Larger-Than-Life Lara

Larger-Than-Life Lara by Dandi Daley Mackall was published in 2006 by Dutton Children's Books.

"She's the kind of person you never forget..." -front cover

 When Lara Phelps steps into Mrs. Smith's 4th grade classroom the world stops spinning. The story is a first-person narrative told by Laney Grafton. Lara is a fat girl that everybody picks on by calling her names. But this doesn't bother Lara she just smiles and tells them a poem. Until the school play comes up. Everybody in class starts planning. On the day of the play they humiliate Lara in front of the whole school.

This book takes place in Paris elementary school. Paris Elementary is like any other school in the world. It has the same classrooms, the same desks, the same walls. All except for Mrs.Smiths class room which had a chair and a fold table as Lara's desk.

The protagonist of the story is Lara Phelps, the new girl in Mrs. Smith's 4th grade classroom. Lara changes the whole class with her attitude and outlook on life. The antagonist of the story is Joey Gilbert, the mean kid who decides to pull a trick on Lara.

I liked Larger-Than-Life Lara because it was a good book. I would recommend this book to people who like realistic fiction.

IL: MG - BL: 4.9 - AR Pts: 4.0