Love, From the Fifth Grade Celebrity

Casey, Tracy & Company #6

by Patricia Reilly Giff, Valentine Casey, Leslie H. Morrill (Illustrator)

Casey Valentine can't wait for the new school year to begin. She's sure she will be elected president for the second year in a row. And the best news is that her good friend Tracy Matson is moving to Casey's town. They'll be in fifth grade together!



But the election doesn't turn out as Casey had planned. What's worse is that Tracy is stealing Casey's friends and embarrassing her by telling everyone about the dumb things Casey did when she visited Tracy in High Flats during the summer. Casey begins to wish Tracy had never moved to town. Can this friendship be saved?

Genres: Middle Grade, Childrens

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Patricia Reilly Giff was the author of many beloved books for children, including the Kids of the Polk Street School books, the Friends and Amigos books, and the Polka Dot Private Eye books. Several of her novels for older readers have been chosen as ALA-ALSC Notable Books and ALA-YALSA Best Books for Young Adults. They include The Gift of the Pirate Queen; All the Way Home; Water Street; Nory Ryan's Song, a Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Golden Kite Honor Book for Fiction; and the Newbery Honor Books Lily's Crossing and Pictures of Hollis Woods. Lily's Crossing was also chosen as a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book.

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars -- This installment has been my favorite so far of the Casey, Tracy, and Company series. The story teaches an important lesson - how to adjust to major change in your life - in a couple of ways. Other lessons are taught in this too, like the Golden Rule (Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.) and the saying "Things are never as bad as they seem." As usual, the kids have their own hijinx (the George Washington skit is noteworthy). Also, both Casey and Walter act like jerks, but they grow up during the story as well - in believable, relatable ways. Despite only being 118 pages, the novel tells a complete, satisfying story.

[Sarah Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another trip down memory lane, was given this in 1992 by my school teacher. Very quick read, dealing with changes in friendships, family etc. Not worth racing to read. A bit clunky in literature style (is American, so for me didn't personally enjoy it as much as Ginnie).