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Extraordinary
Last spring, Pansy chickened out on going to spring break camp, even though she’d promised her best friend, Anna, she’d go. It was just like when they went to get their hair cut for Locks of Love; only one of them walked out with a new hairstyle, and it wasn’t Pansy. But Pansy never got the chance to make it up to Anna. While at camp, Anna contracted meningitis and a dangerously high fever, and she hasn’t been the same since. Now all Pansy wants is her best friend back—not the silent girl in the wheelchair who has to go to a special school and who can’t do all the things Pansy used to chicken out of doing. So when Pansy discovers that Anna is getting a surgery that might cure her, Pansy realizes this is her chance—she’ll become the friend she always should have been. She’ll become the best friend Anna’s ever had—even if it means taking risks, trying new things (like those scary roller skates), and running herself ragged in the process.
Pansy’s chasing extraordinary, hoping she reaches it in time for her friend’s triumphant return. But what lies at the end of Pansy’s journey might not be exactly what she had expected—or wanted.
Pansy’s chasing extraordinary, hoping she reaches it in time for her friend’s triumphant return. But what lies at the end of Pansy’s journey might not be exactly what she had expected—or wanted.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
September 13, 2018
5. Sınıfa yeni başlayacak olan Pansy adında tatlı bir kızımız var. Arkadaşı Anna, hastalandıktan sonra Sıra Dışı olmaya karar verir. 5. Sınıfa Sıra Dışı olma hayalleri ile başlayan bu kızın hikayesine bayılacaksınız. Severek okudum. Göz atmanızı isterim
April 27, 2018
a sweet story about friendship and overcoming one's self
September 24, 2026
Oh, my heart.
Pansy and Anna have been best friends for several years. They used to do everything together, but recently Anna has wanted to do things that Pansy isn’t into. Like skating, and going away to summer camp. When Pansy confesses that she’s too chicken to follow Anna’s lead, they have a fight, just before Anna leaves for the summer. And then…Anna returns a totally different person…
It’s a beautiful story, told through Pansy’s eyes and voice, about her struggles to accept how meningitis has affected her friend.
I dare anyone not to tear up during the scene with Pansy and her mom after Anna has a serious operation…
Memorable Quotes:
(Pg.208)-“But there was nothing Mom could do to bring Anna back. There was nothing anyone could do. Anna never did anything bad to anyone, and something horrible had happened to her. That’s not the way it’s supposed to work! If you’re a good person, good things should happen to you.”
Pansy and Anna have been best friends for several years. They used to do everything together, but recently Anna has wanted to do things that Pansy isn’t into. Like skating, and going away to summer camp. When Pansy confesses that she’s too chicken to follow Anna’s lead, they have a fight, just before Anna leaves for the summer. And then…Anna returns a totally different person…
It’s a beautiful story, told through Pansy’s eyes and voice, about her struggles to accept how meningitis has affected her friend.
I dare anyone not to tear up during the scene with Pansy and her mom after Anna has a serious operation…
Memorable Quotes:
(Pg.208)-“But there was nothing Mom could do to bring Anna back. There was nothing anyone could do. Anna never did anything bad to anyone, and something horrible had happened to her. That’s not the way it’s supposed to work! If you’re a good person, good things should happen to you.”
April 29, 2016
Why did I pick it up?
I was asked to review and feature Extraordinary for its one year book birthday! I was actually looking for a contemporary middle grade and loved the sound of Extraordinary.
What's it about?
Extraordinary is the story about a girl looking for fulfill her promises to her best friend, and to become Extraordinary. After having a fight with her best friend before she left for camp, Anna gets sick and has some brain damage due to the illness. Pansy soon finds out that Anna isn't the same person she used to be.
It's a lot more to it than that - you have a girl who is dealing with losing her best friend and the sad yet wishful thinking of things returning to normal, and then her trying to move on. Even though her friend is alive, there is a loss there. It's about being honest with yourself and your friends, and best of all, it's about finding yourself.
Describe the book in 5 words
Sad. Uplifting. BFFs. Growth. Extraordinary!
Who was your favorite character, and why?
There aren't many characters in Extraordinary. You have Pansy, the main character whose POV we get in the story. Anna, her best friend. Andy, who is Anna's twin brother and friend of Pansy as well. And, other friends that Pansy meets along the way. Besides Pansy, I adored Andy. He's a great friend to Pansy, and you can tell that he is having a hard time of it too. I honestly wish we would have gotten a few of his scenes because it would be beneficial to a young reader to know what HE is going through.
Who would LOVE Extraordinary?
Anyone looking for a book with serious themes, but is light and fun at the same time. Ms. Miriam did a great job keeping parts light because lets to real, things could have turned out pretty depressing! I think it's an important story for a young reader.
Are there Illustrations?
No, there isn't.
Overall thoughts
I really liked Extraordinary! There was one part towards that end that had me crying happy tears! It's an uplifting story, one that even I as an adult took from. I highly recommend it for home and classroom!
received this book for free from The Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I was asked to review and feature Extraordinary for its one year book birthday! I was actually looking for a contemporary middle grade and loved the sound of Extraordinary.
What's it about?
Extraordinary is the story about a girl looking for fulfill her promises to her best friend, and to become Extraordinary. After having a fight with her best friend before she left for camp, Anna gets sick and has some brain damage due to the illness. Pansy soon finds out that Anna isn't the same person she used to be.
