How Do You Spell G-E-E-K?

September 2, 1996
Conflicts multiply as three eighth-grade classmates vie to make it to the Colorado state spelling bee. Will the winner be Kimberly with the pushy parents and brilliant spelling ability? Or Ann, whose secure world has been shaken by her parents' rancorous divorce? Or Lurlene, the miserably out-of-place, home-schooled student from South Dakota who wears braids and knee socks? Actually, this is just the scaffolding of this minor but solid book, whose interior plot has far more to do with trying to spell out feelings than spelling words. Peters (The Stinky Sneakers Contest) skillfully interweaves the competition with a story of friendship and shifting alliances. Ann, asked to show Lurlene around, first tries to think of ways to escape the odd, clumsy new girl. But when everyone ridicules Lurlene as a "geek," Ann realizes not only who her own real friends are, but that she can be a better person than she imagined. Believable dialogue testifies to the casual cruelty and stumbling kindnesses of middle-schoolers, as well as their saving humor. Ages 8-12.

October 1, 1996
Gr 4-8-A clever title, snappy dialogue, and common middle-school problems make this an appealing read. Two eighth-grade best friends have been competing for years in school, county, and state spelling bees. Their dream: to compete together in the National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. Despite eating lunch in the school cafeteria daily with their dictionaries open and quizzing each other nightly, the two haven't quite been labeled full-fledged nerds by their peers. A new girl, however, has. Ann, the narrator, is assigned to show the newcomer around. She ends up not only befriending the misfit, but also "de-geeks" her and discovers in her a potential champion speller. Of course, the thorny problem of a threesome now thickens the plot. Although Peters paints her characters in broad strokes, she manages to skirt creating stock stereotypes by introducing compassion and wit into their personalities. The thoughts and attitudes of the narrator are especially well developed. There's a proper sprinkling of current slang and references to move the story along. A breezy, satisfying read with a not-so-subtle message about fitting in, acceptance, and friendship.-Harriett Fargnoli, Great Neck Library, NY

September 15, 1996
Gr. 4^-7. Best friends Ann and Kimberly are spending every spare moment of eighth grade drilling each other in preparation for the county spelling bee--both hoping to qualify for state competition. Then Ann is asked to befriend geeky new student Lurlene, who turns out to be a dynamite speller. As Ann gets to know and like Lurlene, Kim feels threatened, and Ann must juggle her loyalties. She undertakes the "de-geeking" of Lurlene, and is dismayed to lose Kim's friendship altogether. Ann's dry humor in dealing with her own feelings and the conflict between her two friends makes an enjoyable, realistic story. The suspense builds until all three girls end up together at the state contest. This is a funny, wonderfully written tale about friendship and competition, with secondary messages about parents and families dealing with divorce. ((Reviewed Sept. 15, 1996))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1996, American Library Association.)