Synopsis
It's a new school year for Mallory and everything's perfect! She has a new computer, a pair of just-right back-to-school shoes, and her best friend, Mary Ann, is in her class. But somehow things go from perfectly good to perfectly bad. Mallory's first crush is the same boy Mary Ann likes—and Mary Ann gets all his attention. And even though she has the right shoes, Mallory somehow gets off on the wrong foot with her teacher, Mr. Knight. Can Mallory find a way to turn things around and put her best foot forward?
Children's Literature
In this next book in the "Mallory" series, Mallory is excited to be starting the fourth grade. With her best friend Mary Ann in her class, her new computer, and her new shoes—what could possibly go wrong? After her first day, Mallory learns the answer—everything—and decides she would rather go back to the third grade. Mallory breaks several of her new teacher's rules and discovers that Mary Ann likes the same boy Mallory likes, Carlos. As she tries to get back on her teacher's good side and figure out how to deal with the developing relationship between her best friend and Carlos, Mallory's troubles only increase. With each step and misstep she takes, Mallory discovers the right thing to do, learning how to make fourth grade as good as she imagined it would be. Fans of the series will enjoy reading about Mallory's missteps on the road to success and the way Freidman captures the emotions Mallory experiences, especially the heartache and drama of her first crush. While the illustrations do not add anything outside of what the reader learns from the story, the cartoonish drawings will appeal to the target audience. Reviewer: Melissa Joy Adams