ON HER WAY
by Bonny Becker
edited by Sandy Asher
Dutton Juvenile, 2004
* A Junior Literary Guild Selection
Reviews Booklist: In the introduction to this anthology, Asher writes that she was a smart, outspoken kid until seventh grade, when, "Rather than risk not 'fitting in,' I became very quiet." The poems and stories here, contributed by familiar authors for youth, feature strong girls who, like Asher, struggle to maintain their "invincible spirit" in the midst of contrary pressures. The selections show girls' frustration and bewilderment: "My horse doesn't care . . . about my hair or think I'm too smart / for my own good," says the speaker in Miriam Bat Ami's poem "This Is the Way It Is"; "That's all sixth grade seemed to be about--tears and crazy things," complains the narrator of Bonny Becker's story "The Makeover." There are also several empowering pieces, including a lively historical story that imagines a young, "unladylike" Annie Oakley. A few of the poems use sophisticated, challenging imagery, but most of the selections are accessible and often inspiring, and many girls will recognize their own challenges in the spirited heroines who long to show their smarts.
School Library Journal: This anthology celebrates growing up female as the protagonists tackle and embrace new experiences and changes in their lives...The stories and poems are entertaining and engrossing, presenting likable characters who learn valuable lessons on their journeys to womanhood.
