Just Grace
by Charise Mericle Harper © 2007, 144 pages Level 3 (all about levels) Read Amazon Reviews
After I finished Just Grace, I held it in my hands for a while and smiled at it. It's one of those books.
Grace is a high-spirited, resourceful third-grader whose matter-of-fact observations are both true and funny.
"How Mom could forget something exciting like a postcard but remember boring things like how many bites of green beans I eat and if I remember to put the toilet lid down is something I hope I'm never going to understand. This is one of the reasons I am not so excited about turning into a grownup. The grown-up world is very filled up with boring rules about eating and cleaning."
Yet, like all children, Grace lives in a world dominated by grownups and has to accomplish her many goals while navigating through their rules. Which, when you're a superhero, can get pretty tricky.
You see, Grace has what she describes as a teeny tiny superpower. Her power is that she can always tell when someone is unhappy, no matter how much they try to hide it. (Her dad calls that empathy.) What makes it a superpower is that she feels she must do something to make the sad person feel better:
"A superhero has to help people in trouble. She can't just change into a regular I'm-not-going-to-do-anything-to-help-someone-else type of person even if she wanted to."
So when Grace discovers that her neighbor is going through a rough time, she has to find a way to cheer her up. The solution that develops involves a cat, some french toast, lots of glue, and a few stamps. And it's more perfect in its sweet simplicity than any idea an adult would come up with. Of course, that means it might cause a little trouble, which requires a pair of oven mitts, some pancakes and an unlikely alliance to solve.
With quirky illustrations, photos and comics throughout, Just Grace is a 100% delightful book that both girls and boys will enjoy.
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