lauralynnwalsh's review against another edition
3.0
I remember reading this when I was younger and enjoying it. I am interested in the unspoken messages that might not be obvious to readers of the target ages, but which almost seem didactic to the older reader. I wish I liked the girls more.
And, later, upon reflection: There are some obvious markers that this book was written a long time ago. Al, chubby at the start of the book, puts on even more weight, in order to gain the attention of her mother, but then, as a happy resolution, she loses 100 pounds. And both girls, according to the grandfather figure, are on their way to becoming pretty, an all important quality. The death of the grandfather figure brings about the resolution of Al's relationship with her father, acceptance of neglect, but it brings her mother closer. And, in all honesty, I am not sure how I feel about all of this. The semi-happy ending is realistic enough to be believable, but, as a person who struggles with weight control, I think the easy loss of 100 pounds is a bit TOO easy. And I wish there had been some goal other than being pretty.
The interest in building bookshelves was a bit too obvious as a plot device, although I remember being in exactly the same position when I was in junior high. My homeroom was in the shop and I wanted to take shop, rather than cooking and sewing, but it wasn't allowed. The girls had to learn to cook and sew ugly box-pleated skirts, while the boys learned to make bird-houses and lamps.
I still think the book is worthwhile enough for current upper elementary kids, but a discussion of the differences between now and then is probably warranted.
And, later, upon reflection: There are some obvious markers that this book was written a long time ago. Al, chubby at the start of the book, puts on even more weight, in order to gain the attention of her mother, but then, as a happy resolution, she loses 100 pounds. And both girls, according to the grandfather figure, are on their way to becoming pretty, an all important quality. The death of the grandfather figure brings about the resolution of Al's relationship with her father, acceptance of neglect, but it brings her mother closer. And, in all honesty, I am not sure how I feel about all of this. The semi-happy ending is realistic enough to be believable, but, as a person who struggles with weight control, I think the easy loss of 100 pounds is a bit TOO easy. And I wish there had been some goal other than being pretty.
The interest in building bookshelves was a bit too obvious as a plot device, although I remember being in exactly the same position when I was in junior high. My homeroom was in the shop and I wanted to take shop, rather than cooking and sewing, but it wasn't allowed. The girls had to learn to cook and sew ugly box-pleated skirts, while the boys learned to make bird-houses and lamps.
I still think the book is worthwhile enough for current upper elementary kids, but a discussion of the differences between now and then is probably warranted.
howifeelaboutbooks's review
3.0
I loved this book when I was younger; I thought it was really unique compared to most of the preteen novels out there. There is no fighting for popularity, the focus is not on getting boys to like you. When Al moves into her building, the main character (who is never named) at first thinks Al is too chubby to be friends with - but body image isn't the focus of the book, either. Al's weight is hardly mentioned, and she and the main character become best friends who spend a lot of time with the elderly superintendent of their building. I was pleased that this book was just as unique when I re-read it as an adult, as I had remembered from childhood.
mrskatiefitz's review
4.0
A Girl Called Al is the story of two tween girls, Alexandra, called Al, and her new friend, the unnamed narrator, who lives down the hall from her in their apartment building. In many ways, the two girls are quite different. Al has lived in many different places and has a single mom whom she claims not to love as much as her absentee father. Her friend has a more traditional family life - mom, dad, and younger brother - and a more traditional outlook on life in general than noncomfortist Al, who wishes to take wood shop instead of sewing and doesn't seem to care what other people think about her. The two girls spend a lot of time together, as well as with their building superintendent, who serves as a surrogate grandfather for both of them and helps them build a bookshelf.
I totally missed this series as a kid. I knew the books existed, and frequently saw them on library shelves, but I just never felt drawn to them. As an adult, though, I am intrigued by both the text, with its quirky characters, and the illustrations which, to my surprise, were drawn by Byron Barton of picture book fame. (Except for the cover. That's by JoAnne Scribner, who also did covers for the Ramona books.) I like the way the illustrations reflect Al's unique look and personality, and how they perfectly suit the sometimes-funny, sometimes-poignant tone of the story. The pictures are a bit unusual-looking, but that only makes sense for a book about an offbeat heroine.
The story itself is funny at certain points and poignant at others. There isn't necessarily a very strong story arc, but just spending time with these girls and seeing how their friendship impacts their lives is enough to sustain readers' interest for 130 pages. I also appreciate that although Al is an unusual character, the author doesn't spend the whole book calling attention to her strangeness. Unlike something like Stargirl, which beats readers over the head with its protagonist's noncomformity, this book just lets it unfold in Al's actions and allows the reader to draw her own conclusions based on the narrator's descriptions. I was reminded a little bit of Me and Fat Glenda as I was reading, possibly because Al is described several times as "a little on the fat side," but Al is less of a dubious friend than Glenda and she is more likable overall. A Girl Called Al also seems to be largely free of the bullying and mean girl tropes that often infiltrate books of this type. There is a little bit of taunting, but it is mostly peripheral to the main story.
There are six Al books in all, and I plan to read as many of the rest as I can. They have a nostalgic charm about them that I really enjoy, and I'm curious to see how Al changes as she continues to grow up.
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
I totally missed this series as a kid. I knew the books existed, and frequently saw them on library shelves, but I just never felt drawn to them. As an adult, though, I am intrigued by both the text, with its quirky characters, and the illustrations which, to my surprise, were drawn by Byron Barton of picture book fame. (Except for the cover. That's by JoAnne Scribner, who also did covers for the Ramona books.) I like the way the illustrations reflect Al's unique look and personality, and how they perfectly suit the sometimes-funny, sometimes-poignant tone of the story. The pictures are a bit unusual-looking, but that only makes sense for a book about an offbeat heroine.
The story itself is funny at certain points and poignant at others. There isn't necessarily a very strong story arc, but just spending time with these girls and seeing how their friendship impacts their lives is enough to sustain readers' interest for 130 pages. I also appreciate that although Al is an unusual character, the author doesn't spend the whole book calling attention to her strangeness. Unlike something like Stargirl, which beats readers over the head with its protagonist's noncomformity, this book just lets it unfold in Al's actions and allows the reader to draw her own conclusions based on the narrator's descriptions. I was reminded a little bit of Me and Fat Glenda as I was reading, possibly because Al is described several times as "a little on the fat side," but Al is less of a dubious friend than Glenda and she is more likable overall. A Girl Called Al also seems to be largely free of the bullying and mean girl tropes that often infiltrate books of this type. There is a little bit of taunting, but it is mostly peripheral to the main story.
There are six Al books in all, and I plan to read as many of the rest as I can. They have a nostalgic charm about them that I really enjoy, and I'm curious to see how Al changes as she continues to grow up.
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
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