Someday Angeline

HarperCollins

Someday Angeline
Louis Sachar
1983

The Summary
"Angeline could read before she was old enough to turn the pages of a book.  She mastered the piano without a single lesson, and she's always been able to predict the weather.  To bat that, so far, being smart has caused her nothing but trouble.  Mean kids at school call her a genius freak but, someday, Angeline hopes to be just another smart and happy eight-year-old.  For Angeline, someday can't come soon enough."

The Good
I really enjoyed Someday Angeline.  It was a sweet, heart-breaking little novel that I quickly grew to love.  Yes, it is meant for younger readers; yes, it's audience age does reflect in the writing.  But it's a great book, nonetheless., because it shows readers that all people--all the "freaks" and outcasts and outsiders, like Angeline--have a place they belong.  Everyone has a place, and everyone has someone that loves them.

I loved it.

And I loved Angeline.  Smart, sweet, and knowledgeable of just about everything, Angeline is a dynamic eight-year-old with a heart of gold.  Her relationships with her father and Goon (Gary Boone) and Mr. Bone is so nice.  They get along so well, and I love seeing how they change and evolve as characters--how they grow closer.  How Angeline grows among the people she loves, the people who love her so very much.

Overall, I really enjoyed--nay, loved--reading Someday Angeline.  It's short, it's sweet, it's well-written, and it's populated by quirky, lovable characters.  It's a fantastic children's book, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone who likes children's literature or, you know, if you have children who love to read.

Louis Sachar always seems to outdo himself when he writes.

The Bad
It is a book for children, which is reflected in the writing.  It's short and it's very simply written.  Don't get me wrong, it packs a bit of a wallop when you realize why Angeline's father kept her from going to Mitchell Beach, but it's not riddled with complex language or very mature themes.  It's appropriate for young readers.

But, at least, it's a quick read if you decide you really don't like it but still want to finish a book.

The Ugly
Bullies.

One of the worst things about school is the cruelty of other children to those considered outcasts.  Even teachers can sometimes be the enemy, because they care less about teaching their students and more about their own agenda, about being correct in the eyes of their students rather than teaching them correctly.