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Clarice's extraordinarily ordinary family are under pressure. Dad keeps muttering about how "there might be a reshuffle going on at work" and how he will "have to jump through hoops" if he wants to get a "share of the pie" because "the big cheese" has been making noises about "some people being left out in the cold if they dont keep their eye on the ball", while mum spends her life "gribbling about pants on the floor and shoes on the sofa". And as for her brother, Minal Cricket, he "tends to be utterly a nuisance".
Meanwhile, Mrs Wilburton, the school teacher who insists that Clarice sets a book project "which sounds utterly dreary", until, that is, Miss Bean realises there is a prize. Together with best friend Betty Moody, Clarice sets about bagging the booty with the aid of The Ruby Redford Collection, a series of books about an 11-year-old detective.
As the games commence, Clarice tells her story through her diary, navigating childhood minefields and inviting readers to join her in her wide-eyed wonder at the madness of it all. Children will enjoy the easy-flowing, slightly breathless style and the familiarity of day-to-day dramas, and will undoubtedly agree with many of Clarice's observations on the utter unfairness of childhood in general.
Black and white drawings and random meanderings into alternative type faces that perfectly ape the bored scribblings of many a child add a visual dimension that will appeal even to less able or reluctant readers as well as to those who enjoy a good read. And let us not forget that Utterly Me, Clarice Bean is just about perfect for reading aloud--in fact, this option is highly recommended as depriving the grown-ups of this laugh-out-loud experience would be utterly, utterly unfair. Ages six and over. --Susan Harrison --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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As a child, my daughter could relate to Clarice's trials with her family and teacher (little brother Minal's bad jokes struck a particular chord!), her relationships with her friends and enemies, and her struggles with the dreaded class project. As a parent, I enjoyed the insights into the life of primary age children, the way in which relationships develop, the ambitious plans that don't quite work out, the misinterpretation of events, the independent thought often underestimated by adults.
Clarice's story is interwoven with that of Ruby Redfort - the heroine of a series of a much loved mystery-adventure books Clarice herself is reading. The two stories develop with Clarice and her friends using Ruby-like skills to solve the mystery of the missing trophy and complete their project. My daughter said she wished the Ruby Redfort books really existed, as they sounded excellent.
But perhaps the clearest compliment comes from her interpretation of Clarice's age, cleverly never stated. "I think she must be seven or eight", says my daughter, "Just like me!"
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