Rosalie's Battles

Anne Hutchings is an elementary-school teacher-librarian in Ajax,
Ontario.

Rosalie Dansereau, orphaned early in life, lives with not one but seven
aunts. Perhaps because of her nontraditional lifestyle, Rosalie is a
rather unconventional heroine, impulsive, funny, stubborn, creative,
loyal, tender-hearted—the list goes on. As Rosalie herself would put
it, she is one “holy hopping horrible” bundle of contradictions.
With her best friend, Julie Morin, and Pierre-Yves Hamel, her “Viking
hero,” Rosalie becomes involved in a series of sometimes funny,
sometimes serious predicaments. She emerges from her adventures
unscathed and, in most instances, somewhat the wiser.

That the illustrations complement the text so beautifully may be
partially explained by the fact that Marisol Sarrazin is author Ginette
Anfousse’s daughter, and served as the inspiration for many of the
characters in the Rosalie books. Both will appeal especially to girls in
Grades 3 or 4 who are looking for a first novel. Recommended.