Kimberly and Ann are in the eighth grade and best friends. Both dream of winning the National Spelling Bee. They spend lunchtime and weekends drilling each other on words. Ann, the main character, is asked by the principal to act as sponsor to a new student who has previously been homeschooled. Although at first Ann is embarrassed to be seen with Lurlene because she doesn’t fit in at all, eventually she comes around and they become friends. Kimberly doesn’t like this intruder in their friendship- especially when they find out that despite never having attended school, Lurlene is actually an amazing speller and fierce competition. The dialogue is snappy and pure middle school angst. A quick read at 144 pages.
