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marty mcguire

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marty mcguire
by Kate Messner, illustrated by Brian Floca
Scholastic, 2011. 131 pgs. Intermediate

Marty McGuire has high hopes for third grade but she is disappointed. Veronica Grace Smithers has stolden Marty's best friend Annie, and has also taken over recess where everyone has to do dress-ups. Marty would rather be with the boys catching frogs. To make matters far worse, Marty is picked as the Frog Princess in the third grade school play. The frog part is ok, but the princess part--yecchh. How Marty makes the princess part her own, comes up with a better-than-boffo ending to the class play, resumes her friendship with Annie, and even goes frog-hunting in a tiara, as a nod to Veronica Grace, is the substance of this charming tale. Kate Messner has done her usual fine job of creating an engaging story where Marty can pursue her Jane-Goodall-like pleasures, Veronica Grace can channel her inner Princess Katherine, and Annie can like to do whatever she wants. Why not?
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