From: Donna Freedman <dfreedman>
Date: 08 Aug 2000 10:45:50 -0800

I, too, identified with Ellen as a child. However, wasn't it her friend's mother who couldn't make the dress properly? Ellen's mother was quite the seamstress, as I recall. But her friend's mother wasn't, and her friend was resentful of Ellen's nice-looking dress, to the point of untying her sash repeatedly. The chapter wound up with Ellen slapping her friend's face, and ruining her friendship. What's worse, it wasn't even her friend who untied the sash ? it was the odious Otis Spofford who did it. (And why can't I remember her friend's name if I can remember Otis Spofford's???) Another thing: That book was the first time I'd ever heard a reference to "yard gnomes." At age 7 or so, I thought they literally meant there were gnomes, or at least midgets like the ones from "The Wizard of Oz," working in the yard ? especially since the illustration showed lifelike little gardeners toiling in the soil!
 Freedman

On Tuesday, August 8, 2000, Megan Schliesman <Schliesman at education.wisc.edu> wrote:
Received on Tue 08 Aug 2000 01:45:50 PM CDT