Except for that “pat” line at the bottom, how great is this from School Library Journal?!!!
DAVIS, Katie. The Curse of Addy McMahon. illus. by author. 271p. CIP. HarperCollins/Greenwillow. 2008. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-128711-4; PLB $17.89. ISBN 978-0-06-128712-1. LC 2007041154.
Gr 4–6—Sixth-grader Addy believes that she is suffering from the family curse, which started, according to Nana, when Addy’s great-grandad chopped down a tree in Ireland, disturbing a fairy lair and burdening his descendants with bad luck ever since. Her father has died of cancer, her mother is dating a dweeb, her friend Jackie is angry with her—and the list goes on. Addy records many of her thoughts and feelings in her “autobiogra-strip,” a blend of diary and comic strip. She has earned praise for her interviews—illustrated with her drawings—with people in the community, which are published in the school newspaper. As Addy begins to mature, she learns that much of the bad luck is due to her outlook on life, not a fairy curse. After apologizing to Jackie and making attempts to accept her mother’s boyfriend, she realizes that she must take responsibility for her actions and keep living life, even as she grieves for her father. Peppered with authentic preteen conversations, the novel combines traditional narrative with graphic-novel stories, emails, and IMs. Though the happy ending is a bit too pat, the book is a fast-paced and interesting read. The graphic-novel sections are well done and break up the text nicely, making this light fare accessible to reluctant readers.—Anne Knickerbocker, formerly at Cedar Brook Elementary School, Houston, TX