Cassidy's Guide to Everyday Etiquette (and Obfuscation)

Gr 4–6—Eleven-year-old Cassidy wants nothing more than to be a Knight of the Road, and she has a lazy summer of fishing and pulling pranks planned as preparation—until her great-grandmother's will stipulates she must take etiquette lessons. Not only is Cassidy sorely lacking in social graces, she's prone to calamity; the outlook for learning manners is not so good. On top of everything else, a new oddness between Cassidy and her best friend, Jack, isn't making the summer any easier. Stauffacher spins a yarn of the trials of growing up in both mind and body. While the ending may feel a bit pat given Cassidy's propensity for mayhem, her distinct personality makes up for any unevenness in plot. It is unfortunate, however, that Cassidy makes cringe-worthy references throughout her narration—including one truly problematic mention, ostensibly meant to be humorous, of her "little palsy" when she finds herself near doors with bells. These off-color asides pop up repeatedly in what would otherwise be a decent coming-of-age story for the middle grade set.