Allie Finkle is in fourth grade and her life is just perfect. She has a best friend that she likes (when she's not crying, whining, or being bossy), and her bedroom it jut the way she likes it. Then her parents drop a bomb on her by announcing they are moving to an old house to fix it up. Allie will have to go to a new school, make new friends, and she can't take a geode collection with her. Her life is falling apart. She plots and schemes so that her family won't move. When she see her new "old" house the neighbor boy tells her its haunted. Everyone else in the family is excited and happy, but Allie just knows the zombie hand will get her. When she tours her new school, she meets two girls that are very friendly. Allie plays with them and learns that best friends don't cry, whine, and boss all the time. By the end of the book she is happy to move, but she has to free the turtle from the Chinese restaurant first.
APA Reference:
Cabot, M. (2008). Allie Finkle's rules for girls: moving day. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.
My Impressions:
I laughed so much reading this book. It reminded me of all the crazy things I thought about doing every time I had to move as a kid. Unlike Allie, I never did them. I recommended this book to several of my students and they couldn't put it down. When she tries to ruin the open house by rigging her rocks to fall out of the closet, I couldn't help but think that would never work. I liked that the kids were realistic. Having a friend who cries over everything and has to always have their way reminded me of a girl I use to know. I did find stealing the turtle a bit over the top, but overall this book was very enjoyable.
Professional Review:
Nine-year-old Allie faces her
world with humor and common sense by making a list of rules to live by.
Each rule (often presented as a chapter heading) has a story behind it.
“Rule # 1: Don’t Stick a Spatula Down Your Best Friend’s Throat” evolves
from the terrible fight between Allie and wimpy, weepy Mary Kay. Other
rules come about after Allie finds out that the family is moving across
town to a creepy Victorian house (she tries her best to sabotage the
plans). A prize cat, a stolen turtle, two younger brothers, and a
willing coconspirator in the form of an uncle all play a part in the
antics as adventures unfold. Lively Allie is an appealing heroine who
has an uncanny knack for getting into (and out of) scrapes with friends
and family. The talented Cabot, popular with both teen and adult
readers, will attract a new, younger audience with this novel, which
will surely leave readers looking forward to future installments. One
note: the fold-out-to-poster-size dust jacket may pose a problem for
libraries. Look for a review of the audiobook version on p. 124.
— Bina Williams Williams, B. (2008, June 1). [Review of the book Allie Finkle's Rules For Girls: Moving Day].
Booklist. Retrieved from: http://booklistonline.com/Allie-Finkle-s-Rules-for-Girls-Moving-Day-Meg-Cabot/pid=2684357
Library Uses:
I would use this book as part of a story time for upper elementary students.
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