Scan barcode
scostner's review
4.0
May I just say that Nancy Cavanaugh is a genius when it comes to making realistic middle school characters? Because she is...she's a genius. Her novel is written, not as a diary or journal (although readers who enjoy Dork Diaries or Dear Dumb Diary will enjoy it), but as a series of lists. As Abigail explains, - Lists are much cooler than, "Dear Diary, Blah, blah, blah..." - The headings for the lists are as much a part of the story as the lists themselves. We see things like, "Three reasons I hate being in a different homeroom than Allicam," "Three reasons I'm going to have to get a new life," and "Five things I thought after reading the note."
In the story, Abigail and her two best friends are beginning 6th grade and their life's ambition is to make the pom-pom squad. Sadly, Alli and Cami (a.k.a. Allicam), are in homeroom together and Abigail is in a different homeroom without them. They can't even practice their pom-pom routines together at lunch because their rooms have different lunch periods. Other reasons Abigail is unhappy with middle school so far (I'm starting to write lists like she does): her homeroom teacher is the strictest teacher in the school, her mother was a star student and the teacher expects the same thing from Abigail, and the teacher assigns them partners to write letters to and Abigail is stuck with Gabby Marco (a.k.a. the biggest outcast in the school). Could things get any worse?
Actually, things do get worse. Things involving a mud puddle on the way to the bus, overhearing Allicam talking about her, mean pranks by other girls, and some teasing by a boy in her class. At one point her mother asks if she has made some new friends and Abigail thinks to herself, "New friends, Mom? Really, do you remember at all what middle school was like?"
I remember middle school. For me it was 8th grade year that was so hard. My best friend was in another homeroom and we didn't have any classes or lunch together. Then, in the middle of the year, we moved and I had to change schools. Does anyone else recall how awful it is to be the new kid? Especially if you move in after everyone has already formed their groups of friends for the year? It was awful - so I totally sympathize with Abigail about being depressed over her situation.
Luckily, in books and IRL (in real life), Abigail's mother is right and you can always make new friends. Along the way Abigail learns what being a real friend is all about and finds out that pom-poms are not the center of the universe.
This is a great book for anyone who is feeling discouraged about their homeroom assignment, their chances at team tryouts, or school in general. I really appreciated all the great books that were mentioned throughout the story - everything from Green Eggs and Ham to Hatchet.
I received an advance copy of the book from the publisher so that I could give my honest review.
In the story, Abigail and her two best friends are beginning 6th grade and their life's ambition is to make the pom-pom squad. Sadly, Alli and Cami (a.k.a. Allicam), are in homeroom together and Abigail is in a different homeroom without them. They can't even practice their pom-pom routines together at lunch because their rooms have different lunch periods. Other reasons Abigail is unhappy with middle school so far (I'm starting to write lists like she does): her homeroom teacher is the strictest teacher in the school, her mother was a star student and the teacher expects the same thing from Abigail, and the teacher assigns them partners to write letters to and Abigail is stuck with Gabby Marco (a.k.a. the biggest outcast in the school). Could things get any worse?
Actually, things do get worse. Things involving a mud puddle on the way to the bus, overhearing Allicam talking about her, mean pranks by other girls, and some teasing by a boy in her class. At one point her mother asks if she has made some new friends and Abigail thinks to herself, "New friends, Mom? Really, do you remember at all what middle school was like?"
I remember middle school. For me it was 8th grade year that was so hard. My best friend was in another homeroom and we didn't have any classes or lunch together. Then, in the middle of the year, we moved and I had to change schools. Does anyone else recall how awful it is to be the new kid? Especially if you move in after everyone has already formed their groups of friends for the year? It was awful - so I totally sympathize with Abigail about being depressed over her situation.
Luckily, in books and IRL (in real life), Abigail's mother is right and you can always make new friends. Along the way Abigail learns what being a real friend is all about and finds out that pom-poms are not the center of the universe.
This is a great book for anyone who is feeling discouraged about their homeroom assignment, their chances at team tryouts, or school in general. I really appreciated all the great books that were mentioned throughout the story - everything from Green Eggs and Ham to Hatchet.
