With twelve kids in the family, Edith gets why she has to take care of her little brothers and sisters and wear hand-me-downs, but she doesn’t understand why she has to work in her father’s diner until after midnight when she’s only twelve; why creepy classmate Jimmy chases her home and calls her names because she’s Jewish; or why God takes away the people she loves.
Eleven-year-old Edith is number four of twelve children. When her teacher gives her an assignment to write a poem about her family, Edith leaves herself out as she isn’t sure where she fits in, except that she’s number four. As the school year progresses Edith discovers more about who she is and who she wants to be. This novel in verse is an excellent coming of age story that could be set in any time and would still ring true to tweenagers. Ages 9-12
176 pages
ISBN: 978-0547610849
Reviewed by Alice L. Cyphers, Librarian and Reading Specialist, Pennsylvania, USA