Confessions from the Principal's Kid, written by Robin Mellom, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Summary:  Allie West is a 5th grader and Mountain Crest Elementary and her mom is the principal there. She has to go to school early and she leaves late; on her mom’s schedule. Allie has a stay at home dad who pursues woodworking as a way to do something he loves and make money. Allie lost her best friend Chloe because she accidentally tattled on her best friend. Allie feels like she is not as accepted anymore because her mom went from being a teacher to being a principal and things changed. She does become close to the other teacher’s children who have to stay after school until their parent is done working. They call themselves The Afters. She helps the janitor, counts cans for the lunch lady, let’s herself in and out of the library whenever she wants. But when school starts, Allie wants to be normal and does not talk to the school employees or The Afters.This double life starts to get in her way and she begins to question what is really important in her life.

Straight Talk for Librarians:  I think this book is a really good book for upper elementary readers. It addresses being different, standing up to bullies, knowing who your real friends are, small things that happen can have a big impact on certain individuals. Sometimes it helps to talk things out instead of assuming everyone knows what you are feeling. I think you would be hard pressed to find anything objectionable in this story. It’s gentle realism, but the plot twist at the end gets pretty exciting.This would be a good choice for any reader who has to go to school where their parent works. It would make a good addition to the school library and would be a perfect fit on a back to school book display. The cover art is attractive and appeals to both boys and girls. It’s a sweet book with a satisfying ending. I definitely recommend it for any reader looking for school stories.