I received an advance copy of the book from the publisher so that I could give my honest review.
mullinstreetzoo's review
5.0
I loved it! Cavanaugh is masterful at exploring the difficulties of the adolescent life. She's not condescending--she has a great insight into the challenges of growing up. Another book I'll happily recommend to both kids and adults.
juliasgomez's review
4.0
AfterShock:
I had no idea whatsoever it would be good. Honestly, when I got asked by the publisher to review this; it took me a while to know if I should actually say yes.
I thought that this would be just another middle school disaster story that everyone has read enough of.
But, it was better than most.
My Thoughts:
This is a quick, fun read. I read it in one sitting. Yes, it was one of those middle school disaster stories. Just like every other book; best friend ditches her. This time her best friend ditches her for the popular group. Cliche right?
But I did promise this book was better than the other middle school disaster books. And it was. That's because this book didn't drag on and on about how miserable Abigail was and blahblah.
I thought it was very unique to have the book told entirely in lists. A cool spin on the usual diary type books.
Also, Abigail was relateable. Come on guys; who didn't have a best friend who ditched you?
Read full review:
http://juliasfinds.blogspot.com/2016/08/always-abigail.html
I had no idea whatsoever it would be good. Honestly, when I got asked by the publisher to review this; it took me a while to know if I should actually say yes.
I thought that this would be just another middle school disaster story that everyone has read enough of.
But, it was better than most.
My Thoughts:
This is a quick, fun read. I read it in one sitting. Yes, it was one of those middle school disaster stories. Just like every other book; best friend ditches her. This time her best friend ditches her for the popular group. Cliche right?
But I did promise this book was better than the other middle school disaster books. And it was. That's because this book didn't drag on and on about how miserable Abigail was and blahblah.
I thought it was very unique to have the book told entirely in lists. A cool spin on the usual diary type books.
Also, Abigail was relateable. Come on guys; who didn't have a best friend who ditched you?
Read full review:
http://juliasfinds.blogspot.com/2016/08/always-abigail.html
franklybooked's review
4.0
Always, Abigail follows a young girl who is ready to start sixth grade along with her best friends Alli and Cami, until Abigail gets assigned to a different homeroom than them. Now she has to sit and listen to her two friends share inside jokes that she doesn't understand, hear them talk about two new girls in their homeroom with who they are becoming friends, and listen to them gush about how great of a homeroom teacher they have. Abigail also gets stuck with the worst teacher and the "Friendly Letter Assignment," where she has to write letters to Gabby, the school's biggest outcast. Sixth grade looks like it's going to be harder than she thought. That is until Abigail realizes that Gabby is actually really nice and fun, and her so-called best friends ditch her as soon as they make the Pom Squad, and she doesn't.
Through the "Friendly Letter Assignment," Abigail realizes that Gabby isn't as strange as people say. She is actually very kind and thoughtful. Abigail also learns that Gabby's home life isn't what the rumors say, either. Her father is in prison, and her brother had to drop out of school to care for her. But Gabby continues to keep her head up and sticks up for those around her, which Abigail learns how to do by the end of the book. Abigail learns there is more to someone than what you first may think. We see her evolve throughout the year while learning the ropes of middle school. Although she slips up from time to time, it makes this story even more relatable. Middle school is a hard time for everyone, and understanding that it is okay to stand out a little is a good lesson for children in this stage of life.
I enjoyed this book and thought it sent a great message. I remember being in middle school and just wanting to fit in with everyone else, even if that means not being friends with certain people because of rumors. However, like Abigail, I realized that it is okay to go against the grain and follow your instincts. Understanding that friends shouldn't make other friends feel bad is a powerful lesson to learn at the stage and hold onto for later years. Overall, I liked Abigail's portrayal as I felt she was a very relatable young girl trying to find her path through sixth grade.
Through the "Friendly Letter Assignment," Abigail realizes that Gabby isn't as strange as people say. She is actually very kind and thoughtful. Abigail also learns that Gabby's home life isn't what the rumors say, either. Her father is in prison, and her brother had to drop out of school to care for her. But Gabby continues to keep her head up and sticks up for those around her, which Abigail learns how to do by the end of the book. Abigail learns there is more to someone than what you first may think. We see her evolve throughout the year while learning the ropes of middle school. Although she slips up from time to time, it makes this story even more relatable. Middle school is a hard time for everyone, and understanding that it is okay to stand out a little is a good lesson for children in this stage of life.
