Bookverdict.com

Gr 8 Up—Inspired by the author's personal experiences with bullying, this novel encourages readers to "never, ever give up." Noelle's life is bad; her mother drinks and her neglect goes unchecked. The teen eats mustard and mayonnaise sandwiches for lunch, and the smell from her unwashed clothes earns her the nickname "Rotten Egg." Her position as coeditor of the school literary magazine and the company of her science teacher and friends help alleviate her misery. Noelle eventually begins to accept ai...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

Noelle is poor, ostracized, and constantly bullied. Her mother is neglectful at best, and her supposed boyfriend refuses t...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

Noelle’s situation—the bullying she endures at school, the neglect she endures at home—makes her easy to care for, but it’s her clear-eyed narration and fierce determination to succeed and help others (she keeps a list in her binder called “Things to Remember When I’m a Teacher”) that make her easy to admire. Susane Colasanti takes readers deep into Noelle’s world, where a constant onslaught of challenges, big and sma...Log In or Sign Up to Read More