10 Lucky Things That Have Happened to Me Since I Nearly Got Hit by Lightning
Grade 4–6—In this sequel toMy Big Sister Is So Bossy She Says You Can't Read This Book(Random, 2005), 10-year-old Effie Maloney is concerned about keeping her athletic friend Aurora in their private Catholic school instead of transferring to a public school that lets her play on a basketball team, and where she feels more comfortable. A second plot surrounds the adult males in Effie's life. Her father is in prison for embezzling, and a priest who is a college friend of her mom's is facing a crisis and has temporarily moved in. The family is supposed to keep his profession a secret, but Effie's sister gets religion. When Effie and her friend Nit plan a slumber party with a pirate theme, chaos reigns, with an uninvited guest, disastrous hair dyes, and a surprise visit from a monsignor. Each chapter opens with drawings of the characters featured in it. Full of too many plots and too little action, this book drags and seems a little petty. Public school children are made to look like ogres. Other characters are stereotyped or unbelievable. Readers would be better served by Marissa Moss's "Amelia" books (S & S) or Rebecca Rupp'sSarah Simpson's Rules for Living(Candlewick, 2008).—Debbie Whitbeck, West Ottawa Public Schools, Holland, MICopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.