Sassy #1: Little Sister Is Not My Name - Softcover

Sharon Draper is the acclaimed author of many books for teens, including the NEW YORK TIMES bestsellers WE BEAT THE STREET and COPPER SUN, the 2007 Coretta Scott King Award winner. Additional works include FORGED BY FIRE, TEARS OF A TIGER, and THE BATTLE OF JERICHO, all Coretta Scott King Honor Books. Sharon is also the author of the middle-grade Sassy series, including LITTLE SISTER IS NOT MY NAME, THE BIRTHDAY STORM, THE SILVER SECRET, and THE DAZZLE DISASTER DINNER PARTY. A highly respected educator and speaker, Sharon was the 1997 National Teacher of the Year.

Grade 2–4—Nine-year-old Sassy usually is the one who gets stuck with the last piece of chicken or the last choice of jelly beans in the bowl because she is the youngest and smallest member of the Sanford clan. Her stature has earned her the nickname Little Sister, much to her chagrin. Sassy feels there's a special sparkly part hiding deep within her; it just needs some help to shine through. At times the story seems a little too pat and clichéd. It's what's inside that counts, Grammy tells the child. The chapter book is short on plot and conflict, but is full of strong, believable characters. Draper is at her best when describing people. "Daddy says I have a Krispy Kreme face, warm and sweet, but who wants to look like a doughnut?" Readers will get a kick out of some of the vignettes as when Sassy's classmate gets his head stuck between the rungs of a chair or when her brother's bladder is about to burst on the elevator. A likable enough story, but not an essential purchase.—Beth Cuddy, Seward Elementary School, Auburn, NY
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