Friends at Pine Street

Pine Street is a school in the run down streets of a Northern city, close to the docks and the Lake District. Samantha Padgett is a child full of brainwaves in a school where creativity is encouraged: that is until Samantha has a new teacher who prefers quiet, docile children. Samantha, however, already enraged that her real friends have passed on to the High School, is determined to get every bit of mileage out of life in the run down little Primary. She comes up with a great idea to celebrate its hundredth birthday and eventually wins around the stuffy Mrs Wenlock. In the meantime she protects the rights of an elderly neighbour, wins an essay competition and gets locked in on the roof of the high rise block in which she lives. Here is lots of action in a very satisfying and quick read. The relationships between children and adults, both at home and at school, are very realistic, recognisable by all children, not just those from city areas. This is not great literature but Mabel Esther Allan is always good value for those younger middle school children who like to gobble up books.