| Description
• Vintage Middle Grade Fiction
Veronica has alienated her best friend Robin, who was understanding and gave good advice. Now Veronica has no one to turn to for sympathy and support when her divorced father brings a new woman into his life. Maybe Veronica can take her frustrations out on an easy target: a girl named Gretchen.
| My Thoughts
On I go through this long-lost series I’m revisiting after first reading the books as a kid.
Interest and Nostalgia
I like how each story comes from a different Kennedy Middle Schooler’s perspective. It was interesting—somewhat trying, but interesting—to read this story about the series’ villain, if you will. Sometimes I wanted to jump in the book and tell her off, while other times I wanted to sneak in and give her much-needed advice.
My most nostalgic moments in this one were probably at the mentions of Veronica’s Walkman (for her cassette tapes, no less!) and the author Judy Blume, whom a lot of kids in this book (along with real-life ’90s kids!) have read.
A Spark of Hope
In keeping with the previous novels in the series, this one doesn’t come with a bunch of easy answers for the characters’ problems. And like the novel before it, the ending of this one is bittersweet.
Actually, it’s a tougher ending, but with a spark of hope right at the close. An ending to give readers something important to think about.
Concerning Gretchen
On a different note, it’s also interesting to see how Gretchen, a key supporting character so far, has been gradually changing as the series goes along. And not just changing on the outside. Good writing on the author’s part, so that when Gretchen is featured as the heroine in the next book, it won’t be like she’s suddenly a different girl, out of nowhere.
Because Book Four, Gretchen’s story, is the one I partially remembered—enough that another reader could help me track down the Kennedy Middle School novels after all these years—I’ve especially looked forward to revisiting that last book of the series.
The New, Improved Gretchen Hubbard
by
Ilene Cooper
| Description
• Vintage Middle Grade Fiction
At school, twelve-year-old Gretchen has been known as “Hippo Hubbard” for years. But now she’s got a slimmed-down figure (with mature curves), new clothes, and a jazzy haircut. Whenever she sneaks and puts on makeup these days, she can pass for at least fourteen years old. However, when her new look garners admiration from her classmates and an invitation for a date with a teenaged boy, Gretchen finds she isn’t prepared for so much attention. She almost wishes she were overweight again.
| My Thoughts
I had only read this book once, back when I was a kid. Forgot the title, the author, the series name, and most of what happened in the series.
But after all these years, I still remembered the cover art from Book Four here, and a few bits about the story. With that info, another reader helped me to finally track down this novel and the series it comes from. I’ll repeat how amazing memory can be—even when it’s in bits and pieces!
An Emotional Mix
This story really conveys the mix of emotions one can experience after making oneself over and facing how that impacts one’s life, practically and socially. Gretchen finds much to consider regarding the person she was, is, and may be becoming, inside and out.
An “Ugly” Duckling?
Now, it isn’t as if, back in my childhood and adolescence, I read all the middle grade and young adult books with body image themes. But I’ve seen an angle of the issue in some books from that ’80s-’90s era, when plus-sized girl characters lose weight. The “ugly duckling becoming a beautiful swan” trope, if you will.
While there’s nothing wrong with someone looking to lose excess pounds, a part of me wishes I could’ve told Gretchen at some point, “I see that you’re working to form healthier eating habits and to get more exercise. That’s wonderful! At the same time, losing weight won’t make you ‘become’ pretty, as if you aren’t already. A person can be great on the inside and beautiful on the outside whether they’re thin or not.”
Body positivity surrounding one’s natural size, whatever that size may be for the individual, isn’t exactly the message that runs through Gretchen’s journey in this series.
A Series for Thinking Readers
Speaking of messages, though, this isn’t a series that preaches messages anyway. In keeping with the previous books about these Kennedy Middle School kids, Gretchen’s story brings up serious questions and leaves readers room to ponder them and hopefully come up with some answers of their own.
The story’s ending doesn’t tie everything up with a perfect bow. But you do get the sense that Gretchen (and other characters from the series) will keep on growing and figuring stuff out, and that all things considered, they’ll be all right.
And, there you have it. I sure have enjoyed revisiting this bunch of long-lost middle grade novels!
Here are my thoughts on the previous two books in The Kids from Kennedy Middle School series.
Prismatic Prospects 