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bookph1le's review
4.0
Such a cute book--and it comes with a bonus cupcake recipe at the end! I adore this series. More complete review to come.
I've read every book in the Just Grace series, and they have never failed to charm me. Grace is an engaging and wonderful character. Though she is basically good and tries to do the right thing, she has her flaws and foibles like all of us, so it's easy to identify with her. Some minor spoilers to follow.
In this installment, Grace and her friends are excited because it's their year to plan the school fair. In a moment of thoughtlessness, Grace lets slip a suggestion for a cupcake theme for the fair, stealing her best friend Mimi's thunder and causing so much friction between the two of them that Grace ends up on the dreaded Owen 1's team.
My favorite thing about this series is the way it takes issues that are very serious to children this age and gives them thoughtful, serious treatment. In this book, Grace suffers from a big disappointment when the perfect day she'd planned with her grandmother doesn't go the way she'd hoped. I have a daughter this age, and I know how much drama can ensue in a situation like this. Grace has to learn how to deal with her disappointment and, in the end, she and her grandmother make the most of their time together.
Even more dire, Grace's thoughtlessness hurts Mimi's feelings, and then a big misunderstanding between the two threatens to break apart their friendship. Grace's feelings are so authentically dealt with in these sections. She's aware she's done something wrong, and she feels badly about it, but she develops a bit of a chip because of the way she perceives Mimi's reaction. I like that this book points out that things aren't always what they seem, and that the best way to resolve a disagreement is open communication, but this lesson is never dished out in a heavy-handed way.
The third theme in this book is learning to work well with others, which is an invaluable lesson for kids of this age. Grace doesn't mesh well with her group, but she manages to come up with a solution to their assignment that everyone's satisfied with, though Grace does have to make some compromises. I like that the book shows that sometimes you have to go without getting exactly what you want in order to give everyone at least a little of what they want.
I love this series, and am pleased to say that each subsequent book builds on the foundations laid by the first books. They're still fresh and fun and still keep me coming back for the next installment.
I've read every book in the Just Grace series, and they have never failed to charm me. Grace is an engaging and wonderful character. Though she is basically good and tries to do the right thing, she has her flaws and foibles like all of us, so it's easy to identify with her. Some minor spoilers to follow.
In this installment, Grace and her friends are excited because it's their year to plan the school fair. In a moment of thoughtlessness, Grace lets slip a suggestion for a cupcake theme for the fair, stealing her best friend Mimi's thunder and causing so much friction between the two of them that Grace ends up on the dreaded Owen 1's team.
My favorite thing about this series is the way it takes issues that are very serious to children this age and gives them thoughtful, serious treatment. In this book, Grace suffers from a big disappointment when the perfect day she'd planned with her grandmother doesn't go the way she'd hoped. I have a daughter this age, and I know how much drama can ensue in a situation like this. Grace has to learn how to deal with her disappointment and, in the end, she and her grandmother make the most of their time together.
Even more dire, Grace's thoughtlessness hurts Mimi's feelings, and then a big misunderstanding between the two threatens to break apart their friendship. Grace's feelings are so authentically dealt with in these sections. She's aware she's done something wrong, and she feels badly about it, but she develops a bit of a chip because of the way she perceives Mimi's reaction. I like that this book points out that things aren't always what they seem, and that the best way to resolve a disagreement is open communication, but this lesson is never dished out in a heavy-handed way.
The third theme in this book is learning to work well with others, which is an invaluable lesson for kids of this age. Grace doesn't mesh well with her group, but she manages to come up with a solution to their assignment that everyone's satisfied with, though Grace does have to make some compromises. I like that the book shows that sometimes you have to go without getting exactly what you want in order to give everyone at least a little of what they want.
I love this series, and am pleased to say that each subsequent book builds on the foundations laid by the first books. They're still fresh and fun and still keep me coming back for the next installment.
kkop12's review
3.0
Kate and I read together. First chapter book we have read. Mediocre story, but I liked that it combined writing with comic like pictures/phrases. They helped with entertaining her.