![]() ![]() One, the Dingmans live on a street made up of what the town considers oddballs: "the ladies" (a presumably lesbian couple), a bohemian Jewish family, and an unmarried mother (whose daughter Holly is Ellie's best friend). 10-12) Horn Book Magazine (Novem(Intermediate, Middle School) In her small town of Spectacle in 1963, Ellie Dingman has two strikes against her. Occasional loose ends in the plot put this a step below her best work, but Martin's fans will recognize Ellie's emotional struggle and breathe a sigh of relief at the ending. Martin has created a sensitive, sympathetic character in a setting rich with detail that place her firmly in the period. ![]() When she leaves to pursue her show-business dreams, Ellie is devastated, but understands that this outcome was inevitable. Her mother, Doris Day Dingman, is self-promoting, and totally self-absorbed. But of most concern to Ellie is the future of her family. It's even worse at school, with Ellie and her best friend Holly the victims of endless bullying and hazing. Bigotry abounds, and there are many acts of vandalism against the lone Jewish family and a pair of elderly women who live together. Kirkus 10/15/04 Sixth-grader Eleanor Roosevelt Dingman lives on the wrong side of the tracks in Spectacle, New York, in 1963. ![]()
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