as if being 12 3/4 isn't bad enough, my mother is running for president! by Donna Gephart, 227 pp, RL: Middle Grade
Donna Gephart's debut novel for young readers, as if being 12 3/4 isn't bad enough, my mother is running for president , winner of the 2009 Sid Fleishman Humor Award which is presented by the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators , caught my eye the minute it hit the shelves. Photos of kids, especially where you can see their whole face, are rare in the world of kid's books these days, even books set squarely in the realm of realistic fiction. Also, the girl on the cover has an understated look of annoyance, mistrust and an "are you kidding me?" expression that really clicked for me. And main character Vanessa Rothrock has all that and more. Not only is she smart - as a participant in the local and then regional spelling bee, Vanessa is a habitual speller of words which makes for some spectacular vocabulary in this book - but she is funny. All kinds of funny - self-deprecating, dopey, unintentionally. The one kind of funny she is n