This Time Count Me in

by Phyllis Anderson Wood

Peggy Marklee convinces her mother to let her transfer from private to public school, where she has difficulty making friends until she meets Ron, who turns out to be a very special friend

Genres: Young Adult

Hardcover

First published October 28, 1981

Reviews

[Cassie · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a teen YA romance? Fine. Predicable but fine.
But I have questions! Why was she going to an all girls private school to start with? There must have been REASONS. What were they? Why are they never addressed?
And what kind of half-assed parent allows their daughter to switch schools so she can meet BOYS? What even is that as a reason? Do boys in general not exist in her town, in the parks, or the library or stores?
I'm trying to excuse the racism as a product of its times, but it was so heavy handed about her wanting friends of color that I had a hard time setting it aside. (Related, I am concerned by these 15 year olds dating college boys. That is... disturbing.)

[Kris Birchfield-burks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book on Goodreads and since I'm on a quest to read books from the 70s/80s, I thought I'd give this a try. Published in 1980, this is about Peggy who is a teenager going to public school for the first time. Peggy has only ever been to a private girl's school. She wants to branch out, even meet and talk to boys! Public school is an eye-opener for Peggy. There are some rough characters in the book, but she does make friends with a boy, and other girls.

It was a quick read and I'm glad I read it.