Feb 17

Written by: Kathleen Klocko
2/17/2012 2:13 PM 

Another Hot Read from the 2011-12 Elementary Reading Olympic list
Phillip Hall Likes Me, I Reckon Maybe by Bette Greene

Are you ready for one of the best written books on this year’s Reading Olympic list?  How about a book that was named a Newbery Honor Book?  It doesn’t get much better than that!  This wonderful book richly deserves its award because it is beautifully written, but it’s a great story too, a story that I’ll bet will capture your interest early on and never let it go until you reach the end.  You’ll want to find up what’s going to happen to Beth next because something interesting is always happening to Beth.  Perhaps I should rephrase that and say that Beth herself is the one making things happen.  Trust me, that girl is always up to something!

The story takes place in rural Arkansas perhaps in the middle of the 20th century.  That might be far away and long ago, but upper elementary and middle school readers might find it easy to identify with the characters and situations nevertheless.  Girls might relate to Beth’s frustration at getting Philip Hall to pay attention to her – to just notice her!  And boys, who often mature later than girls, might understand just what Philip is going through, trying to dodge that pesky Beth when he’s just trying to hang with his buddies.  What’s going on here is the age-old Battle of the Sexes -- girl vs. boy.  Beth craves Philip’s attention, but when that proves fruitless, oh there is no greater fury than a woman scorned!  She will get back at that irksome boy one way or another.  And, boy, does she work at it.  One excellent example of Beth showing Philip she is not to be trifled with is her organizing her own club just for girls.  So Philip always wants to spend time with the fellow male members of his club “The Tiger Hunters”?  Well, Beth will show him that he’s not the only one who can form a club – she starts “The Pretty Pennies Club” -- for girls only -- so there!  The chapter when this takes place is one of the best in the book, but it’s just one of many great chapters.
I really love the way Betty Greene has laid out her book.  Each chapter is titled a successive month over the course of one school year.  One month at a time a school year unfolds and a wonderful, spirited, thoroughly likeable young girl experiences the joy and pain of growing up.  You will laugh with her, get angry with her, perhaps even cry with her.  But you will enjoy reading about her.  This is one of the best books on a strong RO list.  Give it a try!
 
BTW, the Newbery Medal winner for the year in which Philip Hall was named a Newbery Honor Book, 1975, was M.C. Higgins the Great.  With the advantage of hindsight, this appears to be another example of the runner up book surpassing the winner in popularity and critical acclaim years after the decision was made.  It’s a challenge to be a judge in this competition because you can’t get a do-over.  The result is forever.
      --Jack