cover image Valentine Frankenstein

Valentine Frankenstein

Maggie Twohill. Bradbury Press, $13.95 (135pp) ISBN 978-0-02-789692-3

Amanda is Walter's only friend, and she can't understand why. He's nice, smart--so what if his laugh sounds more like a snort? That seems insufficient reason for the other fifth-graders to ridicule him. His low self-esteem and extreme shyness underscore the problem that, with Valentine's Day approaching, Amanda decides to rectify. She stuffs the class mailbox with valentines for Walter, all signed anonymously. The results are amazing: Walter's persona changes instantly and his classmates all start to like him. At first Amanda is thrilled, until her friend becomes too busy for her. Has she created some sort of Frankenstein? Twohill ( Bigmouth ) explores the vagaries of popularity, the anguish of those wishing to achieve it and the wonders rendered by bolstering confidence. Though the premise is a bit far-fetched (that Walter could go from laughingstock to junior BMOC in the course of a few days), Amanda cuts a spirited, thoroughly human figure. Ages 8-11. (Jan.)