Review: Beanpole by Barbara Parks

Synopsis: Lillian Pinkerton is tired of being teased about her height by her classmates and tries to make the Pom Squad to improve her self-esteem

Review: An older book, dated, and intended for a middle school audience. But I was drawn to it as a tall girl, who, like Lillian, grew tall in middle school, to the point I felt I towered above all my friends, and defiantly over the boys! I connected strongly with all the feelings of self-consciousness that Lillian did.

The story is simple enough. Lillian decided that on she wants three wishes – and she works (a good lesson) towards those wishes. But they don’t come true – at least, not how she intended.

But the real magic of the story was her growth. In the beginning, she hides herself, embarrassed of her height, and that causes her to shy-away from being a leader. But as she works towards her wishes, she grows: in courage, in confidence, in understanding about herself. It is good to see. By the end of the book, she has learned, at least a little, to accept her height and that other people don’t see it as big of a deal as she does. She also sees that she has more to offer to the world then her looks and finds confidence from her work ethic and successes.

Even if it is a dated (being written in 1983, naturally) it is worth reading for young girls, particularly those struggling with being quite tall at an early age. 

Bookmarks: 3.5 of 5

Awards: None

ISBN: 0-380-69840-4
Year Published: 1983
Date Finished: 8-24-2018
Pages: 147