Reviews

This delicious tale concerns a bright student whose gold star on a school composition convinces her that she is destined for literary greatness. Ages 7-9. (Apr.)

Gr 2-4-- The latest addition to the series is competent and entertaining. Jenny's first composition, wherein she describes some of her games of make-believe, serves as a point of departure for her next venture in writing. The assignment is to write an autobiography, and Jenny is concerned with holding her teacher's interest. Her solution: be creative. She invents humorous, in fact, wildly unbelievable situations anticipating with glee the praise she expects to earn. However, she comes down hard when Mrs. Pike is not at all appreciative. With a little explanatory help from her mother, Jenny writes her own--although boring--life story and wins her way back to her teacher's good graces. Jenny is a kid to like, enthusiastic and eager to learn. Her concerns about school work are true to the age group. Conford does just what Mrs. Pike praises Jenny for doing: she says ``a lot in just a few words.'' Students will want their own teachers to read this to them and then to read it again on their own. --Ruth Semrau, Lovejoy School, McKinney, TX