Beacon Street Girls: Freaked Out
by Annie Bryant

    FREAKED OUT by Annie Bryant
    Category:  Contemporary
    Age Recommendation:  Grades 6+
    Release Date:  2/10/09
    Publisher:  Aladdin
    Reviewed by:  Allison Fraclose
    Rating:  4 Stars


    Even though Maeve has managed to work with her dyslexia to become an okay student, her math grade may end up
    spelling her doom. Mr. “The Crow” Sherman seems to have it in for her, and if Maeve can’t pull it together for the
    midterm math test, she may risk getting left behind.

    There’s even more to worry about with Julie Faber’s birthday bash coming up. The whole school is talking about it,
    and every member of the Beacon Street Girls receives an invitation… except one. The rest of the girls are trapped
    between loyalty to their friend and their desire to not miss out on the party of the year.

    Even after it grows painfully obvious that her exclusion is no accident, the left out BSG member struggles with her
    own insecurities, and tries to keep in mind that plenty of other classmates also did not receive an invitation.

    Trying to put the problem of the party aside, the girls work to make learning math fun and easy for Maeve, but
    Maeve’s problem may not have anything to do with math itself, but may be more related to how she is approaching
    the situation. With luck, maybe Maeve can take her mind off of the impending party and focus on her grades to come
    up with a solution.

    It was amusing to watch the Beacon Street Girls tackle this common problem among groups of friends. It’s nice to
    see how different opinions and approaches are taken into account, so that the reactions of the characters appear
    most natural and likely in a real life setting.