Class Pictures (1980) by Marilyn Sachs

 

In this short novel, Pat looks back on her friendship with a girl named Lolly by going through their class pictures.

 

these are just some unrelated pics I got from Google to spice up the post

When they meet in kindergarten, Lolly arrives new to school and the class popular girl Pat bites her cheek. When Pat later takes up for Lolly after she wets her pants, their friendship begins.

 

 

In first grade Pat saves Lolly's birthday party when the other kids refuse to come by telling them that anyone not at Lolly's party won't be invited to hers. At the time, Lolly was overweight and a big crier, so she wasn't the most popular student in the class. Pat lives with her single waitress mother, two little brothers and cranky grandmother, who weren't planning on throwing Pat a party in the first place. They do scrape together a party, and although it isn't as grand as Lolly's had been, the kids have a good time.

 

 

In second grade, Pat's and Lolly's class differences come to surface. Lolly's fussy, overprotective mother tries to encourage Lolly to play with girls from their own neighborhood, although these kids dislike Lolly. What's more, Lolly's mother inadvertently opens a can of worms when she tells Pat, during a conversation about genetics, that her father had to have brown hair and eyes like she does. It turns out that the blonde-haired man Pat thought was her father (who died in a car accident) was really her stepfather - her mother confesses she had been married before.

 

 

The third grade chapter is mostly filler, with Pat and Lolly looking at Grandma's old pictures and making paper dolls.

 

 

Fourth grade finds Pat in the gifted class, separated from Lolly. Being placed in the special class brings a newfound respect from Lolly's mother, but Pat is miserable and complains so much she's assigned to a regular class the next year.

 

 

In the fifth grade, Pat and Lolly endure chicken pox together and exchange valentines. Pat is still one of the most popular kids in the class, receiving 26 valentines to Lolly's five.

 

 

In sixth grade, the class has a picnic to commemorate the end of elementary school, Grandma starts dating a widower friend, and Pat says goodbye to a favorite teacher (who affectionately calls her "ugly duckling"). Pat's mother seems tired all the time now, but she makes it to Pat's graduation at the last minute.

 

 

In seventh grade, Grandma gets married (although she still calls her husband "Mr. Nagel") and Pat feels left out and finds it difficult to adjust to her absence. Her favorite teacher from elementary school, Mr. Evans, lets her conduct science experiments in his basement which definitely sounds a little iffy to twenty first century ears. Pat feels there is something different about Lolly this year and it isn't until she looks at their class picture that she realizes it is that she has become beautiful.

 

 





The world shifts in eighth grade, with Lolly becoming the popular one. She is the hit of every party and even convinces the shop teacher to allow Pat to take his class using her feminine charms. Pat can't help but feel a little jealous, especially when the boy she likes shows an interest in Lolly.

 

the president's class picture. can you find him?

When Pat is in ninth grade, her mother goes nuts and says some hateful things to her. Pat finds out that her mother lied about being married to her birth father and that she actually has no idea who he is. Lolly's family invites Pat on their ski trip, also renting ski equipment for her since her mother couldn't afford it. Pat and Lolly get into a deep discussion and both admit they have been jealous of each other at times.

 

 

In tenth grade, Pat continues to suffer the pains of being the less attractive friend. On a double date Lolly sets up for the two of them, both boys hang all over Lolly and ignore Pat.

 

 

Junior year, Pat wins an award for one of her experiments and Lolly leads an environmental club. Pat has guilt-ridden daydreams about Mr. Evan's wife dropping dead so she can have him to herself, all the while beginning her first romance with a boy her own age.

 

 

Senior year, Pat gets in trouble at an Anti-Nuke protest Lolly has orchestrated but is not allowed to attend. Pat and her boyfriend break up before prom, which upsets her mother. Pat finally confesses her love to Mr. Evans (whom she still calls Mr. Evans).

 

Mr. Evans later sends Pat a postcard signed "love, Jason" which probably isn't a good idea, and Pat tells Lolly about her feelings for him. Pat is going away to college and Lolly is moving out on her own with a roommate. Pat frets that the new girl will replace her as Lolly's best friend. The girls decide that things may change, but sometimes change has to happen for things to get better.







Kitty in the Middle (1979) by Judy Delton

 

Best known for the Pee Wee Scouts book series, Judy Delton first wrote Kitty in the Middle. I'm not sure whether the stories are based on Ms. Delton's childhood, but the novel feels autobiographical in tone. Set in the early 40's, the book covers the fourth grade year of Kitty's time in Catholic school with her two best friends, one shy and cautious, the other loud and mischievous. Except for the WWII mentions, the book could probably have taken place during any recent time period. Each chapter acts as a vignette, detailing a different adventure.

 

In chapter 1, the girls are assigned the meanest nun in the school as a teacher.

 

In chapter 2, Kitty gives away her favorite rosary for a paper doll.

 



 

In chapter 3, Sister Ursuline asks the class to name their bad habits. Unable to come up with one, Kitty lies and says she bites her nails. Feeling guilty about the fib, she really begins biting her nails. Her parents buy her a ring as a reward for breaking this habit.

