But She Does Love Being in Rectials
by Peggy Gifford
ages: 7-11
First sentence: “It was just after 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 7, and Moxy Maxwell was still in bed.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!

I love Moxy.

I’m not ashamed of this because Moxy is awesome.

Very few books make me laugh, chortle, snort, guffaw, and giggle. Moxy makes me do all of those. Perhaps that’s because my sense of humor is not very sophisticated — I mean why does this chapter crack me up every time:

Chapter 29: In Which We Learn What Was Inside The Envelope. Inside THE ENVELOPE was the note.

That’s it. Entire chapter. Cracks me up every time. As did the dog barking (“barking and barking and barking” written very small over and over… in the shape of a dog.) and Mark’s pictures, especially his titles. (“My Sister Looks Better with a Cape Over Her Face”) Or the other best chapter:

Chapter 7: The Hook. The Hook is the part of a story that makes you, the Reader, want to keep reading to find out what happens next. Ideally, the Hook should come as early as Chapter 1 — Chapter 2 at the latest. Any later, and the author risks “losing the reader.” Which means you, the Reader, might put this book down for just one second to get some gum and never come back. So please hang on — even though it is already Chapter 7, Something Really Big is about to happen.

And, yes, Chapter 8 is called Something Really Big.

There is a plot: Moxy is to be in a piano recital. Playing “Heart and Soul” with her little sister, Pansy. Except there’s two problems: Moxy has a hard time stopping playing when the song’s over (it’s too short… really, if she’s going to Be On Stage, then she ought to make the most of it), and she’s a bit too distracted getting together the Perfect Outfit in order to, um, practice. Yes, there are escapades (this time involving fake ermine trim and an explosion of Green Grass Powder Shake powder) and problems (what happens when it’s actually time to go On Stage??)

It’s so much fun, I was sad when it ended. Hopefully, though, Moxy will have many many more adventures. If only to entertain me, the Reader.