cover image The Hair of Zoe Fleefenbacher Goes to School

The Hair of Zoe Fleefenbacher Goes to School

Laurie Halse Anderson, , illus. by Ard Hoyt. . S&S, $16.99 (32pp) ISBN 978-0-689-85809-3

Rapunzel has nothing on young Zoe, whose flowing red tresses are not only her crowning glory but can also “turn on the TV, pour a glass of juice, pet the cat, and play on the computer—all at the same time.” But while Zoe's kindergarten teacher embraced the fact that the hair had a life all its own (“at nap time, the hair was a comfort”), first grade brings the stern Ms. Trisk, who is decidedly unamused. Anderson (Independent Dames ) and Hoyt (Utterly Otterly Day ) are comically sympathetic to the ways in which an unfortunate class placement can turn a school-age child's world upside down. But not to worry—by story's end, everyone's having a good hair day. Ages 6–10. (June)