Review Detail

Reader reviewed by mearley

Belle Teal seems to be faced with a new challenge every day. Her father is gone, her mother is working constantly, and her grandmother is forgetting almost everything. Add to that the tension in her school when integration is introduced and her best friend coming to school with unexplained injuries, and you can see why Belle Teal needs a journal to work out all her emotions. She has to grow up pretty fast during a few short months of fifth grade, but with the help of her teacher and a few friends, Belle Teal is able to learn how to handle all these challenges.

This is a great book for anyone wanting to read a realistic story about everyday life in the Civil Rights era. Prejudice and discrimination abound in Belle Teal's town, but she does her little part to show her classmates that everyone is equal. The characters here are well-fleshed-out and believable. I especially enjoyed the growth of the relationship between Belle Teal and her mother. Even in the midst of all her own problems, Belle Teal's mother is able to provide support for her daughter, and by the end you sense that the two have become closer from working together.

Reprinted here with author's permission.