The total tragedy of a girl named Hamlet

 

Dionne, E. (2010). The total tragedy of a girl named Hamlet.  New York, NY: Dial Books for Young Readers.

Interest Level: Grades 4-8

Reading Level: 5+

Eighth grader Hamlet Kennedy just wants to be a normal eighth grader. Unfortunately her family is making it difficult for her to do so. In the first place, there's her unfortunate name. Not to mention the fact that her 7-year old homeschooled but genius sister Desdemona will be attending eighth grade with her as well, to give her exposure to school and the arts before attending college. And then there are her parents. If you haven't figured it out by now, they are Shakespeare freaks. Well, college professors actually, and they are perfectly happy to guest lecture in Hamlet's classes in full costume when the classes are doing a unit on Shakespeare. If all of that isn't bad enough, Desdemona is now tutoring 8th graders in Pre-Algebra, a subject Hamlet does not excel at, someone is leaving origami pigs in Hamlet's locker, and Hamlet knows that the "in girls" do not have Desdemona's best interests at hand when they befriend her.

This is a fun read, but one that most any middle schooler will relate to. While most kids don't have parents who dress as characters from Shakespeare's plays, they generally do have some quality that embarrasses their child. Struggles with classes, friendships, and members of the opposite sex are also common and those are all present in this novel. I wish Hamlet's parents were a little less clueless from the beginning, but it's easy to see how they are so wrapped up in what they find fascinating and which others idolize them for (Huzzah!) that they might miss Hamlet's discomfort. Give this book to those who enjoyed Stargirl.