Tween Tuesday: Allie Finkle (the daughter I never had)

Tween Tuesday was started by GreenBeanTeenQueen. Check out her post here!

There is a part of me that avoids books about girls because I never had any daughters and 10 years later I am still a touch bitter about that. But, I do have something that is a small comfort--LOTS of young female readers at my school. This is one of the series that I force upon them (actually, I only have to force the first one, after that the others sell themselves). I adore Allie and her friends (and to be honest, her friend Erica is probably more like the daughter I never had than Allie, but I would take either of them).

Allie Finkle was created by Meg Cabot, of the Princess Diaries (and numerous other books) fame. This is her first series for tweens. Because Allie is a fourth grader I think that this series would be good for girls from third grade up but probably a bit young for sixth graders. I consider them tweens though because Allie deals with a lot of older kid problems--mean girls, pressure to have a boyfriend, fights with friends, an a move to a new school--to name a few.

In the first book Allie finds out her family is moving from their nice newer home to an older home across town. This is, of course, devastating to a fourth grade girl. The other books in the series have to do with her settling into her new home, making new friends and growing a little older. I love how she learns to ride the edge between things that she is too big for and things that she is not ready for. During the course of each book Allie talks about her "rules." Some come into play repeatedly and some, she discovers, are made to be broken. Meg Cabot does a fantastic job nailing the "voice" of a nine year old girl. Allie has insecurities, but is learning to be confident and to be herself that's what growing up is all about!!