It Always Happens to Leona - Hardcover

Grade 3-6-- It's tough being in the middle, as eight-year-old Leona knows. With a hip older sister and a younger brother who reminds people of a teddy bear, Leona is having a hard time being noticed, even when she jumps off the high diving board and gets stuck on the roof while rescuing her favorite purple purse. But when Uncle Rosco turns up for a family get-together, Leona thinks her day may finally have arrived. He knows stories about the naughty things her mother did as a child, doesn't mind if she shares his coffee, and takes her for a spin on his motorcycle. What she discovers, however, after a frightening tumble into Lake Michigan, is that she is loved after all and her parents are sympathetic to her feelings when she shares them. Leona is a feisty sort, and her constant involvement in messes, sometimes intentional, sometimes innocent, keeps the story moving at a fast pace, although the potential danger of some of her antics is unsettling. There is enough detail about the supporting characters for readers to know them, especially the easy-going, humorous Rosco. Leona's discussion with her parents at the conclusion gets across clearly, without belaboring the point, that people need to share their feelings and to understand that everything in life is not always equal. The simple illustrations and the "Annie"-look McCully gives Leona match well with the breezy style of the writing. A story even "non-middles" should enjoy.
- Joanne Aswell, Long Valley Middle School, NJ
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

In a brisk and successful change of pace from her two Jamaica picture books, Havill has produced a bittersweet family story just right for readers growing out of chapter books and into middle-grade novels. Leona is a middle child who feels lonesome and left out in her busy family. All the attention seems to be focused on the eldest, Victoria (who gets to do everything first), and on troublesome toddler Albert (who is always cuddled and forgiven). Leona longs to excel in something and plans to run away to Tulsa and her free-spirited Uncle Rosco. It takes a family reunion to remind Leona (and her parents) that every middle child needs to find a place within the family. This is warm and satisfying fare, complemented by McCully's gentle illustrations. Ages 7-9.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.