Oh Boy, Mallory

By: Laurie Friedman
Publisher: Darby Creek Publishing
Publication Date: February 2012
ISBN: 978-0761360728
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: February 14, 2012

Mallory McDonald was totally surprised when her Mom actually stopped off at the mall to let her buy a new diary after April’s sleepover. It was a ‘no questions asked’ purchase and that was amazing because she always asked Mallory questions. When are you going to do your homework? When are you going to get off the phone? Did you do your chores? Nope, not a single question. Mallory had some “MEGA-BIG” news to put in her new yellow diary with pink hearts. She simply could NOT believe that a real live boy actually LIKED her.

When Danielle, who wasn’t exactly her best pal, told everyone that Jake liked her, all her “friends started jumping up and down and screaming like she’d just announced the winner of a beauty pageant.” It was huge news to Mallory that a fifth-grader would actually like someone in the fourth grade, especially her. Mallory knew she liked the show “Fashion Fran,” her cat Cheeseburger, and her best friend, Mary Ann, but boys? Mind you all of this came through what you call a grapevine and if Danielle and Arielle were in it, it just might be a big fat lie.

Mary Ann had a boyfriend named C-Lo so she knew all about this sort of thing. In order to make it official, there were all kinds of things that had to happen. There would be the call, a ‘sign,’ but there was also some big time trouble on the horizon that even Mallory’s babysitter Crystal and her “world’s most useless crystal ball” couldn’t have foreseen. At lunch Danielle said that “if someone wrote a history book about Fern Falls Elementary,” Mallory would be in it. She’d make history all right, but not the kind she counted on!

It was no secret that Jake, a “super cute” boy has a CRUSH on Mallory McDonald. Of course since Mallory’s disastrous super sleepover, she’s matured to become a ten and a half year old (or so she thinks). Sleepovers were old hat, but having a boy like her was something else altogether. I love reading about Mallory and I always have to laugh at the trouble she manages to get into. I know she’s going to be in for it when her Mom says, “Your father and I want to see you in our room. You’re in BIG trouble, young lady.” If you like Mallory, you’ll like her mega-funny boy trouble story. If you check out Mallory’s website, you’ll be able to meet the characters, check out some fun activities, learn about the other books in this series, and if you are a teacher you can check out some lesson plans and download a few activities.

Quill says: Another winner in the Mallory McDonald series.