Good-Bye Pink Pig Author:C. S. Adler From School Library Journal — Grade 5-7 Ten-year-old Amanda is small, quiet and colorless. She knows that she's a disappointment to her elegant, ambitious mother who focuses all her attention on Amanda's charming older brother, Dale. Her mother is obsessed with getting Dale into an Ivy League college, although Dale protests that neither his grade... more »s nor his athletic skills are sufficient for the scholarship he would need. Amanda feels truly loved only when Pink Pig, a beloved figurine, transports her into Little World, a magical place inhabited by Amanda's collection of miniatures. At school, even Amanda's best friend Libby is made uneasy by Amanda's assertions that Pink Pig is "real." When Pink Pig is lost, Amanda finds herself turning increasingly to Pearly, the school's janitor who is also her grandmother. Amanda's mother has forbidden any contact with Pearly, partially out of bitterness against the husband who deserted her and partly because Pearly is uneducated and "common." Amanda sees only the kindness and love Pearly offers her, a love which gives Amanda the courage to face the devastating changes which threaten both her worlds. This sensitive story should appeal to children who have suffered from the "lonelies." The fantasy element is entertaining but childlike; it is clear that Amanda's adventures come from her own imagination and need. Readers will share Amanda's triumph and grief when she is able to say goodbye to Pink Pig and move on.
Eleanor K. MacDonald, University Elementary School Library, Los Angeles
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