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May 31, 2005
"When I was young, I was just like you. I got scared. I acted silly. I got in a lot of trouble. When it was happening, I didn't think of it as learning, but it was." This is how Corky introduces herself at the beginning of this delightful first-person narrative, a work of fiction based on the life of author Corinne Escobar Griffiths.
It begins with Corky's hurried and dramatic backward entry into the world, with her feet first and a broken shoulder, and ends with the time she is ready to bid goodbye to childhood and elementary school. "Corky Eckelsbriar" is a witty and entertaining account of this endearing little girl's joys and sorrows, and the valuable lessons she learns along the way.
Right from when she is a toddler, Corky has an inquisitive mind and an adventurous spirit. Her favorite pastime is to explore her surroundings, including the investigation of a big tomato worm that creeps into her playpen, "It felt squishy between my pudgy fingers as it wiggled around. Needing a bit more sensory input, I decided to chew on it to see what the consistency would feel like using my tongue instead of my fingers." or crawling over to her cat's food dish to taste ant-covered leftover hot dogs! As an animal-lover she keeps several pets at home, and though she is broken hearted after their deaths, she bounces back quickly. These experiences help her understand the impermanence of life and enable her to become stronger.
Corky shares a special bond with her father from whom she learns the importance of patriotism and the injustice of racial prejudice. Her loving mother's disciplinary measures include making her take a "sinners bath" and mull over her naughty behavior. With her father as a school board member and mother who is either a room mother or a PTA officer, it is very inconvenient for her to get into mischief at school.
The perfectly obedient and impeccably mannered elder sister Diane is a total contrast to this little imp. Corky hates to share a bedroom with her, so she draws a line across the carpeted floor with a crayon to demarcate her territory.
Once, her sense of humor inspires her to place her cat under the sheets of her bed, with its head on the pillow, to cause some young guests to believe "The cat has its own room!"
Corky's antics will have young readers convulsed with laughter, with her adorable photographs bringing broad smiles to their faces. They will eagerly look forward to a sequel to find out about the next phase of her life as an adolescent at junior high. The author draws on her teaching experience and ability to relate to little children to offer this hilarious book, which, coupled with fascinating insights and enriching vocabulary, is excellent for classroom study as well as personal reading. | 
