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From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)

Raymie, 10, is determined to become Little Miss Florida Central Tire so her father, an insurance agent who recently ran off with a dental hygienist, will read about her in the paper and realize his mistake. At baton twirling lessons she meets Louisiana Elefante and Beverly Tapinski. This story set in a small Florida town in the 1970s moves quickly while capturing the hot, timeless feel of summer as the three girls form an unlikely, not-always-easy friendship. The bond among bold, brash, seemingly fearless Beverly; naive, sweet Louisiana; and uncertain Raymie develops through a series of funny yet heartrending escapades. It turns out that Louisiana and Beverly both have secrets and challenges, too. Louisiana shares hers openly, while Beverly’s must be gleaned. But as the girls gradually discover things about one another, and about themselves, it turns out they all are bold and fearless and uncertain and sweet in a tender and funny novel that exposes the hope in their connection. For Raymie, who wants to be special enough to bring her father home, friendship changes nothing, and yet it changes everything. (Ages 8–11)

CCBC Choices 2017 © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2017. Used with permission.

From School Library Journal

December 1, 2016

Gr 4-7-Hoping to attract the attention of her father, who has left home, and her mother, a young girl takes up twirling. While the baton lessons go south immediately, Raymie befriends two similarly vulnerable, lonely kids confronting their own family issues and who, like her, are trying to make sense of a sometimes bewildering world. Filled with heart and hope, DiCamillo's latest masterpiece is populated with characters whom readers won't soon forget.

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Publisher's Weekly

May 30, 2016
Set in 1975, DiCamillo's tender novel tells the story of three very different girls who become fast friends while partaking in the Little Miss Central Florida Tire competition. Raymie's father recently ran off with a dental hygienist, and she hopes if she wins, it will somehow make him come back; Louisiana is an orphan who lives with her grandmother and gets through hardships with made-up stories and fantasies; Beverly is streetwise and angry at the world. They end up having some oddball adventures, involving trying to retrieve a lost library book and rescue a cat, and in the process learn about supporting friends and dealing with painful losses. Narrator Lamia's warm, compassionate reading perfectly fits the uplifting tale, and she uses her voice to bring out the many humorous and quirky moments. All the characters have Southern accents, yet Lamia is able to give each a distinctive and memorable voice that reflects each character's personality; for example, Louisiana sounds dreamy and vulnerable, whereas Beverly sounds tough as nails. Lamia is the perfect narrator for this bittersweet yet ultimately comforting audiobook. Ages 10â€"up. A Candlewick hardcover.

From School Library Journal

Starred review from March 1, 2016

Gr 4-7-Raymie Clarke has a plan. Her father has run off with a dental hygienist without a word, but Raymie is certain that if she wins the Little Miss Central Florida Tire competition, her father will see her picture in the newspaper and return. To this end, she begins baton-twirling classes with two other girls, Louisiana Elefante and Beverly Tapinski. Both girls have their own reasons for entering the competition: Louisiana needs the prize money, and Beverly wants to sabotage the event. While they never actually learn to twirl, the classes are nevertheless invaluable because of the unlikely friendship the girls form. All three have lost people close to them, and each girl deals with her loss in different ways. With each small adventure, whether it's finding a lost book or rescuing a beloved pet, their friendship grows into an undeniable bond. In short, precisely crafted chapters, DiCamillo once again demonstrates her ability to create unique characters that touch readers' hearts. Raymie, in particular, is observant, thoughtful, and sensitive as she struggles to make sense of the world around her. Her story unfolds in uncomplicated prose, even as the themes explored are complex. Surrounded by the fully realized Louisiana and Beverly, not to mention the adults in her town, Raymie searches for meaning, a search that will resonate with readers. VERDICT Poignant, insightful, and ultimately uplifting.-Amanda Raklovits, Champaign Public Library, IL

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Horn Book

Starred review from March 1, 2016
When ten-year-old Raymie Clarke's father runs away with a dental hygienist, Raymie has no idea how to take charge of her life. Her mother's no help, and her father's secretary simply assures her that most things work out right in the end. So, remembering the advice of last summer's life-saving class instructor, Raymie vows to become a problem solver rather than a problem causer. She will enter the (1975) Little Miss Central Florida Tire contest, win, get her name in the paper, and astonish her father, who will hurry home filled with pride. Lacking any marketable talent, she enrolls in baton lessons and there meets two other girls with their eyes on the same prize. Orphaned and fragile, Louisiana Elefante desperately needs the winner's money; hard-as-nails Beverly Tapinski wants to sabotage the contest and, consequently, her overbearing mother. The girls don't form an immediate bond, but their initial association of convenience eventually turns into a friendship of understanding and fierce loyalty. After christening the trio the Three Rancheros, Louisiana delivers these prescient words: We'll rescue each other. And in a beautifully layered set of adventures, they do. The limited third-person narration gives Raymie her distinctive voice and spot-on pre-adolescent perspective of a young girl trying to make sense of the world around her. Here DiCamillo returnstriumphantlyto her Winn-Dixie roots. betty carter

