{Synopsis} – 6th-grader Jessie Lou is deeply, madly, passionately in love with Conrad Parker Smith. Too bad she’s a tomboy with only one on-again, off-again friend, and hair so short you can’t spit on it. Too bad he’s the most popular boy in their small-town school.
But then Conrad hurts his leg and suddenly can’t keep up with his old pursuits anymore. Jessie Lou and Conrad start spending a lot more time together, but she can’t help wonder — is she just a substitute friend? And will Conrad forget her when his leg brace comes off and he’s king of the school once again?
{My thoughts} – An innocent story of a young girl with a crush on the popular boy in her class. Jessie Lou seems to have had a crush on Conrad Parker Smith for as long as she can remember. When he loses his popularity she helps him and becomes one of his closest friends.
I really enjoyed this story. It’s about the small town life. It’s about the importance of friends and family. It’s about being yourself, finding your place and showing others how great you are.
I recommend this book for any child trying to find their place in the world. That anyone growing up in a small town surrounded by the same individuals can relate. Any child just looking for a book to pass the day away will likely enjoy reading it as well.
{Quotes I Enjoyed} –
{01} – All this time I’ve known this house from the outside only. I’ve never been inside. Now I’m inside looking out at the old maple tree in the front yard, at the windy fields across the road. It looks so different being inside looking out instead of outside looking in. It’s a whole new view of everything.
{02} – Mama put’s her arm over Melinda’s shoulder. “Honey,” she says. “I know it’s hard to lose. It’s easier to win. But people don’t realize that it’s the ones who lose that really win in the end, because they have to build themselves back up, brick by brick. They have to put themselves back together after they lose. And that makes a person strong. And then when you run into big windstorms and terrible hurricanes, you’re going to be so strong, nothing is going to pull you down. That’s better then winning a beauty contest, isn’t it, Granddaddy?”
{03} – Houses are like that. They seem to almost disintegrate when the owners are gone, even for a day, flowers wilt in vases. Food spoils on shelves.
{04} – They were sitting at the table in the kitchen organizing a rally and protest against the Big Box Home and Hardware while Mama was grocery shopping up at the Piggly Wiggly. {Kinda caught me off guard to hear of a Piggly Wiggly in a book They have them where I grew up in Wisconsin.}
{05} – I know how kids can turn on each other. I know how keeping on the right side of the crowd can be tricky and unpredictable. The tables have turned on me many a time. It isn’t the first time.
{06} – Funny thing has been happening when I am with Conrad tonight. Seems like some of his popularity has been rubbing off on me, and in a way, I feel like I am popular too. Everybody sure is being nice to me. I don’t know how I look on the outside but I’d like to say that I feel pretty on the inside, and Granddaddy always told me that’s all that really matters.
Final Conclusion: 5 Star Rating.
