One Thing I'm Good At

October 4, 1999
Julie Dorinsky believes she is "a dumb kid who couldn't do anything right." In fact, little seems to be going right for this fourth-grader. A shaky speller and slow reader, she's afraid to show her parents her stack of "poor work" school papers and she is losing her best friend to the class snob. Things are equally rocky on the home front. Julie's father is recovering from a heart attack, so her mother has taken a secretarial job and often seems "tired or upset or busy." Once Julie's confidante, her older sister, Alexia, is now dismissive and condescending ("You are so stupid!... You can't even take a phone message!" she screams when Julie takes down a caller's name and number incorrectly). At times, the girl's ineptitude is overblown, and most readers will quickly pick up on the ways Julie positively influences her bright and likable four-year-old brother. She patiently teaches him to write his name, make a kite and dial 911. When their father passes out and the boy phones in a life-saving call for help, it becomes clear to everyone--especially Julie--that the one thing she is good at is teaching. Williams (Galimoto) delivers an encouraging message for any middle-grader short on confidence and self-esteem. Ages 8-up.

December 1, 1999
Gr 3-5-Fourth-grader Julie thinks of herself as a real loser. She has trouble reading and she can't spell. She has "poor work" papers that need a parent's signature, but she doesn't want to upset her father, who has recently had a heart attack. She finds herself leading a life of lies, pretending that she's capable of reading difficult books, saying that she has finished her homework, and telling her sister that their father has already seen the test she failed. Then her teacher assigns an essay on "One Thing I'm Good At." Julie is discouraged, believing there is nothing she excels in, but when her father passes out, her four-year-old brother credits Julie with having previously taught him to call 911. She begins to feel better about herself, knowing that what she did helped to save her father's life. Williams has created a cast of realistic characters that includes a crabby teenager, a frustrated substitute, and a teacher's pet. A satisfying story with an important message about self-image.-Anne Knickerbocker, Cedar Brook Elementary School, Houston, TX

Copyright 1999 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 1999
Gr. 3^-5. This thoughtful, sensitive novel may help children who are convinced they're unintelligent and useless. Julie thinks she's a loser. Schoolwork is hard, her best friend is hanging with the gifted kids, her older sister bosses her, and even her four-year-old brother seems smarter than she is. To make matters worse, Julie is worried about her father's health. The one highlight in her life is shooting marbles on the playground. Kids crowd around so she can teach them. Marlene the Brain wants to learn; Julie thinks Marlene just wants to make fun of her, but it's Marlene who eventually helps Julie overcome some of her self-loathing. The terrific conclusion resonates hope: Julie's little brother is able to get help when Dad has a heart attack only because Julie has taken the time to teach him to dial 911. ((Reviewed October 15, 1999))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1999, American Library Association.)