Reading Metrics
Description
Penny Pollard is a rebellious girl who has no patience for old people, homework, or wearing dresses. When a school assignment about saints sends her on an excursion, she encounters Mrs. Edith Bettany, a nearly eighty-one-year-old woman who is just as spirited and unconventional as herself. What starts as an unlikely encounter develops into an unexpected friendship that challenges Penny's assumptions about people of a different generation.
Quick Summary
Robin Klein's Penny Pollard's Diary is a quick, funny read that feels like a modern version of a classic school diary, with short entries that keep the pace snappy. The story follows Penny, a feisty middle-grader who thinks she hates old people, dresses, and homework until a school trip lands her in the same group as 80-year-old rebel Mrs. Edith Bettany, and the two become unlikely friends who teach each other a thing or two about kindness and standing up for yourself. It's perfect for kids who love humor and sarcasm, especially those who might be reluctant readers, because the diary format and snappy one-liners make it easy to pick up and finish in a few sittings. Parents will appreciate that the book is light-hearted, with only a few mild moments of peer pressure and a gentle lesson about not judging people by their age, and there's nothing too scary or heavy to worry about. If you enjoy Diary of a Wimpy Kid or other diary-style novels, you'll find the same mix of laughs and heart in Penny Pollard's Diary, making it a great choice for a quick, satisfying read.