Beanpole Book

This is a story about a girl named Lillian who doesn't fit in because she is tall and skinny. She is teased and called a beanpole. It is a pretty good story, but I became confused when it is mentioned what her height is. On the cover of the book it shows her in a group of other girls, towering over them. I assumed she was very tall. But no, 5'6. I consider this to be a normal height of someone that age. My final height being 5'6, I was around that height by that age. I didn't feel tall. It just seemed like a normal height. As an adult I have even felt a bit short.