“Though she be but little, she is fierce.”

It should come at no surprise that I absolutely adored the novel The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet by Erin Dionne. The main character’s parents are professors of Shakespeare and her little sister is a girl genius–a seven year old taking college courses, but who must attend public school for a year before she can officially be admitted. She ends up being sent to school with Hamlet, who is in eighth grade.

Now, dear readers, if you remember anything about middle school, you will remember the quest to fit in. The absolute worst thing at that age is to stand out, to be anything other than ordinary, unless it is in some “popular” way. Hamlet is absolutely humiliated, not just by her too-smart-for-her-own-good sister, but also by her parents’ increased involvement at her school.

While some of the antics become a bit predictable, I think that may only be because I’m reading this as an adult, with all of those years of experience behind me. The characters don’t surprise me because I’ve seen all that behavior before. (Probably also don’t hurt that I teach middle school and see it on a daily basis.) Though some of it does seem a bit over the top, it is rather humorous, and feels a bit cathartic when she finally begins to figure out how to navigate through the treacherous waters of eighth grade while also learning how to communicate her thought, feelings, and needs to her parents.

One of my few complaints is with the descriptions of the parents “Elizabethan” clothing. This is kind of an unfair criticism, though, since I actually do historical costuming. Let’s just say that the clothing the parents wear is in the vein of what I have seen patrons of a Ren Faire wearing, not the actual workers or reenactors. I suppose only a scholar or costumer would be able to tell the difference though, so I’m sure middle school readers will not notice anything amiss.

The book would probably make a nice introduction to Shakespeare, especially A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which is heavily featured in the story. It also deals with the issue of standing out in a positive way, living up to your responsibilities, learning to communicate with parents who just don’t seem to understand, and being a role model for younger siblings–and all this in a package that doesn’t feel didactic and even has its moments of humor.

March 25, 2010 Posted in: fiction