What's Bugging Bailey Blecker?
Gr 4-6-Bailey Blecker has lice, and many of her classmates are also infested. Nothing could be more mortifying than having cooties in fifth grade, but that is only one of her problems. She's attending school on the mainland, rather than on Fox Island where she lives. She and her best friend, Olivia, had decided to attend the school together, but then Olivia pulled out at the last minute. Now Bailey is in a new school, is disappointed with the sparse attendance at her birthday party, and loses her pet budgie, Apollo. Donovan carefully scripts a heartfelt story of learning to accept one's circumstances no matter what they are. Bailey's fiendship with Olivia drastically changes with their move into different schools. While they are not best friends at the end, Bailey recognizes that their relationship is not over, but it is different. The author also handles the lice breakout realistically and carefully crafts the emotions involved. In a story with no easy solutions, Bailey matures and realizes that change is not always a bad thing.-Lia Carruthers, Roxbury Public Library, Succasunna, NJ (c) Copyright 2010.  Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.  No redistribution permitted.