Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo. Candlewick Press, 2016. Children's chapter book. Fiction.When Raymie Clarke's father runs away with a dental hygienist, Raymie decides that if she wins a local contest, he will see her photo in the paper and come home. Raymie thinks she has no talent so she takes baton twirling lessons from former champion Ida Nee. But, another girl in her class, Louisiana Elefante, badly needs the prize money to help her and her grandmother. And, Beverly Tapinski, the third in this unlikely trio, just wants to wreck havoc on the contest. It is 1975 and the fun is just beginning.
As with all of her books, DiCamillo zings right to the heart of her characters and brings friendship, wisdom, and new identity on the way to growing up. Finding Archie the cat, attending the services for old Mrs. Borkowski, and even Raymie's swimming lessons from the summer before all point the way to new insights and adventures for the girls. DiCamillo brings humor, empathy, and great storytelling together. Readers won't need batons or bunny barrettes to join the fun!
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