Brett McCarthy: Work in Progress

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Overview

Brett McCarthy lives for vocabulary words, soccer, and her larger-than-life grandmother, Nonna. Unfortunately, Brett’s got a big mouth she can’t seem to tame and opinions she can’t keep to herself. And she’s obsessed with the moment she became redefined and went from good student, bestfriend-to-Diane to twice-suspended, friendless, and deadest meat in Maine. Soon her world has turned upside down, and she’s not sure where she fits, what she should do, or how to make right what she, and her big fat mouth, have made wrong. Brett’s fresh and funny voice will keep readers laughing out loud at her plights, groaning in sympathy at every misstep, and rooting for...

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More About This Book

Overview

Brett McCarthy lives for vocabulary words, soccer, and her larger-than-life grandmother, Nonna. Unfortunately, Brett’s got a big mouth she can’t seem to tame and opinions she can’t keep to herself. And she’s obsessed with the moment she became redefined and went from good student, bestfriend-to-Diane to twice-suspended, friendless, and deadest meat in Maine. Soon her world has turned upside down, and she’s not sure where she fits, what she should do, or how to make right what she, and her big fat mouth, have made wrong. Brett’s fresh and funny voice will keep readers laughing out loud at her plights, groaning in sympathy at every misstep, and rooting for her as things go from bad to worst ever possible.

A Spring 2008 Association of Booksellers for Children New Voices Pick

Editorial Reviews

Children's Literature
When the interloper Jeanne Anne betrays Brett McCarthy's involvement in an unfortunate prank, Brett feels like her whole sense of self has become redefined. Instead of "Vocab Ace; Best Eighth Grade Corner Kicker in Maine; Diane's Best Friend" she has become "Practically Friendless; Violent; [and] Suspended." As she tries to make sense of the changes that are inherent to adolescence, she must also cope with familial changes, particularly the terminal illness of her vivacious, independent grandmother. Padian's first book deftly handles the social nuances of junior high life. Brett's "brainiac" friend Michael's comparison of junior high with Dante's Inferno, while perhaps unrealistic even for an academically-gifted 8th grader, is nevertheless a clever portrayal of middle school group dynamics. Although some of the secondary characters approach stereotyping, Brett's complexity is captivating. She is a talented jock with a flair for words whose sarcastic wit sometimes (OK, frequently) gets her into trouble. Her attempts to grapple with the mysteries of growing up and maintaining relationships—with friends and family members, adults and peers—will sit comfortably with readers struggling with the same issues. Young teens will enjoy this heartfelt and optimistic book with its lively young heroine. Reviewer: Heather Christensen
School Library Journal

Gr 6-9- Brett thinks she knows herself pretty well: star soccer player, vocabulary ace, and best friend to Diane. But in eighth grade, Diane is more interested in the cheerleading crowd and everything is changing. A telephone prank backfires and Jeanne Anne, a new girl, manages to shift the blame to Brett, even though four girls were involved. Feeling victimized and angry, she loses her temper at school and punches Jeanne Anne, resulting in suspension. Within a few days, her social status has changed drastically, and the upheaval is mirrored at home when Brett discovers that her fun-loving grandmother is battling cancer. Over the course of the story, she moves from anger and obstinacy to a tentative exploration of the characteristics that really define Brett McCarthy. Although her path to self-discovery has its bumps, she ultimately realizes that the way she has thought of herself in the past has been more limiting than liberating. Padian's portrayal of the relationship between Brett and her Nonna is poignant and honest, especially as the cancer progresses and the girl must begin to let go. Chapter titles consisting of vocabulary words that Brett uses to describe her various emotional states ("apoplectic," "foreboding," "unprecedented," "surreal") give hints of things to come, but it is Padian's fully developed characters and ear for teenage voices that make this a story that will resonate with anyone who has ever felt isolated in the middle of a crowd.-Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA

Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780440240556
  • Publisher: Random House Children's Books
  • Publication date: 10/13/2009
  • Pages: 288
  • Sales rank: 454,320
  • Age range: 12 years
  • Lexile: 0700L (what's this?)
  • Product dimensions: 5.10 (w) x 7.90 (h) x 0.80 (d)

Meet the Author

Maria Padian has worked as a commercial radio news reporter, an essayist for public radio, a press secretary for a U.S. Congressman, and a freelance writer. She lives with her children and husband, and an Australian shepherd, in Maine, where she is at work on a new novel.

Read an Excerpt

Chapter 1: Interloper

I’ve been obsessed lately with trying to pinpoint the exact moment when I got redefined.

That’s one of my grandmother’s favorite words. It basically means defined again. Define means to make clear; mark the limits of; identify the essential qualities or meaning of. Before my life changed from fairly decent to really bad, my self-definition was pretty straightforward.

Brett McCarthy: Only Child; Only Granddaughter; Vocab Ace; Best Eighth-Grade Corner Kicker in Maine; Diane’s Best Friend.