 



 

In chapter 4, Kitty and friends crash a stranger's wedding   

 

 

Chapter 5 tells about Kitty's first crush, on a new boy in class. The school puts a ban on Valentine's Day, but Kitty manages to receive a Valentine from her crush anyway. At the end of the day, though, she's heartbroken to learn that he gave every girl in class the same Valentine.

 

In chapter 6 Kitty has problems in music class.

 

Chapter 7 is pretty standard for a book like this. The girls dare each other to visit a supposedly haunted house, but find out it is inhabited by an eccentric old lady.

 

In chapter 8, the old lady gives Margaret Mary a dress to wear to the school's May Day ceremony and the girls wax nostalgic about their friendship as the school year comes to a close.

 





The Mystery of Sara Beth (1981) by Polly Putnam

 

A new girl, Sara Beth, arrives at school. She is unresponsive when the other children try to befriend her.

 

 

Becky decides there must be something more to the situation than Sara Beth simply being shy. She begins to look for clues.

 

 

Becky checks out Sara Beth's shabby clothes, her schoolwork, her tendency to take home items she's not supposed to. But the biggest clue comes when Becky observes that Sara Beth loves taking care of the class guinea pigs one day and is deathly scared of them the next.

 

 

There could be only one explanation: Sara Beth is actually twins named Sara and Beth who take turns coming to school. Why, you ask? The parents could only afford one winter coat and thought this was the best solution.

 

 

The girls tell the teacher, and learn that there is a whole stash of winter clothing stored away for just such a purpose. The end.









Deenie (1973) by Judy Blume

 

Deenie is a beautiful, if somewhat vain twelve year old whose mother desperately wants to become a model. The agents Deenie is sent to note she is a pretty girl, but there is something strange in the way she walks. She also isn't picked for the school cheerleading squad which really meant a lot more to her than modeling.

 

Deenie has a rather snotty attitude in the beginning of the book. She avoids looking at anyone who isn't beautiful, snubs a classmate who has an annoying girl crush on her, steers clear of a neighbor who was in a wreck which left her handicapped and doesn't want to hold hands with her gym partner who has eczema.  

 

Her mother is downright horrible. Besides pressuring Deenie into a modeling career, she has decided, from birth, that Deenie is the beautiful one and Deenie's older sister Helen is the smart one and treats them both accordingly. A huge disservice to both girls. Deenie isn't expected to make good grades like Helen and thinks being a model or a homemaker are her only career options.

 

Everything changes when the gym teacher notices Deenie has a problem with her posture. She calls her in for a scoliosis test (they didn't do this routinely for all the girls back in the 70's?). Deenie is sent to specialists who confirm the diagnosis. The mom, as you've probably guessed, acts like a total drama queen about the situation, and Deenie is upset to overhear her parents arguing about her condition.

 

There is a really weird segue where, distressed at hearing her parents fighting, Deenie runs up to her room and starts masturbating. Because this is a Judy Blume book, if you are reading this as a twelve year old there is going to be something you've never heard of before, such as periods or wet dreams. In Deenie, it's masturbation.

 

Deenie decides that having an operation to treat her scoliosis is the lesser of two evils, but her doctor recommends that she wear a Milwaukee brace for four years, until she's stopped growing. Ms. Blume must have done her research, because we get to see exactly what it's like to be fitted for a scoliosis brace.

 

a brace similar to one Deenie would have worn

While waiting for her brace to be made, Deenie works up the courage to send an anonymous question to the gym teacher about whether or not it's okay for her to masturbate. We get a very positive and open response with the teacher telling the girls that it's normal and not to worry about the strange superstitions they've heard about the subject (making you go blind, break out in pimples, going deformed). Deenie is relieved to know masturbation is not the cause of her scoliosis. 

 

The moment of truth arrives and Deenie receives her back brace. When she gets home, in a fit of hysteria, Deenie hacks off all her hair like her namesake in Splendor in the Grass. Reactions at school range from those who look at her pityingly and ask if she's been in an accident to those who can't even look at her at all. Deenie's crush, Buddy, is amazingly supportive for an adolescent boy and the brace doesn't stop Susan from copying her.

 

The book's conclusion finds Deenie a more mature, compassionate person. She makes friends with the girl with eczema and stops judging people based on their appearances. Deenie begs her father to let her go without her brace for her friend's party, but in the end she realizes that he was right and she should wear it all the time. There is a minor subplot involving Deenie's sister falling in love with their father's employee and their mother standing in the way of that. The mother doesn't really change much.



You Shouldn't Have To Say Good-bye (1982) by Patricia Hermes

 

Sarah feels lucky to have such a fun, happy mother. Her best friend Robin's mother is suffering from clinical depression and rarely leaves the house. This causes Robin to act out by engaging in risky behavior like walking on a ridge on Sarah's roof and planning to perform a dangerous stunt at the school gymnastics show.

 

Sarah's luck soon runs out when her mother becomes ill with advanced melanoma. Both Sarah and her parents go through periods of anger and denial. There comes a time when Sarah's mother is sure she can beat the cancer and the family has a Christmas party for all their friends.

