Was It Something I Said

by Jean Thesman

Bonnie, convinced she cannot be both short and popular, becomes the school fair oracle, and making predictions changes her own life in some unpredictable--and important-- ways.

10 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Jean Thesman was a widely read and award-winning American author known for her young adult fiction, with a career spanning over 25 years. Her novels often explored themes of family, identity, and belonging, frequently featuring heroines who find their place in the world by uncovering truths about their families and forming chosen connections. “I loved telling the story,” she once wrote, “because I really believed that families were made up of the people you wanted, not the people you were stuck with.”
Born with a passion for storytelling and literacy, she learned to read before starting school and recalled having to wait until she was six years old before being allowed her first library card. Throughout her career, she authored around 40 books, most under her own name but a few under the pseudonym T.J. Bradstreet.
Thesman published a wide range of novels for teens and middle-grade readers, including stand-alone works such as The Rain Catchers, Calling the Swan, and Cattail Moon, as well as series like The Whitney Cousins, The Birthday Girls, and The Elliott Cousins. Her lyrical style, emotional depth, and strong female characters earned her a loyal readership. Notable works like The Ornament Tree and In the House of the Queen’s Beasts remain particularly admired for their nuanced storytelling and emotional resonance.
She was a longtime resident of Washington state and an active member of The Authors Guild and the Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Jean Thesman passed away in 2016 at the age of 86, leaving behind a significant legacy in young adult literature.

Reviews

[AquaMoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book as a teen mainly because the MC is super short (under 5 foot tall) and super tiny and so was I. Come to think of it, not much has changed in that department. But the characters are super likable. Particularly Bonnie. Even better, the story is fun and funny and the plot is one of those that starts innocent out enough, soon snowballs into a hilarious comedy of errors, and eventually resolves itself in all the best possible ways. It's practically Shakespearean!

I'm happy to report this one holds up.

I also think it would make an excellent (old school-style) teen rom-com movie along the lines of 16 Candles, Clueless, Teen Witch, and pretty much any vintage gem form the 80s & 90s.