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An unforgettable story of friendship from the award-winning master of contemporary fiction for young listeners, Sharon Flake
At first, charmingly willful, spoiled and precocious 10-year old Queen doesn't like her new neighbor—humble, naïve, broken bike-riding Leroy. He claims he's been to Africa, but how can she take this smelly, raggedy boy seriously? And especially when he starts to move in on dinner-time with her family. But ultimately, Queen learns some important life lessons from Leroy—that the words we say to people do matter and that friendship can blossom where you least expect to find it.
Abright and brassy fifth grader named Queen narrates Flake's (The Skin I'm In) resonant novel about the importance of friendship, imagination and being true to oneself. Though her father gave her a regal name so that others will respect her, the outspoken girl's superior attitude often alienates her peers, who, she admits, think she is "a royal pain in the neck." Leroy, a new boy at school who rides a rusted bike without a seat, announces that he is a prince from Senegal. For show-and-tell, the lad, who lives with his mother in a housing project, brings in elephant tusks and gold coins that he says belonged to his great-grandfather. Feeling particularly alone after her only friend moves away, skeptical Queen decides to expose Leroy as a fibber so that her classmates will "stop liking him and like me." Queen's quest to learn the truth about Leroy's life brings her in contact with Cornelius, a wise, elderly former stage actor who sometimes speaks in intriguing riddles and who eventually reveals the secret behind the boy's stories. Guided by the actions and astute advice of Leroy, Cornelius and her parents, Queen gradually comes to acknowledge and reveal her true self-one who doesn't need to belittle others. Multi-dimensional characters and frequently affecting dialogue make this a memorable work of fiction. Final artwork not seen by PW. Ages 8-12. (May)
Copyright 2007 Reed Business InformationGr 5-7
Queen Marie Rousseau is intelligent and capable. She is also bossy and selfish. Spoiled from birth by her father and three older brothers (and somewhat less by her mother) and homeschooled until she was in third grade, Queen has no idea how to relate to her fifth-grade classmates. She doesn't seem able to keep her mouth shut and often treats them with scorn. When a new boy, Leroy, appears in class-smelly, ill-dressed, and claiming he is from Africa-Queen is sure he is lying and becomes determined to prove it. Following him, she discovers that he is running errands for a neighbor, an actor who has developed agoraphobia. Queen bullies Leroy into telling her about Cornelius and tries to talk her way into his apartment. Her high-and-mighty attitude doesn't work with the man-he insists that she solve a complicated riddle and act decently before he will speak with her. So begins Queen's slow and bumpy realization that being pleasant will smooth her relationships with others. She eventually gains entrance into Cornelius's apartment and discovers all the memorabilia he has collected over a lifetime of world travel. And she finds a real friend in Leroy. Flake has created a character who is difficult and unlikable but at the same time sympathetic. Everything is wrapped up a little too quickly, but that will not deter readers from rooting for the child to change her attitude and find her place in the world.
—Terrie DorioCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Anonymous
Posted July 11, 2009
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A great way to teach readers that reading can be fun while learning about relationships, bulluying and reading books can take you to places you have never visited.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Queen is an incredibly stuck up ten-year-old girl whose family's praise has given her a very high opinion of herself. Her father and older brothers have spoiled her to the point where she's very, very easy to dislike. Unsurprisingly, no one at school seems to appreciate or recognize her supposed superiority.
Leroy is a new boy in her class, who smells funny and whose bike is broken. Queen is sure that he's a liar, especially when he tells stories about being royalty from Africa, and she can't stand him. Her parents try to force her to be nice to him, so they are thrown together despite Queen's dislike. Through Leroy, Queen learns some important lessons.
She's still not a very likeable heroine, though. I don't think I was supposed to like her. Be prepared for that going into this book, and you'll be able to appreciate Sharon G. Flake's amazing (and unsurprising if you've read her previous books) talent.
I'm not sure how kids will feel about this book. Some of them may not be willing to read a book with a main character like Queen. But if they can give it a shot, it's a pretty enjoyable short novel.
Overview
An unforgettable story of friendship from the award-winning master of contemporary fiction for young listeners, Sharon Flake
At first, charmingly willful, spoiled and precocious 10-year old Queen doesn't like her new neighbor—humble, naïve, broken bike-riding Leroy. He claims he's been to Africa, but how can she take this smelly, raggedy boy seriously? And especially when he starts to move in on dinner-time with her family. But ultimately, Queen learns some important life lessons from Leroy—that the words we say to people do matter and that friendship can blossom where you least expect to find it.