It's a lot more to it than that - you have a girl who is dealing with losing her best friend and the sad yet wishful thinking of things returning to normal, and then her trying to move on. Even though her friend is alive, there is a loss there. It's about being honest with yourself and your friends, and best of all, it's about finding yourself.
Describe the book in 5 words
Sad. Uplifting. BFFs. Growth. Extraordinary!
Who was your favorite character, and why?
There aren't many characters in Extraordinary. You have Pansy, the main character whose POV we get in the story. Anna, her best friend. Andy, who is Anna's twin brother and friend of Pansy as well. And, other friends that Pansy meets along the way. Besides Pansy, I adored Andy. He's a great friend to Pansy, and you can tell that he is having a hard time of it too. I honestly wish we would have gotten a few of his scenes because it would be beneficial to a young reader to know what HE is going through.
Who would LOVE Extraordinary?
Anyone looking for a book with serious themes, but is light and fun at the same time. Ms. Miriam did a great job keeping parts light because lets to real, things could have turned out pretty depressing! I think it's an important story for a young reader.
Are there Illustrations?
No, there isn't.
Overall thoughts
I really liked Extraordinary! There was one part towards that end that had me crying happy tears! It's an uplifting story, one that even I as an adult took from. I highly recommend it for home and classroom!
received this book for free from The Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
March 24, 2015
Middle grade readers will surely identify with 5th grader Pansy Smith as she tries to be the most Extraordinary friend ever.
Pansy is trying to win the class reading contest, learn to ice skate, be a girl scout, and still be a good citizen for her teacher. Why is she trying to do so much? Because she let down her best friend, Anna. Pansy is certain that Anna will recover from a terrible illness and when she does Pansy will be the friend she always wanted to be. “If I turn into an Extraordinary person, then Anna would have to forgive me for all the promises I’d broken.”
Thsi review is based on an ARC provided to me by the publisher.
Pansy is trying to win the class reading contest, learn to ice skate, be a girl scout, and still be a good citizen for her teacher. Why is she trying to do so much? Because she let down her best friend, Anna. Pansy is certain that Anna will recover from a terrible illness and when she does Pansy will be the friend she always wanted to be. “If I turn into an Extraordinary person, then Anna would have to forgive me for all the promises I’d broken.”
Thsi review is based on an ARC provided to me by the publisher.
March 25, 2015
warm and sweet and moving.
August 19, 2025
A really beautiful story about what makes a good friend, what builds us up, and self acceptance. Very sad in parts, but equal parts hopeful. Things are tough and unfair, but that adversity definitely shapes the main character Pansy in ways she hadn’t imagined. Excited to discuss this one with the Mother Daughter Book Club.
June 17, 2016
I always peruse the Juvenile section at our library for the new books featured on the top shelf, and this one caught my eye. The premise sounded interesting, but I was going to put it back... until I flipped to the author bio and found out that the author was an ex-public school teacher in my old school district (yes, I was public schooled for a year - shocker), and now she works with homeschooled students! SO COOL! That was basically the only reason I actually got it, but when I dived into the book, it was actually super cute! It turned out to be an adorable two-sitting read, and the end even made me ALMOST tear up a little. Such a precious story about friendship and loyalty and honesty and bravery. Loved it!
December 27, 2014
This is a beautiful book full of heart, about a ten-year-old girl named Pansy who wants to become extraordinary so she can be the perfect best friend. Her BFF, Anna, contracted meningitis which resulted in brain damage. Pansy feels guilty that she fought with Anna beforehand and never had a chance to apologize before Anna became sick.
I read a really early draft of this book, and loved it then. I love it even more now. Pansy's loyalty to Anna is inspiring and heart-breaking, and her friendship with Anna's twin brother, Andy, is so perfect. The book also has its funny moments -- I laughed out loud at a school skit gone wrong.
Highly recommended!
I read a really early draft of this book, and loved it then. I love it even more now. Pansy's loyalty to Anna is inspiring and heart-breaking, and her friendship with Anna's twin brother, Andy, is so perfect. The book also has its funny moments -- I laughed out loud at a school skit gone wrong.
Highly recommended!
April 29, 2015
I thoroughly enjoyed the heartfelt and realistic journey of fifth-grader Pansy, as she comes to terms with her best friend's tragic illness. This inspiring book would lend itself well to classroom discussions about students dealing with disabilities among their peers. Pansy sets an "extraordinary" example for others to follow.
May 14, 2023
⭐️4.75 - I truly believed her best friend would revert to pre-meningitis her after the surgery
Everyone in elementary school (it’s a re-read from elementary and I love it just as much as I did close to a decade ago!!!) needs to read this book, it’s so beautiful. It always makes me cry 😭
Everyone in elementary school (it’s a re-read from elementary and I love it just as much as I did close to a decade ago!!!) needs to read this book, it’s so beautiful. It always makes me cry 😭
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2020
Pansy’s best friend Anna outshines her in everything they do. When Anna develops brain damage, Pansy sets out to become EXTRAORDINARY so that when Anna is cured after surgery in December, she’ll be proud of Pansy. Pansy refuses to listen when her mom says that the surgery will hopefully stop Anna’s seizures, and the brain damage is permanent, Pansy knows if she only accomplishes her goals, Anna will be back to her old self.
EXTRAORDINARY is a younger middle grade book, with great messages about friendship, self-awareness and acceptance. Pansy learns painful, yet important lessons about being herself and overcoming fears.
