The Ripple Effect

Gr 4-6–Told through many people’s eyes, this character-driven realistic fiction focuses on community. Zella is worried about elementary school ending and the way all her classmates seem to be maturing and growing past her. She has one last chance to cement her legacy by pulling off an epic class prank, but when it goes wrong due to her own insecurities, the redeeming act will have an impact on the entire community. While Zella is the main character, the story is narrated by a rotating cast of kids and even some adults. Their voices are ­distinct and add depth to the plot, and this style generally enhances the book. It can be confusing sometimes as the short chapters jump characters, but Caprara skillfully weaves strands together. It also lengthens the admittedly long set-up for the prank, which occurs well past the halfway mark. This building up of tension and flaws in Zella makes the concluding act more ­poignant, but also leads to a slightly rushed final third of the book. The overarching moral is clear without being pedantic.