Gr 5-7
When Gretchen, 12, returns to school from Christmas vacation, everyone is impressed with her new look: weight loss, haircut, new clothes. She still feels like ``Hippo Hubbard,'' the fattest girl in class, but starts to change her mental image when Tim, a 15-year-old cast member of a movie being filmed in town, seems to like her. By accepting a dare to date Tim, she finds herself juggling social pressures with her parents' possible divorce, the rigorous demands of a class newspaper assignment, and the trials of learning to accept herself for who she is, not for what she was. This latest series entry realistically explores the changes that come from weight loss. Cooper keeps the pace flowing smoothly while accurately mirroring the turbulent moods and actions of adolescents. The characters are as convincing as the well-structured story line in this offering that will appeal not only to fans of the previous books but also to those looking for a genuine slice-of-life school novel.