Miriam Spitzer Franklin gets inside the hear of fifth-grader Pansy in a way that feels authentic while teaching some great lessons that don’t feel like lessons. This would have been one of my favorite books when I was a middle grade reader in second and third grade, not overly mature for younger readers yet edgy enough to keep older MG readers interested.
EXTRAORDINARY would be a great Mother/Daughter Book Club read.
EXTRAORDINARY is a younger middle grade book, with great messages about friendship, self-awareness and acceptance. Pansy learns painful, yet important lessons about being herself and overcoming fears.
Miriam Spitzer Franklin gets inside the hear of fifth-grader Pansy in a way that feels authentic while teaching some great lessons that don’t feel like lessons. This would have been one of my favorite books when I was a middle grade reader in second and third grade, not overly mature for younger readers yet edgy enough to keep older MG readers interested.
EXTRAORDINARY would be a great Mother/Daughter Book Club read.
March 15, 2017
Originally posted at Log Cabin Library
Pansy and Anna have been best friends ever since they were little. Anna is daring and brave, exactly the traits that Pansy wishes she had if she didn't chicken out of everything. Like when Anna cut her hair for Locks of Love and joined the Girl Scouts so that she could go on the annual camping trip. Things that they were supposed to do together until Pansy got too scared. Pansy and Anna then had a huge fight and Anna went off to camp without her where she contracted meningitis and sustained a serious brain injury. Since then Anna hasn't been the same and Pansy has been trying to be the sort of friend, the extraordinary friend that Anna would want her to be so that after her surgery Anna will be proud of her. But, being extraordinary all of the time is very difficult and Anna's surgery is quickly approaching.
I've read many a book on individuals who have sustained a brain injury during my time as a speech therapist. Usually, the books were written by the person or a family member. Miriam Spitzer Franklin takes on the interesting perspective of am 11-year-old girl who's friend has the injury, a friend that she has just had a huge fight with. The story actually follows Pansy as she navigates her way through the beginning of fifth grade and much of her experiences have that middle-grade feel. There are the math times table speed drills, learning to roller blade, and logging reading minutes and taking quizzes to be the top of the class. Promises that Pansy had previously made to Anna, that she vows to now keep. I enjoyed the addition of Anna's twin brother, Andy. The three of them were friends and there are glimpses of how Andy is handling Anna's injury, which truthfully I would've loved to seen more of. Pansy's attempts to be extraordinary are her ways of making up all of the things that she didn't do for her friend before her illness. I quickly got wrapped up with Pansy and how she wishes that her friend could be the person she was, and how she hopes that the surgery to fix her seizures will return her to the person she once was. A very compelling story and characters that you can relate to very quickly. Franklin certainly takes care with the story and despite Pansy's confidence that the surgery will fix her friend, she doesn't give the reader those expectations. Overall, this was a wonderful heartfelt story of friendship, a girl who wants to be extraordinary for her friend and coming to terms with the changes that occur following an injury such as this.
Pansy and Anna have been best friends ever since they were little. Anna is daring and brave, exactly the traits that Pansy wishes she had if she didn't chicken out of everything. Like when Anna cut her hair for Locks of Love and joined the Girl Scouts so that she could go on the annual camping trip. Things that they were supposed to do together until Pansy got too scared. Pansy and Anna then had a huge fight and Anna went off to camp without her where she contracted meningitis and sustained a serious brain injury. Since then Anna hasn't been the same and Pansy has been trying to be the sort of friend, the extraordinary friend that Anna would want her to be so that after her surgery Anna will be proud of her. But, being extraordinary all of the time is very difficult and Anna's surgery is quickly approaching.
I've read many a book on individuals who have sustained a brain injury during my time as a speech therapist. Usually, the books were written by the person or a family member. Miriam Spitzer Franklin takes on the interesting perspective of am 11-year-old girl who's friend has the injury, a friend that she has just had a huge fight with. The story actually follows Pansy as she navigates her way through the beginning of fifth grade and much of her experiences have that middle-grade feel. There are the math times table speed drills, learning to roller blade, and logging reading minutes and taking quizzes to be the top of the class. Promises that Pansy had previously made to Anna, that she vows to now keep. I enjoyed the addition of Anna's twin brother, Andy. The three of them were friends and there are glimpses of how Andy is handling Anna's injury, which truthfully I would've loved to seen more of. Pansy's attempts to be extraordinary are her ways of making up all of the things that she didn't do for her friend before her illness. I quickly got wrapped up with Pansy and how she wishes that her friend could be the person she was, and how she hopes that the surgery to fix her seizures will return her to the person she once was. A very compelling story and characters that you can relate to very quickly. Franklin certainly takes care with the story and despite Pansy's confidence that the surgery will fix her friend, she doesn't give the reader those expectations. Overall, this was a wonderful heartfelt story of friendship, a girl who wants to be extraordinary for her friend and coming to terms with the changes that occur following an injury such as this.
October 23, 2025
A gorgeous book about loyal friendship and finding self-acceptance! I was hooked on Pansy's journey to achieve extraordinary status from the very first page all the way to the end. This novel handled serious topics (grief, change, forgiveness, sickness/healing) with such tenderness and authenticity. There's a lot of good that can come from realizing we don't need to be the best at everything. If you or someone you know has perfectionistic tendencies, this story would be therapeutic to read, no doubt. I'm so glad I picked it up!