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

From Booklist

Starred review from February 15, 2016
Grades 4-7 *Starred Review* As 10-year-old Raymie tells it, the only way to bring back her father, who has run away with a dental hygienist, is to become 1975's Little Miss Central Florida Tire. Surely when he sees her photo in the newspaper, he will come home. But first Raymie must learn to twirl a baton, which is how she comes to be at a twirling lesson flanked by world-weary, subversive Beverly Tapinski and fabulist Louisiana Elefante, a girl stronger than her penchant for fainting would make her seem. DiCamillo's terse third-person narrative chronicles the everyday agonies of her characters, which include testy old women, a comforting insurance clerk, a swim coach with the secret of life, and two indomitable animals: one dog, one cat. Leaving behind the more fantastical surroundings she brought to The Tale of Despereaux (2003) and The Magician's Elephant (2009), DiCamillo returns to her southern roots and, in some ways, to her own story (albeit a perhaps more adventurous version), as the girls somehow figure out how to save the worldor at least their own. As in her previous award-winning books, DiCamillo once again shows that life's underlying sadnesses can also be studded with hope and humor, and she does it in a way so true that children will understand it in their bones. And that's why she is Kate the Great. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Books by the two-time Newbery medalist and former National Ambassador for Young People's Literature are always publishing events, and this will be no exception.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

From Publisher's Weekly

Starred review from January 18, 2016
Set in 1975, this tender novel shows how even when life seems out of one's control-people die, parents disappoint-persistence and belief pay off. The story is told from the perspective of Raymie Clarke, whose father has just run off with a dental hygienist. Raymie, however, has a plan to bring him back: she will win the Little Miss Central Florida Tire contest, get her picture in the paper, and her father will come running home. The plan inspires her to take a baton-twirling class, where she meets Beverly Tapinski-a girl with a chip on her shoulder, who vows to sabotage the contest-and ingenuous Louisiana Elefante, an orphan who claims to be the daughter of the famous Flying Elefantes. With extraordinary skill, two-time Newbery Medalist DiCamillo traces the girls' growing trust in each other while using understated confessionals and subtly expressed yearnings to show how tragedies have affected each of them. The book culminates with a daring cat-rescue mission: fraught with adventure, danger, and a miracle or two, the escapade reveals how love and compassion can overcome even the highest hurdles. Ages 10â€"up. Agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties.

From Kirkus

Starred review from January 15, 2016
Ten-year-old Raymie Clarke of Lister, Florida, has a plan to get her father to come back home. Raymie feels "alone, lost, cast adrift." Her father has run off with a dental hygienist. She is determined to learn how to twirl a baton, win the title of Miss Central Florida Tire 1975, and get her photograph in the newspaper. Her father will see it and be so proud that he'll return home to be with her. Raymie and her quirky new friends, Louisiana Elefante and Beverly Tapinski, have all lost parents and seek ways to move on with their lives and to protect one another along the way. DiCamillo's third-person narrative is written in simple words, few exceeding three syllables, yet somehow such modest prose carries the weight of deep meditations on life, death, the soul, friendship, and the meaning of life without ever seeming heavy, and there's even a miracle to boot. Readers will approach the tense and dramatic conclusion and realize how much each word matters. Raymie may not find answers to why the world exists or how the world works, but she can hold onto friends and begin to see more clearly the world as it is. Raymie's small town is populated by quirky, largely white residents, many of them elderly, all distinct characters in their own rights. Once again, DiCamillo demonstrates the power of simple words in a beautiful and wise tale. (Historical fiction. 9-14)

COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

From AudioFile Magazine

Narrator Jenna Lamia's characterizations are key to the success of this audio production as 10-year-old Raymie hatches a plan to win back her father, who has recently deserted her family. An attempt to win the title of Little Miss Central Florida leads to baton-twirling classes and to making friends with two other girls. Together they become the "three rancheros." Lamia's portrayal of introspective, uncertain Raymie contrasts with those of outspoken Beverly Tapinski and soft-spoken storyteller Louisiana Elefante. The adventures of three girls trying to find their places in the world are set in a small town populated by quirky characters. Lamia's deft sketches, especially those of Raymie's neighbor, an elderly philosopher, and the comforting receptionist at Raymie's father's office, add color to the story. S.W. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine