The Secret Order of the Gumm Street Girls - Elise Primavera

Fun page-turner weaves in some ruby slipper magic.

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Book details

Author:Elise Primavera
# of pages: 464
Publisher:HarperCollins Children's Books
Original Publication Date: 09/26/2006
Genre: Fiction - Adventure
Hardcover: $16.99
Publisher's Recommended Reading Level: 8-12
Read Aloud: 8
Read Alone: 8-12

Parents need to know

Parents need to know that this is story is loosely tied to characters from The Wizard of Oz, and some parts are similarly scary: A certain wicked witch threatens the girls, who are banished to a strange land and have to dodge a fire. Also, a father vanishes, and his daughter is jinxed. But these scary sequences also have humor. There are many references to body image, but it's the older women who are obsessed with their looks -- the girls have the right perspective.

Families can talk about the girls' personalities. How do they differ, and how are they are similar? What's the common thread that pulls the girls into this "club" and helps them recognize their companions' talents? Parents can also talk about Bling Bling and Coco's quest for beauty and how the girls -- who have their own challenges -- are more accepting of their physical selves.

Message
Violence
Sex
Language

Message

Social Behavior:

Characters try to accept differences and work as a team to solve problems.

Consumerism:

Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco:

Violence

Use of the expression "put a gun to head." Also, discussion of whether or not Ivy can be killed by Cha-Cha. Fire used by Cha-Cha to smoke the girls out from the house. Ivy's shoulder is wounded and bleeds. Threat of being squashed into youth potion.

Sex

Two over-the-top characters who want to attain eternal youth wear skimpy clothes and are described with much humor.

Language

Very little questionable language -- the worst it gets is "crap" and "butt."

Common Sense says

What's the story?

Reviewed by Pamela Gelman

Three very different 11-year-old girls live on Gumm Street: Franny thrives on adventure, Cat is athletic with ESP, and Pru is safety conscious and loves to have her nose in a book. Around the time that a fourth girl, Ivy, moves to Gumm Street, strange things start to happen. The piano teacher and friend of the girls, Mr. Staccato, floats away into the sky, a slipper from The Wizard of Oz disappears, and a woman named Cha-Cha Staccato arrives bearing an uncanny resemblance to a certain wicked witch.

The girls must overcome their differences and work as a team to get to the bottom of these mysterious happenings, save themselves from being squeezed into a potion, and even save their beloved town of Sherbet.

Is it any good?

Filled with adventure, mystery, teamwork, fantasy, humor, and wonderful illustrations, THE SECRET ORDER OF THE GUMM STREET GIRLS is a page-turner that will delight tween readers.

Sending a good message for this often-cliquey age, the 11-year-old girls living on Gumm Street are very different and don't like one another in the beginning. But each has unique skills that makes her a good member of this sleuthing team.

The fantasy elements and even the character names are quirky and fun. When the wicked Cha-Cha banishes the girls, they eventually escape to a world of intelligent potatoes.

Positive messages of beauty are woven in when two over-the-top characters who want the perfect eternal-youth-and-beauty potion have their plans foiled by the girls, who have a much more grounded idea of beauty.