May 5, 2025
Daniel x Pansy the best ship
June 29, 2018
It was so sad yet amazing at the same time. Full of trials for the main character and realization. It is a story of true friendship and how far one friend will go just to make it up to the other.
September 24, 2018
Yine Genç Timaş’tan her yaştan okurun okuyabileceği harika bir kitap daha. Hafif, hızlıca akıp giden, yer yer gülümseten ve yer yer gözlerinizi dolduran bir kitap Sıra Dışı. Kitabı bitirir bitirmez de direkt en yakın arkadaşımı arayıp ona sahip olduğum için ne kadar şanslı olduğumu söyledim onu da ekleyeyim, öyle etkiliyor yani insanı.
Sıra Dışı, uzun zaman önce en yakın arkadaşına vermiş olduğu sözleri gerçekleştirmeye çalışan ve bu yolda Sıra Dışı olmayı hedefleyen bir kız çocuğunun hikayesi. Pansy Anna’ya buz pateni dersleri alacaklarına söz verir ama bir ders sonra bırakır, saçlarını kestirip bağışlayacaklarına söz verir ama son anda vazgeçer ve hatta kız izcilere katılıp kampa gideceklerine de söz verir ama son anda korkar ve yine vazgeçer. Pansy’nin kampa gitmekten vazgeçmesi üzerine Anna ve Pansy büyük bir kavga ederler ve Anna tek başına gider. Anna kamptayken menenjit geçirir ve beyninde hasar meydana gelir. Herkes beyin hasarının tedavisi olmadığını söylese de Pansy Anna’nın iyileşeceğine dair umudunu asla yitirmez ve Anna iyileşene kadar olan vakti onun hak ettiği gibi bir arkadaş olmaya çalışarak geçirmeye karar verir. Pansy bu süre zarfında kendi kabuğundan çıkacak, vaktini çok daha aktif geçirecek, Anna’ya söz verdiği her şeyi gerçekleştirecek ve arkadaşı eski haline döndüğünde tıpkı Anna gibi bir sıra dışı olacaktır.
Kitabın kısaca bahsetmiş olduğum konusundan da anlayacağınız üzere sadece dostluk üzerine yazılmış bir kitap değil bu, aynı zamanda insanın kendi konforlu alanından çıkmasının ne kadar çaba gerektirdiğini ama bir çıkmayı başardığında neler deneyimleyebileceğini de anlatıyor. Sevdiğimiz insanlar uğruna neler yapabileceğimizi, kendimizin ne kadarını feda edebileceğimizi ve gerçekten isteyerek çabalarsak pek çok şeyi başarabileceğimizi de işliyor. En başta da söylediğim gibi her yaştan okuyucu için uygun bir kitap. Ben çok severek okudum ve son olarak kapak tasarımının muhteşemliğinden bahsetmeden geçemeyeceğim. Orijinal kapak tasarımından bin kat daha güzel olan kapakları çok sık görmüyoruz neticede.
Sıra Dışı, uzun zaman önce en yakın arkadaşına vermiş olduğu sözleri gerçekleştirmeye çalışan ve bu yolda Sıra Dışı olmayı hedefleyen bir kız çocuğunun hikayesi. Pansy Anna’ya buz pateni dersleri alacaklarına söz verir ama bir ders sonra bırakır, saçlarını kestirip bağışlayacaklarına söz verir ama son anda vazgeçer ve hatta kız izcilere katılıp kampa gideceklerine de söz verir ama son anda korkar ve yine vazgeçer. Pansy’nin kampa gitmekten vazgeçmesi üzerine Anna ve Pansy büyük bir kavga ederler ve Anna tek başına gider. Anna kamptayken menenjit geçirir ve beyninde hasar meydana gelir. Herkes beyin hasarının tedavisi olmadığını söylese de Pansy Anna’nın iyileşeceğine dair umudunu asla yitirmez ve Anna iyileşene kadar olan vakti onun hak ettiği gibi bir arkadaş olmaya çalışarak geçirmeye karar verir. Pansy bu süre zarfında kendi kabuğundan çıkacak, vaktini çok daha aktif geçirecek, Anna’ya söz verdiği her şeyi gerçekleştirecek ve arkadaşı eski haline döndüğünde tıpkı Anna gibi bir sıra dışı olacaktır.
Kitabın kısaca bahsetmiş olduğum konusundan da anlayacağınız üzere sadece dostluk üzerine yazılmış bir kitap değil bu, aynı zamanda insanın kendi konforlu alanından çıkmasının ne kadar çaba gerektirdiğini ama bir çıkmayı başardığında neler deneyimleyebileceğini de anlatıyor. Sevdiğimiz insanlar uğruna neler yapabileceğimizi, kendimizin ne kadarını feda edebileceğimizi ve gerçekten isteyerek çabalarsak pek çok şeyi başarabileceğimizi de işliyor. En başta da söylediğim gibi her yaştan okuyucu için uygun bir kitap. Ben çok severek okudum ve son olarak kapak tasarımının muhteşemliğinden bahsetmeden geçemeyeceğim. Orijinal kapak tasarımından bin kat daha güzel olan kapakları çok sık görmüyoruz neticede.
June 13, 2018
Extraordinary was an amazing book. It was the first book to EVER make me cry. I never cry during books or movies normally, but this book touched my heart in an amazing way. I definitely recommend this book, because it is a masterpiece.
