Marrying Malcolm Murgatroyd

Sixth-grader Hannah always sticks up for geeky Malcolm because he's her younger brother's best friend and because, unbeknownst to her classmates, she grew up with him. Concerned with her image amongst the popular crowd, Hannah makes some mistakes in judgment, grows from them and finally realizes who her true friends are when tragedy strikes her family in the form of muscular dystrophy. Alyssa Bresnahan's youthful energy wonderfully captures preteen mood swings with a full palette of emotions: embarrassment, bravado, nervousness, anger, joy. Especially good at dialogue, Bresnahan does a fine job varying her voice from character to character --sympathetic yet stern parents, exuberant children, hopeful Ian, nerdy Malcolm and oft-confused Hannah. Author Farrell's empathetic grasp of preteen concerns and of a family's struggle with muscular dystrophy results in a realistic, coming-of-age story that is funny, moving and a touch sad. J.H.B. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

October 2, 1995
A major credibility problem hobbles this first novel before it can get off the ground. Hannah cherishes her standing with the so-called Popular Kids above all else, to the point where she has almost a double life. At school, she is as cool as everyone else, shunning geeky Malcolm Murgatroyd. But at home she socializes with Malcolm regularly, because his parents and her parents are the best of friends. When Hannah has to assemble a scrapbook for a class project, she realizes that all her family photos show Malcolm, too-her deep, dark secret is about to be revealed. It's easy to imagine a 12-year-old desperately concerned with fitting in, but when Hannah's otherwise sensible parents permit her to carry on her pretense, the stretch becomes impossible. Add to the equation a younger brother afflicted with muscular dystrophy (Malcolm, by the way, is his only friend), and Hannah's preoccupations seem even less earth-shattering. Ages 10-up.