Underrated

I've finished a good book, a quick read, a novel in verse, but not rhyming, light verse that flows well, and makes great sense with some wondrous line breaks. It's called Minn and Jake by Janet Wong and, at least at my library, hasn't gotten the attention (or circulation!) it deserves. Minn and Jake are 5th graders; Minn is the tallest kid in the class and Jake (the new kid) the shortest. They become rather unlikely friends, as Minn's a great lizard catcher and Jake has just been transplanted from Los Angeles. The verse certainly doesn't deter one from reading the book; in fact I think it helps the book move faster. It doesn't make the story confusing or too lofty for readers in 3-5th grades. Minn is a great female character, she's tall and feeling awkward about her height (but never awkward about her lizard catching skills), she's kind of a tomboy, but until last week, her best friend was Sabrina. So Minn is somewhere in between the tomboy and girly girl, which is kind of realistic, I think. The friendship that grows (and starts in an unlikely and seemingly unable to make it way) between Minn and Jake is nice to watch unfold and you feel that two characters who feel out of place have finally found somewhere they're not. It's a clever book with a sequel that's already out, Minn and Jake's Almost Terrible Summer, which the first book set up nicely. Definitely recommended.
In the midst of Mansfield Park (Austen 4 of 6!)and will probably finish it tomorrow. And then, yes, and then I'll join most of the world and read Stephenie Meyer's Twilight.
In between reads I remain,
the Savage Librarian.