It Only Looks Easy
Grade 4-7-On her first day in seventh grade, Kat Randall learns that her impetuosity can lead to serious consequences. After her beloved retriever is hit by a car driven by an elderly woman with Alzheimer's, Kat cannot wait any longer to hear about her dog's condition; she "borrows" a bike from school grounds and heads to the vet. Cheddar will ultimately pull through but Kat's troubles have just begun, because the bike gets stolen and she must earn the money to replace it. More bikes are taken from school and the police view Kat as a suspect. She becomes increasingly involved with Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence (the woman who hit Cheddar), staying with her so that her husband can occasionally get out. Kat's generous, impulsive nature is still in evidence, but she slowly learns responsibility, realizing that everyone deals with issues of one sort or another. Ultimately, the thieves are caught, Kat is exonerated, and she regains her sense of being a person who can be relied upon to do the right thing. Kat is a funny, warmhearted character whose voice immediately grabs readers. Snappy dialogue, sympathetic adults as well as unpleasant ones, and descriptions of the ways in which an action can have major repercussions all add to this touching, perceptive, highly readable novel that is sure to strike a chord with readers.B. Allison Gray, South Country Library, Bellport, NYCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.