I am a bit disconcerted that this book would be recommended for students ages 9 -12 and grades 4 and up. This is not a book I would want to have available for my elementary child to pick up and read. The content of the book is most definitely middle school material. The language used is middle school, the social situations are middle school, the characters' personalities and their outlook on life are middle school. So,then, how in the world could any reader who has NOT been in the middle school relate to this book?
The plot was predictable and the ending was tied up a bit to easily. The character development was the strongest aspect of the book, but I also feel the change in the characters was forced and
all too easily evolved.
I would recommend this book to middle school students, but most definitely not to elementary age readers.

Rating:
Summary: AWESOME
Review: Sixth grade is about to begin, and Bess Cunningham is gearing up to be cool. With a bunch of wild new outfits and an important job in the school play, Bess is convinced she'll get a lot of attention--at least more than she gets from her overbooked parents. With a lawyer dad and a teacher mom, both of whom are passionate about volunteering for a soup kitchen, Bess sometimes feels like she would have to eat out of a Dumpster before they'd notice her. But when she meets an elderly woman named Gracie who actually does eat other people's discarded food, she begins to realize there are real human faces on the scruffy people her parents serve at the soup kitchen. Soon she and her best friend, Ethan, are deeply entrenched in Gracie's life, and in helping establish a shelter for homeless women. Bess is amazed to discover that even without her crazy wardrobe, she has managed to make new friends and make a difference.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful! :)
Review: While reading this book,i started to cry. The prosperity of Bess is amazing. She is such a great,young girl who just wants to help one another. The way she endures the pain for Gracie,is incredible. At one point even though she thought she killed Grace,she was still doing the right thing. This book really did change my life,because it is so realistic. Plus,it can relate to me. Its taught me that helping others will really make a big effect on my life,and how i see things and people around me. And,in the end when she doesnt have Jake's attention,it really showed her up,strong side of security,for herself. Because,she didnt care what people said about her whenever she helped around in the homeless shelter. For doing the right thing,she still didnt get Jake's nice words,but really,in the end,she was the star. For all the hard,kind work she did for Gracie,it really did pay off in the end. I recommend it to anyone who hasnt read it yet.