Deenie

Like many woman my age who were avid readers as a child, I so enjoyed Judy Blume books but one that really connects with me now and that I read in April is Deenie. It is about a girl who finds out she has scoliosis and must wear a brace. My daughter too has scholiosis and this past January she began to wear a brace. The character Deenie though has a mother who is determined to have her become a model even though Deenie herself has no interest in becoming a model. In the midst of all this, Deenie discovers she has scholiosis and unfortunately her mother decides there is no way she can model. The mother gives each of her daughters labels and they must live up to them. Deenie is the pretty one while her sister is the smart one. Deenie really struggles with having to wear the intrusive brace which unlike braces of today, weren't not hidden underneath clothes and also had a part that came up around her neck. This book has a happy ending. Her friends really come through for her and she is able to accept her scholiosis and wearing her brace.

cover picture from Amazon.

This was a great book I read over the summer. I do like historical fiction so I am biased towards this book. It is about a girl living in Little Rock during the time of school segration but now the first black students are being admitted to the school. What makes this book feel real is that her parents don't agree on whether African American students should come to the white schools. The parents disagree and argue about it even as both work in the public schools.  The character in the story goes on to befriend a girl who happens to be black although she is passing herself off as white to attend their school. Marlee, the main character struggles socially but manages to become good friends with this new girl. There are a lot of issues going on in this book, racial issues, social anxiety and sibling rivalry which also makes this is intriguing book.