 

The good times can't last, however, and Sarah's mother is rushed back to the hospital. Sarah tunes out what is happening by ignoring the ringing phone and going to Robin's house while her mother is being admitted. While at her friend's house, Sarah learns that Robin's mother not only suffers from depression, but from agoraphobia and other fears as well. (She seems to have some anxiety that Sarah is there...This author was pretty cutting edge. Another one of her early books mentioned the "fainting game" that kids play to get high.)

 

Because of the uncertainty she feels about her own parents not attending the gymnastics show, Sarah plans her own risky stunt (jumping from the top of the ropes to the trampoline), but the girls cancel their plans when both sets of parents show up in the audience at the last minute.

 

The book reaches its tearful conclusion as Sarah's mother gets weaker and eventually dies on Christmas Eve. The dying scenes are quite emotional, with Sarah yelling in anger at what is happening and her parents equally upset. After her mother is gone, Sarah's father reveals that she had been writing in a diary for Sarah to read. An epilogue taking place a few months later finds Sarah reading the book and taking care of a new kitten.

 

Sarah's mother might have been a little more memorable had she not been quite so perfect, but the book was still pretty sad for a kids' book. 



Sixth-Grade Sleepover (1986) by Eve Bunting

 

Janey is both nervous and excited about her school reading club's upcoming co-ed sleepover. For one thing, she has been eyeing a boy in her class and the sleepover sounds like the perfect opportunity to get to know him better. The class cute girl, Sylvie, is also crushing on Blake, and without Janey there to make sure they don't get too close, she might lose her chance with him.

 

There's one thing stopping Janey from attending the sleepover: she's deathly afraid of the dark. Janey's fear started when she was a baby and had a sitter who would lock her in the closet when she was bad. Her parents tried sending her to a counselor, but it appears Janey wasn't ready to accept help and nothing changed.

 

After discussing the dilemma with her parents, it is decided that Janey's mother will call the school and suggest night lights be put up around the cafeteria where the sleepover will be taking place. However, after visiting the school at night, Janey decides the lights aren't enough and she'll just have to hide out in the restroom until morning.

 

It turns out that Janey isn't the only one with this plan. A strange new girl also takes refuge in a restroom stall and she and Janey bond over their respective problems. (Rosie can't read very well and just joined the club to make friends). The girls conclude that hiding from a bad situation can only make it worse. Janey hints that she'll take up counseling again and Rosie will get help with her reading. There is also some thing about the class rabbit, who was thought to be male, having bunnies in Janey's sleeping bag.

 

Throughout the book, there is an appreciative nod to the wonderfulness of reading. Several real titles are mentioned, the members of the Rabbit Reading Club appear to be the cool kids at school, the kids are in awe of their teachers because of their shared love of reading and books even help Janey get closer to Blake.    



Fifth Grade Magic (1982) by Beatrice Gormley

 

Gretchen is jealous of a long blond-haired classmate named Amy. Amy is Mrs. Sheppard's favorite student. She doesn't do stupid things like pass around a signed picture of the teacher drawn in an unflattering light.

 

 



 

Worst of all, Amy was chosen over Gretchen for the lead in Polly's Pies in Peril, the fifth grade spring play. No auditions were held for the play, so Gretchen didn't have the chance to show off the acting she'd been practicing with the other girls every day at recess.

 



 

While Gretchen is in her room crying over this turn of events, she remembers something Mrs. Sheppard always says about a fairy godmother not magically appearing to solve all your problems. Gretchen spontaneously calls out for her godmother, and a child sized fairy dressed in a too large uniform appears. After the obligatory initial shock, Gretchen explains her situation and asks Errora for help. The first order of business is to cut off Amy's hair. This, Errora says, will break the spell the girl has over the teacher and secure Gretchen the lead role in the play. The next day at school, Amy's hair is so short that she resembles class clown Dennis Boyd. Mrs. Sheppard is weirdly disapproving of the haircut, but she doesn't take away Amy's part in the play.

 

 

Errora's next attempt at getting Gretchen into the play is a little more invasive. She suggests that the girls switch bodies, a la Freaky Friday. The only problem is Amy doesn't know what's going on and her outbursts about being Amy trapped inside Gretchen's body have everyone thinking she's gone crazy. Also, Gretchen can't abide Amy's overbearing stage mother, who forces her daughter to audition for underwear commercials. Gretchen quickly rushes back home to reverse the spell.

 

 

Errora's last magic trick is to give poor Amy the chicken pox (Gretchen is her understudy). Unfortunately, Gretchen used her class photo for the spell and Errora got Amy and Dennis mixed up. Dennis, who didn't want to be in the play at all, had been assigned the role of the villan. With Dennis out sick, Mrs. Sheppard is forced to beg Gretchen to take over his part. Gretchen is hesitant at first because she'd really had her heart set on the lead, but she ends up doing a great job. In a clever twist, Errora turns out to be a child fairy who snuck out with her aunt's "injuctulator" (magic making device). This was one of my favorite books as a child. There is a sequel focusing on Amy (who turns out to be a very nice girl) called More Fifth Grade Magic.