October 27, 2017
Anna was always there for Pansy-Even though Pansy broke her promises. But when Anna was at sleep away camp, (Something that Pansy promised she would do with Anna) she gets severe meningitis. Pansy knows that she has to make it up to Anna, and be the friend who will never chicken out of anything. Pansy soon overhears her mom talking to Anna´s mom about brain surgery. Everyone tells Pansy there is no cure-but Pansy believes that Anna will be back to normal. Pansy is determined to be the friend that Anna always was to her....
November 5, 2016
Pansy has been struggling since her best friend Anna contracted meningitis and suffered a stroke, leaving her with irreversible brain damage. When Pansy finds out Anna has brain surgery scheduled, she is sure it will bring the old Anna back, and she decides to turn herself into the perfect person by December 5th. But live never works just like you think it should, does it? My heart broke for these sweet girls.
August 14, 2015
This was the most amazing book! I read it in less than two hours on a bus across Ireland and there were times when I wanted to cry and times it made me smile! Thank you for writing this amazing book!
January 10, 2016
I enjoyed this book because it shows the emotions of Pansy when she is trying to change for her best friend. It also shows how Pansy feels when Anna is going through tough times. Pansy's only mission is to change and be the best she can be to impress Anna.
January 6, 2015
A delightful debut--reminded me a lot of my own 5th grade trials and joys! Review to follow on blog soon!
April 8, 2015
This book was very good!!! It was funny at certain parts and was very well done!
July 11, 2016
Here is my review, check it out - https://youtu.be/0MdwWKbvKZ8
December 4, 2016
Reading with my granddaughter, Clara.
December 29, 2016
This book was about a girl named pansy and her best friend anna (and anna's twin brother andy).Anna right after going to a camp got sick and got brain damage. She did not remember or understand anyone but was strong and was going to get an operation in fourteen weeks, four days. Each chapter Anna is closer to her opperation that will stop her brain seizures, but Pansy belives a miracle will happen and Anna will become her old self again.In this book Pansy is trying to be extordinary for Anna. Right before Anna left they got in a big fight because pansy had chickened out on going to sleep away camp just like she chickened out on ice skating lessons, cutting her hair for locks of love, and more. Pansy is trying to make it up to Anna by cutting her hair to locks of love, learning to ice skate, joining girl scouts, and even being the top of the independent reading list like Anna had tried so hard to do she wanted to make things up to anna for when she got better. In her new 6th grade class her teacher announces that they are going to have an ice skating party at the end of december if they earn it. But doing all of these things are not as easy as they seem she has to work very hard to be able to do this stuff, and she does not have much time for having fun because of it. She and Anna's twin brother Andy are good friends too but as Pansy starts hanging out with Maddison, Emma, and Hannah then they aren't very good friends anymore, and at recess he starts hanging out with Daniel while she is with the girls. They fight and things are hard enough for Pansy. Then it is time for the operation and Pansy's heart is broken as she sees Anna is not the same and will never be. As Pansy is so sad she finally decides to go to the party after having 2nd thoughts she decides to keep moving on and go to the party with her other friends. She learns a lot in this book.
The lessons learned in this book is to keep moving on even when it is rough, it is okay to have more than one friend, and just because it is not what you expect or want it can still be good in a different way. When Pansy finds out Anna is never going to be the same she breaks down finding out she did all this for nothing but then thinking about what Anna would want for her she gets up and keeps moving on. Next part of moving on is being with her other friends she made that year at first all she wants is Anna and no one else but her mom teaches her it is okay to have more that one friend. Finally when Pansy finds out that Anna is never going to be the same she is so sad but the Liddells (Annas family) are happy because when Anna had a chance to die from the surgery she made it out alive.
In this book I liked all the lessons and Pansy's hard work and improvement in herself and all the happy thing with her and Anna. But this book is VERY sad and I was near tears at the end. You become very connected with the characters and when I read about Anna never being the same I was very sad and thought even though Pansy pulled through it was sill a very sad ending. I wish that the author did not make it so sad and painful to read at the end because through the book Pansy thinks and has great memories of her and Anna together. But at the end Andy also said that he forgot to tell Pansy that Anna wrote a note to him and it said "p.s. I forgot Pansy's address. So if you see her, will you tell her were still best friends 4ever". Even though that was the saddest book ever at least Pansy ended up knowing that all along Anna definitely forgave her.
The lessons learned in this book is to keep moving on even when it is rough, it is okay to have more than one friend, and just because it is not what you expect or want it can still be good in a different way. When Pansy finds out Anna is never going to be the same she breaks down finding out she did all this for nothing but then thinking about what Anna would want for her she gets up and keeps moving on. Next part of moving on is being with her other friends she made that year at first all she wants is Anna and no one else but her mom teaches her it is okay to have more that one friend. Finally when Pansy finds out that Anna is never going to be the same she is so sad but the Liddells (Annas family) are happy because when Anna had a chance to die from the surgery she made it out alive.
In this book I liked all the lessons and Pansy's hard work and improvement in herself and all the happy thing with her and Anna. But this book is VERY sad and I was near tears at the end. You become very connected with the characters and when I read about Anna never being the same I was very sad and thought even though Pansy pulled through it was sill a very sad ending. I wish that the author did not make it so sad and painful to read at the end because through the book Pansy thinks and has great memories of her and Anna together. But at the end Andy also said that he forgot to tell Pansy that Anna wrote a note to him and it said "p.s. I forgot Pansy's address. So if you see her, will you tell her were still best friends 4ever". Even though that was the saddest book ever at least Pansy ended up knowing that all along Anna definitely forgave her.
