Gracie's Girl

by Ellen Wittlinger

Book Overview

YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT -- OR WHO -- WILL TOUCH YOUR HEART. Now that Bess Cunningham is in middle school, she's determined to get noticed. With her new glasses, her wild thrift-store clothes, and her job as stage manager for the school play, she's sure her days of being invisible are over. Being forced to volunteer with her parents at the local soup kitchen doesn't exactly fit into Bess's popularity plans, especially since she finds the place so creepy...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0689849605
• ISBN13: 9780689849602
• Release Date: April 2002
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
• Length: 186 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.6" x 7.3"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

A Sad and Happy Book

This book was an awesome book. The characters of this book are: THE FAMILY Bess Cunningham -A caring girl who wants to look different for middle school. Mom - Bess' caring mother who works at a homeless shelter. Dad - Bess' father who also works at the homeless shelter by cooking the food. Willy Cunningham -Bess' annoying brother who help Bess to help a poor old lady. THE FRIENDS Ethan Reilly - Bess' friend who likes to play monopoly and who likes to help at the shelter. Jannette - A girl whose mother is making her do a lot of activities. Gracie Jarvis Battle - A lady who has to sleep on the sidewalk and becomes friends with Bess. (aka the poor old lady) THE PLOT Bess works at a shelter with her mom. She meets this old homeless lady who goes to the shelter every day and becomes friends with her. Pretty soon the old lady has a small house. What will happen to the lady? Will she die? Will she live? Most importantly what does Bess learn? Does she become more mature? Does she meet new friends? To find out more about what happens you'll have to read it. I would recommend this book to 10 year olds and up. Olivia age 11

Girls

Gracie's Girl is a heart warming story about a girl named Bess and an elderly woman named Gracie. Bess is in the sixth grade and is very different from every one else. When she was in 5th grade she wanted to be popular, but that didn't happen. She works at the soup kitchen, and is a school stage manager. When she starts getting close to Gracie, Gracie starts calling Bess Gracie's girl, but then something bad happens. If you want to know what happens, well then you'll just have to read the story for yourself. I recommend this book to people the age of 7 and up. Don't forget to stop by the book store today!!

Wonderful! :)

While reading this book,i started to cry. The prosperity of Bess is amazing. She is such a great,young girl who just wants to help one another. The way she endures the pain for Gracie,is incredible. At one point even though she thought she killed Grace,she was still doing the right thing. This book really did change my life,because it is so realistic. Plus,it can relate to me. Its taught me that helping others will really make a big effect on my life,and how i see things and people around me. And,in the end when she doesnt have Jake's attention,it really showed her up,strong side of security,for herself. Because,she didnt care what people said about her whenever she helped around in the homeless shelter. For doing the right thing,she still didnt get Jake's nice words,but really,in the end,she was the star. For all the hard,kind work she did for Gracie,it really did pay off in the end. I recommend it to anyone who hasnt read it yet.

AWESOME

Sixth grade is about to begin, and Bess Cunningham is gearing up to be cool. With a bunch of wild new outfits and an important job in the school play, Bess is convinced she'll get a lot of attention--at least more than she gets from her overbooked parents. With a lawyer dad and a teacher mom, both of whom are passionate about volunteering for a soup kitchen, Bess sometimes feels like she would have to eat out of a Dumpster before they'd notice her. But when she meets an elderly woman named Gracie who actually does eat other people's discarded food, she begins to realize there are real human faces on the scruffy people her parents serve at the soup kitchen. Soon she and her best friend, Ethan, are deeply entrenched in Gracie's life, and in helping establish a shelter for homeless women. Bess is amazed to discover that even without her crazy wardrobe, she has managed to make new friends and make a difference.

Gracie's Girl

Bess is preparing to go to middle school and she wants to be popular. In her effort to be "popular" she tries wearing outragous clothes and particpating in the school play. Bess's parents are very involved in volunteering at a homeless shelter. At first she resists assisting her parents, but eventually becomes more involved and committed to procurring a building for homeless women. Bess also befriends a homeless woman and learns to empathize with her plight. In the end Bess does get noticed; however, now popularity is not her primary goal. This book is realistic and does an excellent job of protraying adolescents. Gracie's Girl was a fast reading book that should appeal to adolescents. It also shows that pre-teens and teens CAN make a difference and help others.