Re-reading this book for the first time in almost two decades, I have to believe this was probably one of the first books I read with a truly feminist message. Al's word for it is "nonconformist", but it really boils down to "I refuse to look a certain way just because society says that's what's 'pretty'" and "I buy my own sweaters!" in the manner of Destiny's Child singing about buying their own diamond rings. "The shoes on my feet / I bought 'em!" In short, Al rocks pretty hard as a role model, but she also deals very realistic doubts and fears. She wrestles with loneliness from eating alone while her divorced mom dates around, with questions about why her dad sends cards and money but never visits, and why girls aren't allowed to take shop. (Hopefully that last part would seem pretty dated to millennials, though.) Most interestingly, though, Al is seen only through the eyes of a narrator, a classmate whose name we never learn, a point of view that underscores the importance of Al's persona: she's affecting the people around her as she declares her nonconformity. ( )

An oldie from my past, but I found the original hardcover at the university library, the yellow cover with the Byron Barton illustrations that I recall from my youth. I found the mix of traditional manners (inviting the neighbors to tea on good stationery) and contemporary mores (divorced working mom raising a precocious daughter) quaint by today's standards. Al still is an interesting bird, though, with her intellectual talk and logical ways. ( )

An enlightening story of some non conforming girls, now I want to read another one about Al. ( )

Lexile: 610
Reading Recovery: 21
DRA: 30
Fountas Pinnel Guided Reading: N