Abbott, Tony. Firegirl.

[Tess]

I see that the library has this book on order. Has anyone had a chance to see an advance reading copy?

[Mary]

Thanks for mentioning this book, Tess. I had it on my "to be read" pile when I read your post. I just finished it and really believe it belongs on our Mock Newbery reading list. By the author of The Secrets of Droon fantasy series, this book is nothing like those very popular books. This is a book that you'll want to read and discuss! I can't wait to hear what you all think of it!

[heather]

I finished (and started) this book last night. I stayed up way too late to finish it. It was an incredible read. It is sad and yet hopeful, funny and yet serious. I have been thinking about it all morning and wondering: Where is Jessica now? How is she? Where is Tom? What is he doing? Does he still think of her?

[Becky]

Firegirl is a great read -- I'd like to hear Tony Abbot talk about what lead him to write it. I can't remember reading another book that deals with disfigurement and the reaction that children and grown-ups have when it is encountered. The book's action occurs over three weeks but it seems like it's covering a longer period of time because you get to know the primary characters so well. I recommend it!

[Tess]

Wow! This is my pick for our mock Newbery thus far. Granted, I haven't read many of the books yet, but this one is exceptional.

[heather]

I may just be ready to agree with you on that Tess. I am still (months later now) thinking about the characters. I just read an adult memoir that discussed a woman who had been burned as a child in the same way as Jessica and grew up to be a dermatologist. And it made me immediately wish Jessica (this fictional character!) success in her future.

[gbishop]

Firegirl is my favorite out all the books I have read this year. It was very hard to put down once I started reading it. When I finished the book I was still thinking about Jessica and wondering what would happen at her next school. I think the characters were very well developed and I was so happy to see how much Tom grew by the end of the book. Jessica was definitely much stronger than I would have been in her situation.

[Meredith]

Firegirl is my second choice for the Newbery. Its subtly gives the story tremendous power. It leaves the reader to ponder a host of lightly touched upon ideas. Also, its subject -- how burn victims continue their lives -- is one rarely seen in literature.

The hero/narrator Tom is overweight, sweaty, and unpopular, but he is also honest and reflective. He and Jessica, “the burn girl,” never become close friends, and I liked that. It kept the story from becoming melodramatic. Instead, he is deeply affected by her and the few weeks she spends in his class, which manages to upset his entire world.

Jessica is the catalyst that causes Tom to rethink many things in his life. He realizes that his only “friend” is a selfish person who doesn’t care and not much of a friend at all, and when he sees a picture of how pretty Jessica was before she was disfigured, he is struck with the thought that he might only like Courtney, his secret crush and the damsel in distress of all his daydreams, because she is pretty. The clarity of this realization is striking. Most teenagers wouldn’t be able to admit something like that to themselves.