The Halloween Costume Contest Book

Title / Author / Publication Date: Trudy/Jessica Lee Anderson/2005

Genre: Fiction

Format: Hardcover

Plot summary: Trudy is the 2005 winner of the Milkweed Prize for Children's Literature, dedicated to introducing "young readers to memorable characters struggling with the kinds of difficult decisions that young people of any era must face." The book does just that, telling the story of a young girl named Trudy who was born to her mother late in life, at age 53. Often, Trudy's parents are mistaken for her grandmother and grandfather. As Trudy starts middle school she becomes overwhelmed by math anxiety, the pressures of a friendship, and first crushes. With all those competing interests, Trudy tries to keep her head on straight, but soon another issue enters the picture. Her father, in his 70s, begins to forget things, spout odd sayings, and place items in odd places around the house. As the story progresses Trudy and her mother realize Pop has Alzheimer's and must come to terms with his decreasing memory, his health scares that land him in the hospital, and his eventual placement in a care home.

Considerations or precautions for readers advisory: Deals with Alzheimer's disease and strained family relationships. Her father ends up in the hospital and eventually, a nursing home.

Review citation: Grant, Alison. (2005). Trudy. [Book Review]. School Library Journal. 51(12), 136.

Section source used to find the material: Novelist Plus

Recommended age: Grades 4-7