Firegirl followsTom, an eigth grader who is more on the fringe of his class than a complete outsider. Tom sweats a lot and has one friend. I liked that Tom has good parents and realizes it. He's a nice boy who daydreams about different far-fetched scenarios in which he rescues Courtney, the beautiful girl in his class. Things would probably remain unchanged, except for the arrival of Jessica to the class.
Jessica has survived being burned over most of her body. No one knows what to do or say, so no one does or says anything to her. Tom, being as introspective as an eigth grader can be, feels sorry for her, but can never bring himself to say anything to the other kids when they speculate on her situation.
The end of Chapter 13 bears Tom's soul so simply and unconsciously that it is beautiful to read. He is brave while he is scared and confused and doesn't realize it. Tom is also weak and selfish, just like any other boy his age. Tom and his classmates are written true to life and it is easy to believe they would say and do the things that are written.
Favorite Quotes:
"I found that I started, in little bits, raising my head to look at her, but always when I knew she was turned the other way or couldn't see me. I discovered that if you didn't see the edge of her face or her hand lying on the desk, she looked almost like any girl with dirty hair. It was sort of crushed and matted in the back. It almost began to feel as if there was a person in there."
"I ended up not trying again, and then it was suppertime."
Overall Opinion:
I would make Firegirl required reading for a 5th or 6th grade reading class if I could. It is a book I will definitely share.
Rating:
Personal library addition
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