Yeardley Smith

PLOT SUMMARY: Lorelei Connelly is 11 years old and in 6th grade. She lives in Washington, DC with her parents and two brothers. This is the story of what happens to her over the course of just 3 months, following the death of her beloved cat, Mud. In almost daily letters to Mud, Lorelei reveals her struggles and triumphs with friendship, siblings, trying out for a school play, and her secret crush. At the very heart of the story, however, is her parents' rather messy divorce.

MY TAKE: I liked this book quite a bit. The letter format allows for an informal and intimate look at Lorelei's life. Yes, the parents have major issues. Yes, there is dysfunction. Lorelei is very strong and lovable character, though. Seen through her eyes, the situation is sometimes sad, often funny, but never hopeless. She's also a super real and super nice kid, and you can't help but root for her.

WHO WOULD LIKE THIS BOOK: Girls ages 9 and up who like reading realistic fiction. This is a great book for girls who want to read about an older character with personal issues but aren't yet ready for the more gritty YA novels. It's very PG.

INTERESTING FACT: Yeardly Smith, the author (first-time author), of this book was the Emmy Award winning voice of Lisa Simpson on The Simpsons!

FAVORITE QUOTE:
Lorelei's Mom on p.39, "Lorelei, the secret of a satisfied life is making the most of every opportunity that comes your way. The outcome isn't nearly as important as knowing that you gave it your all."… (mehr)

Reviewed by Sarah Bean the Green Bean Teen Queen for TeensReadToo.com

Lorelei Connelly has decided she will start journaling about her life to her cat Mud, who recently died. She wants to be able to tell Mud what he's missing and also give her future biographers something to write about when she is famous. Her journal to Mud starts out with her everyday activities and Lorelei's foray into theater with her middle school production of Peter Pan.

When Lorelei's parent's marriage starts to fall apart, her journal to Mud becomes a place for Lorelei to share her feelings and try to understand what is happening to her family. Lorelei's dad starts to take all the furniture, her mom goes on a nanny hiring streak, and poor Lorelei is stuck in the middle.

Yeardley Smith is the voice of Lisa Simpson on The Simpsons, so I'm not surprised to see a smart girl as the lead of I, LORELEI. At times I even felt there was a little bit of Lisa in Lorelei.

Lorelei is a strong character and a great role model. She stands up to the mean popular girl and the school bully and doesn't let them bother her. She goes against the grain and befriends the unpopular girl at school. Lorelei's journal is full of laughs as well as her heartbreak over her parents. Not only is Lorelei dealing with things at home, but she's also coming into her own and trying to figure life out at school, boys, and friends.

This is a humorous, touching read that I'm sure will resonate with tween readers.… (mehr)