Being the only girl in your class is tough, but when you’re the only girl in the entire school it’s a whole other level of difficult.  But that is exactly the predicament that Claire finds herself in at the beginning of her fifth grade year.

The Only Girl in School by Natalie Standiford is a cute, fast-paced tale of perseverance in the face of a difficult situation.  The main character, Claire, is plucky and likable, despite coming across as whiney at times. You cheer her on as she takes on the boys in her class, and sometimes the whole island, through challenges and teasing.  The story is told in letter format as Claire communicates her daily life to her best friend, Bess, who moved across the country right before the beginning of the school year.  Because of this more intimate writing style the reader feels with Claire the highs and lows of the school year and sees the growth that occurs even before Claire does. The Only Girl in School is an enjoyable read, and, one that many young readers will be able to relate to.

This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Scholastic Press (A Scholastic Imprint)

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  None

Violence/Gore:  Character worries friend was in an accident; character gets hit with balls during game; character’s food is sabotaged with hot sauce; several instances of a character being tripped during game; characters knocked into the water; boats almost collide during race; boy punches girl’s arm; character elbows another character; character’s picture defaced; character trips another; character sabotages clothes; character slips and falls; character is handcuffed to a table; character is charged by an animal; character falls off a horse; character has food thrown at her

Sex/Nudity:  Few instances of a boy trying to kiss a girl.

Mature Subject Matter:

Bullying, friendship, perseverance, ghosts, loneliness.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

None