The Horn Book Guide

INTERMEDIATE FICTION

McGhee, Alison

Julia Gillian (and the Quest for Joy)

313 pp. | Scholastic | April, 2009 | Trade ISBN 978-0-545-03350-3 $16.99

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Drazen Kozjan. An amalgamation of minor lies becomes a major weight for Julia Gillian--Julia Gillian (and the Art of Knowing)--who struggles with trumpet lessons, her mysteriously distant best friend, and a new school cafeteria monitor. McGhee's affectionate, humorous portrayal of her protagonist's emotional state reveals a keen perception of elementary-school worries. Kozjan's pen-and-ink drawings animate the characters' high and low notes.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2009