By Colorado Kids Advisory Board member Sarah Condie

Title: Blister
Author: Susan Shreve
Illustrator: none
Publisher: Scholastic Books
Pages: 153 pages

Webster's dictionary defines a blister as a nagging sore, a raw spot of skin that no one can ignore. Susan Shreve, however, cleverly defines blister as Alyssa Reed. Her new book, aptly called Blister is about to hit the scene.

Alyssa Reed is a spunky red headed ten-year-old girl from Connecticut. She lives on a farm with her dysfunctional parents and a very peculiar grandmother named Daisy G who is ballroom dance champion of the 70 and over set. Alyssa's life is full of turmoil and hitting ground zero. Alyssa feels invisible to every one and everything around her. Her parents are separating, her baby sister is stillborn (as Daisy G puts it, she is born dead) and Alyssa is feeling the need for change. Her first course of action is to change her name to Blister. That is what she is aspiring to become, a sore stuck so closely that no one would dare forget her.

This book tells the story of Blister's fifth grade year, as her life begins spinning out of control. I don't want to give anything away, but this girl has a knack for getting into TROUBLE! This is a real page-turner. With all the trouble bouncing off Blister; you can't help but root for her. As Daisy G always tells her, "We're elastic you and I, we always bounce back." As Blister attempts to find herself over the course of the year, and make the adults in her life behave somewhat responsibly, I can guarantee that you will love Alyssa Blister. I know I did. She is everything I am not and I adored her for that.

I would recommend this book for girls ages 8-12. Why the wide age margin? Simple. As girls we need to stick together and root for the underdog every once in a while. As an avid reader I compared Blister to a number of other characters in novels. She is a touch of Pippi Longstocking mixed with a dose of Ramona Quimby. If you enjoy reading Judy Blume or Beverly Cleary novels you will thoroughly enjoy this book.

My recommendation? Grab a cup of cocoa, curl up on the couch and immerse your self into the wacky yet perplexing world of Alyssa Blister. (November, 2001)