April 9, 2022
I got this book, "Extra Ordinary," when I was in 5th grade. I didn't like the title and so it was not on my shelf until last week. I needed something to take my mind off of school or whatnot until I picked up read the book jacket cover and said this seems a little bit like me. I have always been the friend who chickened out of doing something that they said that they were going to do. Whether that be going tubing riding a roller coaster cutting my hair off or countless other things. Because of this reading was book seemed personal to me. I think that the author did a great job of conveying the sense of character whose best friend has gone through something completely traumatic and wants to better themselves for her.
Pansy says that she is a quitter and that she doesn't stick with things or keep her promises but proved herself wrong throughout the entirety of this novel. Curse of the dedication to things that she wants to do to make Anna proud of her shows true dedication and great friendship between the two girls. The book deals with a sense of hope and possibly unfounded hope. the main character's best friend Anna contracted meningitis and a very very high fever and has some sort of brain injury. Pansy discovers that Anna would be getting surgery at the end of the year that could possibly kill her and so pansy decides that she wants to be the best best friend that there ever was. The fact is is that the surgery that Anna is getting or might get is highly experimental and could possibly not work so I think that the author does a really great job of dealing with the possibility of unfounded hope. And learning to let it's a hand that's holding you loosen a little bit and pansies case the hand that's guiding her to make all of these decisions or be what she calls extraordinary would be Anna or some sort of memory of Anna. By pansy, learning to do these things even if it is for Anna The Next Step would be letting herself do them without Anna having to hang in the balance of hangover and her head. Figuring out how to allow pansy to grow by herself while still staying true to the friendship between pansy and Anna.
What I really appreciated about this book is the chapters. Every chapter has the chapter number and then a countdown until adding a surgery for example “7 weeks, 4 days.” I think this is a really kind of a way to show time progressing in the novel and also gross as well as the sense of urgency and some sort of deadlines that is happening. Upon reading this book as a sixteen-year-old and seeing it's rated for ages 8 to 12 I would say that while it is more juvenile booked it deals with things that are still relevant even to mentally teens. But because of the format that it is presented, I believe that end 8 year old could read this book and probably would enjoy it just not for the same reasons that I do. Even when reading this book as and 16-year old I found myself becoming extremely attached to the character is under different relationships. this speaks to a sense of writing that the author has to allow those people to find some aspect of themself in someone in this book and hold onto that then follow them to their end in the story. I would say this book would be a great introduction to other books such as “Everything Everything,” “The Fault in Our Stars,” or “The Sun is Also a Star ” And I would encourage anyone who has any interest in friendship medicine perseverance bravery or commitment to read this book at some point.
Pansy says that she is a quitter and that she doesn't stick with things or keep her promises but proved herself wrong throughout the entirety of this novel. Curse of the dedication to things that she wants to do to make Anna proud of her shows true dedication and great friendship between the two girls. The book deals with a sense of hope and possibly unfounded hope. the main character's best friend Anna contracted meningitis and a very very high fever and has some sort of brain injury. Pansy discovers that Anna would be getting surgery at the end of the year that could possibly kill her and so pansy decides that she wants to be the best best friend that there ever was. The fact is is that the surgery that Anna is getting or might get is highly experimental and could possibly not work so I think that the author does a really great job of dealing with the possibility of unfounded hope. And learning to let it's a hand that's holding you loosen a little bit and pansies case the hand that's guiding her to make all of these decisions or be what she calls extraordinary would be Anna or some sort of memory of Anna. By pansy, learning to do these things even if it is for Anna The Next Step would be letting herself do them without Anna having to hang in the balance of hangover and her head. Figuring out how to allow pansy to grow by herself while still staying true to the friendship between pansy and Anna.
What I really appreciated about this book is the chapters. Every chapter has the chapter number and then a countdown until adding a surgery for example “7 weeks, 4 days.” I think this is a really kind of a way to show time progressing in the novel and also gross as well as the sense of urgency and some sort of deadlines that is happening. Upon reading this book as a sixteen-year-old and seeing it's rated for ages 8 to 12 I would say that while it is more juvenile booked it deals with things that are still relevant even to mentally teens. But because of the format that it is presented, I believe that end 8 year old could read this book and probably would enjoy it just not for the same reasons that I do. Even when reading this book as and 16-year old I found myself becoming extremely attached to the character is under different relationships. this speaks to a sense of writing that the author has to allow those people to find some aspect of themself in someone in this book and hold onto that then follow them to their end in the story. I would say this book would be a great introduction to other books such as “Everything Everything,” “The Fault in Our Stars,” or “The Sun is Also a Star ” And I would encourage anyone who has any interest in friendship medicine perseverance bravery or commitment to read this book at some point.
March 16, 2016
Extraordinary by Miriam Spitzer Franklin is truly an extraordinary book, and one of the best I’ve read in a while. While the book is targeted for middle grade readers, I enjoyed it thoroughly as a teenager and thought it was a beautifully written tale.
On the same note, there were a few issues I had with it—not enough to degrade my appreciation or my rating, but enough for me to want to at least mention in my review, so I’ll dive into that now and get it done with so I can move onto my positives.
