Kailey (American Girl Today)

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About Kailey

Product Description Whether she's spying on tide-pool creatures or splash-crashing through waves on her boogie board, there's no place ten-year-old Kailey loves more than the ocean. She and her best friend Tess feel totally lucky when they find out a resort-mall-movie multi-plex is "Coming Soon!" to their beach. TWELVE movie theaters. Cool shops. A snack bar. Maybe even bathrooms! Then Kailey learns the whole truth: developers plan to haul away the rocky tide pools to make a smooth, sandy beach for tourists. Messing with a whole tide pool universe, and all the creatures who live there, is just plain NOT OKAY. Kailey's got a great idea, but she's never tried anything like it before. If she can believe in herself and make it work, there might be hope for the tide pools yet. From Booklist Gr. 3-6. The story featuring the latest limited-edition American Girl doll character is a pleasant surprise. In Koss' capable hands, the potentially trite, Pollyanna story of a plucky, 10-year-old California boogie-boarder who takes on wealthy developers not only is believable and readable but also offers good character development, lots of conflict, excellent description, and a realistic conclusion. Although Kailey often hears her parents discussing development in their beachside town, their comments don't mean much until a sign announcing a new mall and theater complex appears on her favorite beach. With the tide pools in danger, Kailey organizes a protest, mobilizing her friends (who are actually pleased about the development), her parents (though her artist father may lose a substantial commission), local business people, and families. Koss' thoughtful presentation to the developer results in a satisfying compromise, proving that even 10-year-olds can make a difference. The commercial complex will be built, of course, but Kailey's beach and tide pools will be preserved. A list of Web resources and an account of a real-life young naturalist are appended. Chris Sherman Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved