Firegirl, by Tony Abbott
Tom Bender and his seventh-grade classmates at St. Catherine’s watch with anticipation as the school janitor puts another desk at the back of the classroom. What will the new student be like? Then, Mrs. Tracy tells them about Jessica Feeney and her burn injuries.
Nothing can prepare them for Jessica’s appearance. Most of the children respond by passively ignoring Jessica. Some actively slight her by refusing to hold her hand during class prayer. Tom’s best friend, Jeff Hicks, is the most vocal about his disgust for Jessica.
One day, a picture of a pretty girl falls out of Jessica’s pencil case. When a classmate asks who the girl is, Jessica says it’s her dead sister. This comment initiates all kinds of wild rumors about what really happened to Jessica and her sister.
At first, Tom fears Jessica, but he, also, feels a profound curiosity about her. What really caused the horrible damage to her face? How does it feel to be Jessica? How does she deal with everyone’s reaction to her disfigurement? When Mrs. Tracy asks Tom to deliver homework to Jessica, he does so with great reluctance. He doesn’t realize that contact with Jessica outside of the classroom will have a positive impact on his life.
Before Jessica came, the most important thing in Tom’s life was getting to ride in the Cobra owned by Jeff’s uncle.