Negatives: First off, the characters, at first, appeared very stereotypical. To me, Pansy felt like a typical MG (Middle Grade) protagonist, and in the beginning it felt like I’d read the book already only because the stereo-typicalness of the characters. Anna’s the typical best friend—she loves to have fun, is super outgoing, loves dragging her friend into crazy situations, and yet still goes out of her way to care for others. Middle grade has cliches as much as YA, and the main one is the Awesome (and Perfect) Best Friend Stereotype, which Anna fit almost perfectly. Her character was so typical it made it hard to truly understand her, only because I’ve read so many other books with best friends just like her. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing (I’ll address this in a bit) and I understand the importance of why the author chose to Anna that way, but to me, the girl who hates all forms of cliche, it lowered my love for the book just a bit. As well, some elements of the plot, like Pansy becoming the popular girl’s friend because the popular girl is actually really nice and it’s only her friends who are mean—or the typical drama with the boy friend who’s she not hanging out with as much, and whom she realizes she’s hurt, but he’s hurt her—are more things I’ve seen dotted over middle grade books EVERYWHERE.
However, like I said earlier, it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. There are only so many personality types to go around. To make Anna a shy, quiet, artsy girl wouldn’t have worked in this storyline, and to make Andy and Pansy perfect friends, or Madison the bully and not have a friendship there, would’ve taken away a lot of the sub-plotline and a lot of the messages. Essentially, while it’s impossible to say the stereotype isn’t there, it WAS done in a way where it was needed for the story, and it was done well, to the author’s credit. It flowed naturally and didn’t read like a stereotype. As well, it slowly went away as the story went on—Pansy developed her own character and slowly escaped the stereotype I thought she was, becoming her own person with a unique personality. Andy showed more promise, and Madison, while still being a bit atypical, also became more likeable.
The main problem I had with this was the whole message towards the end that creeped in, saying, “There’s no such thing as miracles.” Granted, I understand that the author was trying to send the message of reality and how you can’t change reality, but I wish she wouldn’t have taken that stance. You don’t have to straight out say miracles don’t exist to portray a message that things are the way they are and that you have to accept that. It WAS only mentioned once or twice, so it was easy to overlook. I do understand why she did it, and this isn’t something I straight-out hated; I just wanted to note it because it’s not exactly something I loved, either.
Okay—done with that, we can move on to what I DID love.
Plotline: The story and plot were amazing and so well done. The flashbacks are done skillfully, capturing Anna’s voice even though we haven’t actually met the real Anna. The story plays out so heartbreakingly in the way it is told, especially considering coming from a middle grade girl’s point of view. Pansy’s struggles are portrayed well, realistically without being too much for younger readers, while still being enough to make it a deeper story. I felt the author truly captured what it was like for Pansy, truly showed us what life was like from her eyes as she navigated the tricky landscape, trying to grasp the reality while still trying so hard to hope. It was beautifully painted.
Anna’s sickness was described well, not diving into any detailed medical information, but still providing enough to understand. The important thing in the story was that Anna had it, and how or why or what caused it was irrevelent to the story; from that standpoint I thought it was just fine that there was really no medical facts or information (besides, a girl Pansy’s age wouldn’t even know that sort of thing).
Writing: The writing was very good. Everything tied together well, there were no filler chapters or drawn-out scenes, and every scene and character contributed to the plot and with moving the story forward. The sub-plots, I felt, had just as strong positive messages, despite the stereotype-feel. It all came together wonderfully in the end, creating a truly beautiful story.
I loved the role her parents played in the plot, and I loved the way they were portrayed. They weren’t the typical parents you meet in everyday MG; instead, they were unique, and well-developed, proving to be great guides and companions for Pansy while still retaining the parental role. They weren’t cheesy or stiff, and were written in the way parents in MG novels should be written—as helpful and loving guides—instead of strict, mean tyrants or unaware, cheesy adults to avoid. Unfortunately, these two types are all too common in many MG novels and it was nice to see kind, realistic, and actually developed characters as parents in a book. Granted, there are many good MG novels with good parent figures—it’s just that far too many of them completely disregard, or misinterpret, the meaning of a parent’s role in a child’s life that it’s a real positive to me to see a book that doesn’t do that.
It was a short, sweet read, and despite the few stereotypes, it truly was a beautiful book, written well, and to the point. It dealt with a serious issue with enough lightness for it to not be a serious depresser—also light enough for young readers—while with still enough depth to make you think and to appeal to older readers. So despite my few negatives, it was outweighed by the positives and so I can wholeheartedly say I loved this book and would recommend it highly. A beautiful story about friendship and which will make you appreciate your friends more than before, this hidden gem of a novel captivated me from beginning to end. 5.0 stars.
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On the same note, there were a few issues I had with it—not enough to degrade my appreciation or my rating, but enough for me to want to at least mention in my review, so I’ll dive into that now and get it done with so I can move onto my positives.
