
Reach for this book when your child is processing a sudden family fracture, such as a father leaving or a divorce, and is struggling with a sense of powerlessness. Set in 1975, the story follows Raymie Clarke, who devises a plan to win a pageant to get her father to notice her and come home. Along the way, she forms a deep bond with two other girls, each carrying her own quiet burden. This is a masterful exploration of how children navigate adult abandonment through friendship and internal resilience. It offers a gentle, secular space to discuss sadness and the reality that while we cannot control others, we can find strength in those who walk beside us. Best for ages 8 to 12, it provides profound comfort without offering easy or unrealistic solutions.
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Sign in to write a reviewThe book deals directly and secularly with parental abandonment, neglect, and poverty. The approach is realistic and emotionally honest. The resolution is hopeful but grounded: Raymie's father does not return, but she finds she no longer needs him to define her world.
A 10-year-old girl who feels like the world is shifting under her feet, perhaps due to a family breakup, and who possesses a sensitive, observant nature.
Read cold. Parents should be prepared for the depiction of the 'Golden Rule' nursing home, which is a bit grim and might spark questions about aging and loneliness. A parent might notice their child becoming unusually stoic or 'perfect' in an attempt to fix a family problem, or hear their child ask if something they did caused a parent to leave.
Younger readers (8-9) will focus on the humor of the girls' antics and the baton lessons. Older readers (11-12) will resonate with the existential questions about why people leave and the realization that adults are flawed.
Unlike many 'problem novels,' DiCamillo uses a whimsical, almost fable-like tone to address devastating childhood realities, making the heavy themes feel accessible rather than overwhelming.
Raymie Clarke enters a baton-twirling competition in 1975 Florida with the hope that winning will convince her father, who recently ran off with a dental hygienist, to return home. At her lessons, she meets the flamboyant Beverly Tapinski, who wants to sabotage the pageant, and the eccentric Louisiana Elefante, who lives in poverty with her grandmother. The three girls, dubbed the Three Rancheros, embark on a series of small but emotionally significant quests, including a mission to a nursing home and a rescue at an animal shelter, ultimately realizing that their friendship is the real prize.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.