Children's Literature - Dorothy Haas - Trouble At Alcott School (1989)

Is there a reason they made these kids' books readable in twenty minutes? Did they think kids didn't have the stamina to read very much at a time? I can't believe how I took kids' books out of the library and justified it. I could have just sat there and read it!

This was another one of those books I got from some box of kids' books at a garage sale. I actually have three of this short-lived series, this, number four, being the first of those that I own.

The premise of this series is that there are two friends, Polly Butterman, called Peanut for some reason that I don't understand, and Jillian Matthews, called Jilly because it's actually a logical diminutive of her name. Apparently they weren't friends right away? This book seems to imply as such and, as I said, this is the earliest book I have of the series, so I have no way of knowing. Their personalities in this book don't have many differences, which is to say any differences at all. The only difference I can tell is that Peanut is more cynical and downtrodden then Jilly is.

There are several plots in this book, which seems to be a showcase of things that happen at their school, hence the title. The main plot is that their friend, Erin, wore her great aunt's locket to school and then lost it, and they have to find it, especially when notes start showing up implying someone stole it. There is also a scientist biography project subplot which culminates in the students fighting about whether or not inventors count as scientists, as well as a subplot involving a kid named Elvis and his homeless pet mice.

The only thing I have to say about a book that I finished in less time than a sitcom episode is that the least they could have done is made the culprit be someone less obvious. There is a character, Jennifer, who is established several times as a huge cunt. It was obvious from the second the first note showed up that it was her. It would have been so much more interesting if it was Erin's friend Emmy, who went with Erin to go look for it and was participating in trying to find out who stole it. That would have been amazing.

Not bad for what I assume is a very young reader's book.

6.5/10