The Mean Girl Meltdown

July 1, 2015
Grades 2-5 Fourth-grader Sylvie is excited to join the ice hockey team, but she's dismayed to learn that fifth-grader Jamie, who humiliated her during their baseball championship the previous summer, is also on the team. When someone starts pulling pranks on Sylvie, she's convinced it's Jamie, and she vows to get revenge. But when a third-grade boy on her team eventually owns up, Sylvie has a wake-up call: just like Jamie, she's been grade-ist, and she vows to change her ways, even if it means she doesn't deserve to be on the team. Soon, however, Jamie asks her to come back since the team needs her to win their big game. The action in this sports-themed chapter book moves quickly, and Sylvie shows admirable growth in her interactions with others. It's also refreshing to see a girl-centered story featuring a coed hockey team. With black-and-white spot illustrations revealing a diverse cast of characters, this follow-up to Eyre's Best Friend Battle (2014) offers a tidy lesson about jumping to conclusions and the importance of treating others with respect.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)