Raymie Nightingale

My sister Molly recommended Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo and its companion books. This book is about Raymie, whose father left home with a dental hygienist. Raymie believes that if she can win the Little Miss Central Florida Tire competition, maybe her father will come home, so she begins baton twirling lessons and meets Louisiana Elfante and Beverly Tapinski. The book jacket reads, "But as the competition approaches, loneliness, loss, and unanswerable questions draw the three girls together--and challenge each of them to come to the rescue in unexpected ways."

This was such a great read! It drew me in right from the beginning, and I was just amazed by the skills of Kate DiCamillo in developing detailed, distinct characters who I could imagine just perfectly. I just loved her descriptions and kept cracking up at the uniqueness of these personalities she created. It was a lovely, engaging read. It does have some more mature life experiences in there (a girl who is abused, a girl who doesn't have enough to eat), so I'll probably wait a year or so before having my 9-year-old read the series to make sure she's old enough to get it.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)