Book Review: Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon

The book Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell, is about a little girl named Molly Lou Melon who was the shortest girl in first grade, had buck teeth, a voice that sounded like a bull frog, and was very clumsy. Her grandmother taught her to walk proudly and believe in herself and the world will believe in her too. Then the little girl had to move to a new town and go to a new school (away from her grandmother) and she was called a "shrimpo" in gym class by this bully named Ronald Durkin. But she scored a touchdown and everyone thought she was great and Ronald felt foolish. Then the next day, Ronald called her "Bucky-Tooth Beaver" and she stacked 10 pennies on her teeth and the children thought it was cool and Ronald felt very foolish. The third day, he called her a sick duck and she sang so clear and loud, Ronald fell backwards, hit his head and had to go home. The children were elated because they were free of the bully for the day and he felt foolish. And the fourth day, Ronald told her she had made her snowflake all wrong, but when she opened it up, it was the most beautiful snowflake of all. And all the children, including Ronald were in awe. And on the fifth day, Ronald brought her a stacking penny for her tooth and smiled at her. And that night she wrote a letter to her grandma to tell her that everything that she had taught her was "exactly right." This book showed how you can stand up to a bully.