Being invisible to anyone who might make your life miserable, or even uncomfortable, is the goal of many junior high students. Nothing could be worse than saying the wrong thing, and opening up yourself to humiliation. So, you don't say anything at all. You don't want to attract the negative attention of your teachers, so you do your best to pass your classes. On the other hand, you don't want to be considered a geek by fellow students, so you certainly can't do really well in your classes. You must wear the same kind of clothes as everyone else, like the same music, watch the same TV shows, and generally do your best to fly under the radar.
Such is the goal of Hamlet Kennedy. Her higest wish is to have a good, normal 8th grade year. She never could have imagined how difficult that would prove to be. It was bad enough that she has the strangest family anywhere, but now it appears that her genius 7 year-old sister will be attending her school to take some fine arts classes. Can life get any worse? An appearance in Renaissance garb by her Shakespeare-loving parents, a befriending of her little sister by her two worst enemies, and a secret admirer who keeps putting origami pigs in her locker say yes!
A fun, light-hearted story, The Total Tragedy of a Girl named Hamlet, hits the nail on the head when describing the troubles and anxiety of an 8th-grade girl. On the 2011 Texas Lones Star list, and available in the library.
~reviewed by Mrs. Sams
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