Sticks and Stones

Polacco (Holes in the Sky), again writing autobiographically about her youth, pays homage to a schoolmate named Thom, a gawky white boy who sports horn-rimmed glasses. After Trisha arrives at her new school in Michigan with a pink face rash, her summer pals abandon her for other friends. Thom sees her to art class, where she meets Ravanne, a girl who’s interested in textile design. Then the school bully, Billy, interrupts: “Well, looky here, Sissy boy! And who’s the cootie with him?” Billy never misses an opportunity to take a jab at Thom, and Trisha finds her voice defending him: “At least he isn’t an overstuffed bully like you!” Thom, for his part, shows remarkable poise; when he receives only two valentines in the class valentine exchange, he grins: “What?... No valentine from Billy?” Where does Thom disappear on weekday afternoons? The school talent show reveals his secret: he’s a ballet dancer, and he’s marvelously talented. Polacco’s pencil and wash drawings capture the full range of expressions on the children’s faces, from laughter to outrage to wonder. With chapter book–level depth, she follows a supportive trio of friends to a gratifying conclusion. Ages 4–8. [em](Oct.) [/em]