The Big Pink

In this British novel, Angela has several strikes against her when she enters an exclusive girls' school: her aunt is the owner and headmistress, so Angela is getting a free ride; she is self-conscious about her religious upbringing; she has a North Country accent; and, she is quite overweight. Aunt Pat is strict and wants her school to project a certain polished image, so she is impatient with Angela's shortcomings. The other girls find her an easy target for their amusement and mean jokeslike calling her the ``Big Pink'' after the largest dorm. In her determination not to let them best her, Angela wins self-esteem and is happy by the end of term, but even heavier than before. Pilling's book dares to break the mold of certain social predispositions: Angela's nemesis, Sheila, begins to lose her powerbase with the other girls from the outset, and, although it is anticipated, her eventual downfall is very real; Angela proves that she is no fat doormat. A gossipy, chatty atmosphere pervades this thoughtful boarding-school drama, with the addition of some well-placed surprises. Ages 8-12. (May)