This Is Me

Dosi Cotroneo is a freelance writer living in Manotick, Ontario.

Life can be tough for a 13-year-old girl. With her mom pretty much out
of the picture since she left, and her dad working so many hours all the
time, it’s no wonder Shelagh (whose name is supposed to be pronounced
Shay-la but never is) feels that life can get pretty boring. Her little
brother, Jake, who has cerebral palsy, is the love of her life, but
older teenage sister, Jane, who is in Grade 10, is often mean to her.
She is grateful for Betty, the housekeeper, who keeps things
“normal” around the house and takes care of her. But life for
Shelagh is about to become quite interesting and eventful.

Her best friend, Tanya, comes up with a brilliant idea: to create a
student volunteer club called “Match Made Before Heaven,” where
students are paired up with seniors from a local home. That’s where
Shelagh meets Dorothy, a wonderful 84-year-old woman who becomes her
best friend and confidante. Dorothy is there for Shelagh as no one else
has ever been before. Now Shelagh worries about the day that Dorothy
will leave her. Grade 8 turns out to be one of the most challenging and
growing-up years of Shelagh’s life: “What I’ve seen this year and
what I’ve experienced has made me a young woman. I am no longer a
girl.”

Stephanie Craig’s first novel is an enjoyable coming-of-age story
that is sure to appeal to preteen girls. Recommended.