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Sing a Song of Tuna Fish: Hard-to-Swallow Stories from Fifth Grade
127 pp.
| Hyperion |
December, 2004 |
TradeISBN 0-7868-5509-6$14.99
(4)
4-6
Codell's episodic memoir recounts her fifth-grade year in 1979 Chicago, although her nostalgic tone makes the stories seem like they happened much longer ago. Her stated intention of writing to help preserve childhood memories is a valuable lesson for readers, but her "when I was your age" tone is off-putting, counteracting the inherent humor and poignancy of the tales.