213 Valentines Book

Wade has trouble adjusting when he is transferred to a special fourth grade class for the gifted and talented, so he plans to send himself 213 valentines signed by celebrities. ...

School Library Journal

Gr 2-4-- Math wiz Wade Thompson, an inner-city black boy, is selected for the district's gifted and talented fourth-grade class held in a wealthier, mostly white neighborhood. Only one other student, Darlene (Dink) Worth, from his old school is accepted into the program. Wade and Dink are social outcasts among the ``stuck-up snobs'' of their new school, and indeed the teasing and tactless comments they endure from a few of their classmates hint at both racism and socioeconomic elitism. Why the teacher allows this to continue from September to February or why the rest of the class takes so long to respond is unclear. Wade finds himself spending a lot of time with Dink, whom he first describes as a ``lady nerd,'' but later comes to accept as a good friend. In the end, the two are accepted into the group. The plot and focus of this slight novel are weak, and the characters are lacking in depth. Cohen does not deal with the theme of racism or the emotional and social problems of academically gifted students in any substantial way. --Eunice Weech, M. L. King Elementary School, Urbana, IL