Bibliography: Atkinson, Elizabeth; I, Emma Freke; Carolrhoda Books; Minneapolis; 2010; 233 pages; ISBN 978-0-7613-5604-2.
Plot: Emma Freke is a social outcast. She had friends when she was younger, but one summer she grew taller than all of her classmates and her hair turned bright red. She has become a recluse due to everyone at school making fun of her and thinking that she is a freak. Emma has never met her father and her mother would rather run around dating men than be a mother to Emma. Emma feels like she doesn’t fit in anywhere. When Emma tells her mother this, her mother shows her an invitation to a reunion of her father’s side of the family. At the family reunion, Emma comes out of her shell and meets her place in the world.
Review: Emma Freke is a different type of character. She is smart and strong willed. Even though she believes that her name is her identity, she is willing to find solace in anything. I found myself empathizing with Emma. She is close to six feet tall in the sixth grade. The only place she fits in is in her mother’s bead shop, where she basically runs the business. She has met her father, and her mother has always avoided the topic when Emma asks.
Emma’s only friend is Penelope, an adopted child of two older women. Penelope is the complete opposite of Emma. She is outgoing and friendly and open to anything. Emma always wonders how Penelope can be so open and friendly. At times she gets embarrassed of Penelope’s openness. Penelope is the perfect friend for Emma.
When Emma goes to her family reunion she finally finds her place in the world. She finds people that look just like her. She learns to be open and stand up for herself. She also learns that they pronounce the last name Frecky instead of Freak. By learning this new pronunciation, Emma realizes that a name is only a name and doesn’t define a person’s character.
Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction/Coming of Age
Interest Level: age 9-12
Related Books: Planet Middle School by Nikki Grimes; Little Divas by Philana Marie Boles; My One Hundred Adventures by Polly Horvath
Awards:
Moonbeam Award: Gold Medal for Pre-teen Fiction
Bank Street College of Education’s Best Children’s Books of 2011
Author Information: http://elizabethatkinson.com/?page_id=1010
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