MARVELOUS MIDDLE GRADE MONDAY
So Totally Emily
Ebers
By Lisa Yee
“So Totally Emily
Ebers,” by Lisa Yee, is the third in the her middle grade trilogy which
began with “Millicent Min Girl Genius,”
and continued with “Stanford Wong Flunks
Big Time.” I thoroughly enjoyed “Millicent
Min.” It was a clever, heartfelt story about a middle grade genius who just
wants to fit in, be normal, have friends, but hasn’t a clue how to go about it
without subterfuge. Then the story continues told through “Stanford Wong’s
point of view.
I don’t generally look for books with a boy’s perspective,
but I was curious to see how Lisa Yee would keep the same story moving through
the three main characters’ stories. In “Stanford
Wong,” we see a sensitive seventh grader whose gift is playing baskeball.
Unfortunately for Stanford (named for his future University), he doesn’t apply
himself to his studies like his sister Sarah did. As Stanford describes
himself: Loving Son,
Great Basketball Player, Rotten Student. He’s forced to take English in summer
school and Millicent Min is his tutor.
Emily Ebers is Millicent’s new and only
friend. Millie met Emily through enforced membership in the volleyball league. She
doesn’t want Emily to find out she’s a genius. Stanford, who is deep “in like”
with Emily, doesn’t want her to know he’s failed English. Both of them have
good reasons for lying to Emily. However, she’s been lied to by her parents, so
when she finds out her new boyfriend and new best friend have lied to her,
their scheme blows up. There are touching family relationship complications as
well.
Lisa Yee has succeeded in bringing all three
characters to life through their personal stories, pain, and relationships. She’s
given us endearing characters, believeable conflicts, new teen angst and love, plus
plots and subplots, lots of humor, and a satisfactory ending—repeated three
times. I highly recommend this middle grade trilogy.
More information on Lisa Yee at: http://www.lisayee.com
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