Oh My Darling, Clementine (Clementine - Sara Pennypacker)

Member Name: zoe_page_1

Product:	Clementine - Sara Pennypacker
Date:	06/06/09 (83 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fabulous book for children, with great illustrations and a fun heroine

Disadvantages: None

Can you imagine how hard it must be to be misunderstood at just 8 years old? Clementine knows all too well what this is like. Whether she is Paying Attention to everything that is going on outside during maths class, or Being Helpful and answering the principal's phone while she's alone in her office, she somehow always ends up being told to Think About The Consequences Of Her Actions. Can you imagine? You help a friend at school by cutting the glue out of her hair, and then giving her a snazzy haircut complemented by felt-tip pen highlights, and you get Told Off. You try your hardest to apologise to said friend's posh mum, but end up sounding like a Common Criminal. It's hard work being 8, y'know.

Outside of school, Clementine's life isn't much better. Her mum wears dungarees, and works from home while other people's mums get dressed up and go to work in a morning. She lives in the basement, below street level, and has to ride the elevator down to her apartment while all the other residents get to ride it upwards. She has a baby brother who may or may not be a vegetable, her cat died, and her father is worryingly obsessed with pigeons.

Clementine is not your average third grader. She sees things in a weird and wonderful way that makes you question things you've always believed or just accepted. She's the girl who wants to know why her Gifted Class for Maths does not involve any presents. This is the book where a toddler's request to "Go for a wok" means go for a spin around the kitchen in, um, a wok. How adorable is that? Ditto her reason for writing a journal: "(so) I can remind myself of things I might forget when I'm a grown up. Like I plan to smoke cigars. And I do not plan to get married. Cigars, yes; husband, no."

Clementine is quite a character. She is a well-meaning version of Judy Blume's Fudge combined with a rather helpful My Naughty Little Sister and the astute observations of Paula Danziger's Amber Brown. Most importantly she is lovable and bright and unintentionally funny, meaning you instantly warm to her from the first chapter.

The book is clearly American but not worryingly so, and apart from a couple of brief mentions of, for example, the Pledge of Allegiance, this book translates well into a must-read for 8 years olds all over the world. Fans of Judy Blume or Paula Danziger would have no trouble with this one.

This is a proper 'bookish' book. The cover (see photo above) is bright and cheery, with Clementine herself doing a fun looking (though gymnastically dubious) cartwheel. There are circles and stars and flowers too, because Clementine is a circles and stars and flowers sort of girl. The illustrations throughout the story are beautifully crafted with great detail - watch out for the cheesy sign on the Principal's desk early on.

I thought Clementine was a great read, and I'll be looking out for the other books in the series.

You can get the hardback on Amazon for a penny, which even with a few pounds postage is a bargain. Alternatively, use your Dooyoo vouchers to buy it new, with free delivery, for just over a fiver. Reading age is always hard since it varies from child to child, but I'd peg this one at the junior school age, either for reading alone or a fun bed time story even parents will want to keep reading.


A version of this review originally appeared on www.thebookbag.co.uk

Summary: Llively third grader struggles to be understood by the authority figures around her