Then came the redefinition.

Brett McCarthy: Deadest Meat in Maine and Possibly the Planet; Practically Friendless; Violent; Suspended.

Can you blame me for wanting to sort this out?

It all got started like any other day: at The Junior.

As in “Mescataqua Junior High School,” the big green letters on the front brick wall. Kit was the one who noticed that every morning Diane stood directly under the word “Junior.” Never under “Mescataqua,” never under “School.” But perfectly positioned between the “i” and “o” of “Junior,” leaning against the wall, her backpack slung over one slender shoulder.

Diane insisted she wasn’t doing it on purpose, but once Kit pointed it out, it got to be our thing. “See you at The Junior!” we’d say each afternoon, instead of “See you tomorrow!” Or “Meet me at The Junior!” if we planned to get together after school.

Diane, Kit, me, and (unfortunately) Jeanne Anne. Except for Jeanne Anne, the interloper, we’d known each other forever, from as far back as preschool. And even though we all had other friends outside the group, and sometimes got into really bad fights among ourselves, there was never any question about us. We were the first four chairs at the lunch table; the first four names on the Instant Messenger Buddy List; the first four numbers on speed dial.

Interloper: intruder; interferer. someone who moves to Mescataqua in seventh grade and attaches herself to your BFF.

Within the group, Diane Pelletier was my first and best friend, even though she’s nothing like me. For one thing, she’s beautiful. She has licorice-shiny, long black hair and lavender eyes. I have short frizzy hair that my mother describes as “strawberry blond.” That’s a nice term for “light brown with red highlights.” Trust me, it’s a noncolor.

Diane is really smart and really funny in a quiet way. I’m funny too, but in a loud, opinionated way. Diane can’t catch or kick a ball without injuring herself. I’m totally into sports. Diane looks great in clothes, and people tend to copy what she wears. I’m a wrinkle magnet and break out in a stress rash when I enter a mall.

Despite all this she was my best. We slept over at each other’s houses at least twice a month, talking all night. We agreed about most things. Except one. Diane was a little more tolerant and a lot more patient than I was when it came to jerks. Like Jeanne Anne.

For instance, on the morning of Monday, October 15th, she came rushing up to The Junior practically shaking with excitement. Kit was filling us in on what had happened during the previous night’s episode of her favorite TV reality drama.

“You guys!” Jeanne Anne burst out, interrupting the story. “You are not going to believe this!”

“Good, then don’t bother telling us,” said Kit. She had just been describing the giant, maggot-like insects that members of Team A, on the verge of starvation in Fiji, were probably going to eat on the next episode. Kit tends to share my opinion of Jeanne Anne, and assumed that whatever she had to say was less interesting . . . and more annoying . . . than maggots.

“No, really,” insisted Jeanne Anne. She faced Diane. “Diane, your telephone number is 555-1749, right?”

“Last time I checked.” Diane smiled.

“Okay,” Jeanne Anne said. She took one of her dramatic pauses. “Bob Levesque’s number is 555-1748.”

Blank stares. Silence. Finally broken by Kit.

“That’s really fascinating, Jeanne Anne. Now back to the maggots . . .”

“Aah!” Jeanne Anne cried in exasperation. “Hello, people! Am I the only one who realizes what an amazing coincidence this is?”

“Yes, you are,” replied Kit. The bell rang at this point, and we began moving toward the main entrance.

“Oh, c’mon!” Jeanne Anne pleaded. She was getting whiny now, and a little loud. People were turning to look at us. “Remember that thing you used to do with the phones? Don’t pretend this isn’t an awesome discovery!”

Even Diane realized it was time to shut her up. Broad- casting our old prank in the middle of the school lobby was not cool. Diane pulled Jeanne Anne close.

“Keep your voice down,” she hisssed. “We’ll meet at study hall and talk about it.”

Satisfied, Jeanne Anne smiled and headed off to her locker.

“Who told her about the Phone Thing?” I asked Diane as soon as Jeanne Anne was out of earshot. “And why is she looking up Bob Levesque’s telephone number?”

“Oh . . . you know her!” Diane shrugged. “She’s always crushin’ on someone.”

“She is a certifiable jerk. A complete idiot!” I sputtered.

I was upset. I get klutzy . . . and loud . . . when I’m upset. So the “idiot” came out with a bit more volume than necessary, and at the same time I managed to smash my size-nine sneakers down on someone’s toes.

“Ouch! Hey, watch it!”

The toes belonged to a pair of electric-blue eyes. The eyes went with some sun-bleached, tousled blond hair and perfect white teeth without a trace of orthodontia. In other words, I had just crushed the foot of none other than Bob Levesque, resident Greek God. And called him an idiot in the middle of a crowded hallway.

Bob looked at me and Diane, annoyed. Then, some- thing . . . either my comically guilty expression or Diane’s beautiful face . . . made him change his mind, because he grinned.

From the Hardcover edition.

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