Squashed in the Middle (Ala Notable Children's Books. Younger Readers (Awards))
by Elizabeth Winthrop
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Book Summary Information
Author: Elizabeth WinthropIllustrator: Pat Cummings
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2005-05-01
ISBN: 0805064974
Number of pages: 32
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Book Reviews of Squashed in the Middle (Ala Notable Children's Books. Younger Readers (Awards))
Book Review: Squashed in the Middle With You
Summary: 4 Stars
Daisy is a middle sibling with a problem. It's not that her older sister and younger brother and her parents aren't interested in her; however, they talk about her and even for her, but they don't listen to her! With all that talk about her, most of it negative, Daisy begins to doubt her own feelings. One day her friend Rosa invites her to stay over night. Not only does Daisy's mother not entirely listen to Daisy, but her siblings chime in as well:
"'She won't go anywhere without her stuffed duck,' said her brother. 'She'll come home in the middle of the night,' said her sister in her big know-it-all voice. 'No, I won't,' said Daisy. But nobody heard her. Maybe they're right, Daisy thought."
When Daisy just decides to accept Rosa's invitation, her family is too busy to notice. When the family finally finds her at Rosa's, they react in the same over-protective and condescending way, until Daisy lets out a big shout: "I'M NOT GOING HOME!" When her mother asks her why she has to shout, Daisy explains," Because I tell you things, but nobody ever listens to me." Suddenly (and inexplicably), the parents understand Daisy's feelings (though her brother and sister are just the same) and let her stay overnight at Rosa's. They even listen to her (even the brother and sister) the next morning when she comes home.
So, what's the message, if any, here? I think it's a caution to family members about the importance of listening to everyone, and not letting siblings overstep their bounds. On this level, the book works. However, there's no real solution shown for Daisy. Her shout slows the family's incessant talking long enough for her mother to ask her a direct question, and for Daisy to finally give a direct answer. The shout expresses the pent-up anger, and works in the short run, but the book doesn't really offer a long-term solution. It's almost as if it were Daisy's fault for not shouting sooner to get her family to finally listen to her. While not a major flaw, the book would have been more edifying had it presented more complex answers to a complex problem. Pat Cummings' bright illustrations (gouache, pastel, watercolor, and colored pencil) are bright and simple, and give a kind of in-your-face feeling that mirrors Daisy's home.
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