Belle Teal

Title: Belle Teal

 

Author: Ann M. Martin

 

Summary: Belle Teal, who lives with her grandmother and mother, is very excited to start 5th grade with her best friend, Clarice, and her sort-of friend, Little Boss. But the first day of school brings a lot of controversy with the recent integration of the schools. One of the black boys who comes to Belle Teal's school, Darryl, strikes up a friendship with Bell Teal, which gains her and Darryl a lot of bullying and attention. As Bell Teal gets through the first semester of the school year, she deals with her grandmother's fading memory, the new class bully, and all of the strange ideas that some of the children have about her being friends with Darryl.

 

Comments: I enjoyed this book. It was well written, as nearly ever Ann M. Martin book is (Any author whose name is behind the Babysitters Club, goodness, how could she ever write something I didn't enjoy? :P)

I would recommend it for 10+. It is great as introduction to the integration and civil rights era, and is suitable for younger children because while there are threats of things happening to Darryl and everyone, it is not like in other books of this era where people actually do get seriously hurt or killed.

All of the characters were likeable, even the bully, in the end, was somewhat okay, because of the tough time she had just recently been through.

 

Rating: 5 stars