  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 03/01/2015 Gr 4–6—Eleven-year-old Cassidy wants nothing more than to be a Knight of the Road, and she has a lazy summer of fishing and pulling pranks planned as preparation—until her great-grandmother's will stipulates she must take etiquette lessons. Not only is Cassidy sorely lacking in social graces, she's prone to calamity; the outlook for learning manners is not so good. On top of everything else, a new oddness between Cassidy and her best friend, Jack, isn't making the summer any easier. Stauffacher spins a yarn of the trials of growing up in both mind and body. While the ending may feel a bit pat given Cassidy's propensity for mayhem, her distinct personality makes up for any unevenness in plot. It is unfortunate, however, that Cassidy makes cringe-worthy references throughout her narration—including one truly problematic mention, ostensibly meant to be humorous, of her "little palsy" when she finds herself near doors with bells. These off-color asides pop up repeatedly in what would otherwise be a decent coming-of-age story for the middle grade set. VERDICT Libraries would be better served stocking titles with protagonists who manage to be mischievous without using disrespectful language.—Amy Koester, Skokie Public Library, IL - Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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