I enjoyed this book and thought it sent a great message. I remember being in middle school and just wanting to fit in with everyone else, even if that means not being friends with certain people because of rumors. However, like Abigail, I realized that it is okay to go against the grain and follow your instincts. Understanding that friends shouldn't make other friends feel bad is a powerful lesson to learn at the stage and hold onto for later years. Overall, I liked Abigail's portrayal as I felt she was a very relatable young girl trying to find her path through sixth grade.
elephant's review
3.0
Accompanied by cute doodles and written in lists and letters, Abigail tells the story of her 6th grade year which begins with her assigned to a different class than her two best friends and then assigned to be a writing partner with Gabby, who is the school outcast. As Abigail struggles to become a pom pom girl and part of the popular crowd at school, she finds that Gabby is actually nice and fun and Abigail is at war with her conscience as her friends continue to bully Gabby. Will Abigail be able to figure out what true friendship is and learn how to stand up for herself and others? I think that this is a story that 6th grade girls will be able to relate to and enjoy.
readingwithcats's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
mrskatiefitz's review against another edition
4.0
Abigail and her two best friends plan to achieve middle school popularity by joining the pom squad. Unfortunately, while her two friends each win a spot, Abigail is only accepted as an alternate. Rejected by the popular girls who are full-fledged poms, she finds herself losing popularity points, and fast. Then Abigail's strict, old-fashioned English teacher announces a letter-writing assignment for which Abigail is paired with Gabby Marco, the class outcast. Abigail is mortified by having to correspond with a girl who laughs randomly in class, lives with her lumberjack older brother, and is decidedly unpopular- that is, until she realizes how much more fun she has with Gabby than with her so-called friends.
While this exact story has been told again and again, Nancy Cavanaugh still finds a way to make it appealing. In a different twist on the popular diary format, Abigail tells her entire story in lists describing what happens to her, how she feels about it, and what her plans are. Each list is given a specific headline, and sometimes lists only contain one very short item, so this breaks up the reading into much more manageable chunks than just chapters. (The format is very similar to what Charise Mericle Harper does in the Just Grace books.) Many pages are also decorated with various doodles and embellishments, providing for lots of text-free space. The reader feels that the story is going by quickly based on how often she turns the pages.
From an adult perspective, the best character in this book is Abigail's English teacher, Miss Hendricks, who is older, but wise, and who makes demands on her students that encourage them to become better people. Though Abigail makes fun of her teacher, calling her The Hawk, even she sees the value of this woman's teaching methods before the story's end. While hard-nosed teachers are something of a cliche, Miss Hendricks is a lot more "with it" than many adults in kids' books, and she is worthy of much admiration. (Especially wonderful is her suggestion that Gabby and Abigail get together to perform story times for the kindergarteners - my children's librarian heart just sang when I read about their plans!)
Always Abigail belongs on the never-ending list of middle grade titles about popularity, along with other recent titles such as 30 Days of No Gossip, How to Rock Braces and Glasses, Best Friends... Until Something Better Comes Along, and Mission (Un)Popular.
While this exact story has been told again and again, Nancy Cavanaugh still finds a way to make it appealing. In a different twist on the popular diary format, Abigail tells her entire story in lists describing what happens to her, how she feels about it, and what her plans are. Each list is given a specific headline, and sometimes lists only contain one very short item, so this breaks up the reading into much more manageable chunks than just chapters. (The format is very similar to what Charise Mericle Harper does in the Just Grace books.) Many pages are also decorated with various doodles and embellishments, providing for lots of text-free space. The reader feels that the story is going by quickly based on how often she turns the pages.
From an adult perspective, the best character in this book is Abigail's English teacher, Miss Hendricks, who is older, but wise, and who makes demands on her students that encourage them to become better people. Though Abigail makes fun of her teacher, calling her The Hawk, even she sees the value of this woman's teaching methods before the story's end. While hard-nosed teachers are something of a cliche, Miss Hendricks is a lot more "with it" than many adults in kids' books, and she is worthy of much admiration. (Especially wonderful is her suggestion that Gabby and Abigail get together to perform story times for the kindergarteners - my children's librarian heart just sang when I read about their plans!)
Always Abigail belongs on the never-ending list of middle grade titles about popularity, along with other recent titles such as 30 Days of No Gossip, How to Rock Braces and Glasses, Best Friends... Until Something Better Comes Along, and Mission (Un)Popular.
More...