Negatives: First off, the characters, at first, appeared very stereotypical. To me, Pansy felt like a typical MG (Middle Grade) protagonist, and in the beginning it felt like I’d read the book already only because the stereo-typicalness of the characters. Anna’s the typical best friend—she loves to have fun, is super outgoing, loves dragging her friend into crazy situations, and yet still goes out of her way to care for others. Middle grade has cliches as much as YA, and the main one is the Awesome (and Perfect) Best Friend Stereotype, which Anna fit almost perfectly. Her character was so typical it made it hard to truly understand her, only because I’ve read so many other books with best friends just like her. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing (I’ll address this in a bit) and I understand the importance of why the author chose to Anna that way, but to me, the girl who hates all forms of cliche, it lowered my love for the book just a bit. As well, some elements of the plot, like Pansy becoming the popular girl’s friend because the popular girl is actually really nice and it’s only her friends who are mean—or the typical drama with the boy friend who’s she not hanging out with as much, and whom she realizes she’s hurt, but he’s hurt her—are more things I’ve seen dotted over middle grade books EVERYWHERE.
However, like I said earlier, it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. There are only so many personality types to go around. To make Anna a shy, quiet, artsy girl wouldn’t have worked in this storyline, and to make Andy and Pansy perfect friends, or Madison the bully and not have a friendship there, would’ve taken away a lot of the sub-plotline and a lot of the messages. Essentially, while it’s impossible to say the stereotype isn’t there, it WAS done in a way where it was needed for the story, and it was done well, to the author’s credit. It flowed naturally and didn’t read like a stereotype. As well, it slowly went away as the story went on—Pansy developed her own character and slowly escaped the stereotype I thought she was, becoming her own person with a unique personality. Andy showed more promise, and Madison, while still being a bit atypical, also became more likeable.
The main problem I had with this was the whole message towards the end that creeped in, saying, “There’s no such thing as miracles.” Granted, I understand that the author was trying to send the message of reality and how you can’t change reality, but I wish she wouldn’t have taken that stance. You don’t have to straight out say miracles don’t exist to portray a message that things are the way they are and that you have to accept that. It WAS only mentioned once or twice, so it was easy to overlook. I do understand why she did it, and this isn’t something I straight-out hated; I just wanted to note it because it’s not exactly something I loved, either.
Okay—done with that, we can move on to what I DID love.
Plotline: The story and plot were amazing and so well done. The flashbacks are done skillfully, capturing Anna’s voice even though we haven’t actually met the real Anna. The story plays out so heartbreakingly in the way it is told, especially considering coming from a middle grade girl’s point of view. Pansy’s struggles are portrayed well, realistically without being too much for younger readers, while still being enough to make it a deeper story. I felt the author truly captured what it was like for Pansy, truly showed us what life was like from her eyes as she navigated the tricky landscape, trying to grasp the reality while still trying so hard to hope. It was beautifully painted.
Anna’s sickness was described well, not diving into any detailed medical information, but still providing enough to understand. The important thing in the story was that Anna had it, and how or why or what caused it was irrevelent to the story; from that standpoint I thought it was just fine that there was really no medical facts or information (besides, a girl Pansy’s age wouldn’t even know that sort of thing).
Writing: The writing was very good. Everything tied together well, there were no filler chapters or drawn-out scenes, and every scene and character contributed to the plot and with moving the story forward. The sub-plots, I felt, had just as strong positive messages, despite the stereotype-feel. It all came together wonderfully in the end, creating a truly beautiful story.
I loved the role her parents played in the plot, and I loved the way they were portrayed. They weren’t the typical parents you meet in everyday MG; instead, they were unique, and well-developed, proving to be great guides and companions for Pansy while still retaining the parental role. They weren’t cheesy or stiff, and were written in the way parents in MG novels should be written—as helpful and loving guides—instead of strict, mean tyrants or unaware, cheesy adults to avoid. Unfortunately, these two types are all too common in many MG novels and it was nice to see kind, realistic, and actually developed characters as parents in a book. Granted, there are many good MG novels with good parent figures—it’s just that far too many of them completely disregard, or misinterpret, the meaning of a parent’s role in a child’s life that it’s a real positive to me to see a book that doesn’t do that.
It was a short, sweet read, and despite the few stereotypes, it truly was a beautiful book, written well, and to the point. It dealt with a serious issue with enough lightness for it to not be a serious depresser—also light enough for young readers—while with still enough depth to make you think and to appeal to older readers. So despite my few negatives, it was outweighed by the positives and so I can wholeheartedly say I loved this book and would recommend it highly. A beautiful story about friendship and which will make you appreciate your friends more than before, this hidden gem of a novel captivated me from beginning to end. 5.0 stars.
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http://jcbuchanan.com
January 22, 2017
This is a sweet book about friendship and lost seen through the eyes of 11 year old Pansy. Last spring, Pansy chickened out on going to spring break camp, even though she’d promised her best friend, Anna, she’d go. It was just like when they went to get their hair cut for Locks of Love; only one of them walked out with a new hairstyle, and it wasn’t Pansy. But Pansy never got the chance to make it up to Anna. While at camp, Anna contracted meningitis and a dangerously high fever, and she hasn’t been the same since. Now all Pansy wants is her best friend back—not the silent girl in the wheelchair who has to go to a special school and who can’t do all the things Pansy used to chicken out of doing.
Pansy decides she is going to make it up to Anna and become Extraordinary. She is going to do all the things she was afraid of doing before and keep all the promises she should have kept. She is going to be the perfect friend when Anna gets better. But Pansy learns that things don't always turn out like you planned. Sometimes life isn't what you wished it would be.
Pansy decides she is going to make it up to Anna and become Extraordinary. She is going to do all the things she was afraid of doing before and keep all the promises she should have kept. She is going to be the perfect friend when Anna gets better. But Pansy learns that things don't always turn out like you planned. Sometimes life isn't what you wished it would be.
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