Clementine and the Spring Trip: 08/26/15

Clementine and the Spring Trip by Sara Pennypacker is the sixth of the Clementine books. Clementine is excited about an upcoming field trip to Plimoth Plantation. She and her best friend have everything planned but those plans are messed up when a new girl arrives at school.

Clementine, while somewhat goofy, is a good and responsible child. Her teachers clearly trust her and that's why she's given the ever important job of being the new girl's partner on the field trip.

But you can imagine the heart break Clementine is feeling at having her plans dashed. If this were a Junie B. story, most of the book would be tied up with the protagonist wining, throwing tantrums, and being bizarre, all to avoid the change in plans.

Clementine, though, does her best to come to terms with her new situation. She's worried about her best friend, who hates dirt. The plan had been for Clementine to do all the dirty, hands on exhibits, and now she can't. There's also the weirdness of trying to make friends with the new kid during a field trip. Clementine, though, steps up and does her best.

Now that all by itself, would have been a heartwarming book about a field trip and making friends. But there's a B plot involving the school bus that ties all the sillier loose ends of the story into one, tight and hilarious, satisfying end.

Five stars

Comments (0)