I picked this up based on (a) the author and (b) the cover - it's definitely eye-catching. The author, Julie Anne Peters, also wrote Define "Normal", one of the big hits of our summer reading the past couple of years. And the cover is definitely memorable! When I looked more closely, it was about 3 girls who are into spelling bees. I loved the movie Spellbound and also enjoyed watching Akeelah and the Bee (predictible but well done), so I figured it was worth a look.
OK, so that's why I picked the book - what did I think of it? It was pretty good. Not memorable, but a good read. The main character befriends a goofy looking/dressing new kid who's been homeschooled, and in the process her (former) best friend becomes alienated, although that's mostly her own doing (the friend's). A bit predicable, and I wished the book had been a little longer so there had been more time to develop the characters in more depth. I liked the spelling words with their pronunciation given, but that might slow down or frustrate some younger readers. The book is relatively short (maybe 125 p. or so) and readable, and since it's by Peters, it could appeal to some kids who are not huge readers, but they could find the somewhat obscure spelling words a bit of a stumbling block. Or maybe not - maybe they'll enjoy the word play. All in all - recommended, but maybe not heartily. Probably best for 5th-7th grade girls.
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