Kid Lit Book Alert: Hailey Twitch Is Not a Snitch

Age Range: 5-10 years
Page Count: 137
Release Date: May 1, 2010

I did a little market research when I got this book. My second grade niece was spending the week at my mom & dad's house for spring break. When she came over to say hi and let us know she was here she spied this book. An eye-catching cover is always an important first step to attracting readers, and my niece loved this cover. She wanted to borrow it and read it.

Once the cover has them hooked, the next step is engaging the reader. One way that can happen is if they identify with a character in the story. My niece found her kindred book spirit on the first page in the character of Addie Jokobeck. My niece is a rule follower. It hurts her stomach to have to break any rules. As Hailey tells us about Addie, "Addie Jokobeck is in love with rules." And one the next page we saw a picture of Addie with straight (I am going to assume) brown, hair it was all over. Well, here is my niece Samantha, with my sons on Easter--straight, brown hair. Loves rules. Hello, Addie! I let her read it first and she loved it. I couldn't wait to start it myself.

First of all, it is a fast moving, well written book that captures the spirit of being a second grader. Secondly, we need more books about excitable little girls. We do. Junie B. is kind of washed up, when was the last time a new one of those was published? Clementine is fantastic, but those don't come out very often either. And Ramona books are for a little bit older readers. Hailey does fill a void. Plus, her grammar is better than Junie B.

The twist for Hailey is that she has a little sprite named Maybelle encouraging her to make poor choices. Maybelle is working on getting her magic back after she lost it because she was no fun. But the things she tries to do to have fun tend to be things that get Hailey into more trouble. I am not sure that the book needed to have this element in it, Hailey was doing fine getting herself in and out of situations. There is also a little boy Hailey has a crush on a "mean" girl that she has to deal with while discovering how to be a true friend to someone.

Overall, this is a book I highly recommend for younger readers. It will be enjoyed by all and is a good start to a new series!

Here's a synopsis for Hailey Twitch from the author's website:

Seven-year-old Hailey Twitch knows three things for sure: who she’s the boss of, how to throw a tantrum, and above all, how to get exactly what she wants. But all that changes when Hailey gets paired up with annoying Addie Jokobeck on the class project. No matter what Hailey does, she can’t seem to change her teacher’s mind.

At home, a cranky Hailey is feeling sorry for herself when – poof! — Maybelle, a magic sprite, comes flying out of Hailey’s dollhouse. Maybelle’s on probation with the Department of Magic, and on a special mission to get Hailey to have fun.

The only problem? The invisible Maybelle starts causing a lot of trouble, and when Hailey’s teacher wants to know who’s to blame, Hailey takes responsibility. After all, Hailey Twitch is not a snitch! Now if only Hailey can convince the Department of Magic that Maybelle has reformed…

You can buy Hailey Twitch from amazon by clicking here, and find out how to win a free book from Lauren by clicking here!