A Bargain for Frances - written by Russell Hoban, Pictures by Lillian Hoban

When I pulled this book out to read to Little Missy everyone started drifting into the room, the boys, the daughter home from college, everyone.  Everyone loves Frances and she is every child.  Her story is simple but oh SO TRUE!

Have you ever had buyer's remorse?  This is one of our family's favorite booksthat takes this on from a child's viewpoint. Frances (a little badger girl) doesn't have a tea set but she'd like one. Her "friend" Thelma has one to sell but it's not exactly what Frances had envisioned.

Have you ever had a friend that you had to be careful when you played with them?

"Why do I have to be careful?" said Frances.
"Remember the last time?/" said Mother.
"Which time was that?" said Frances.
"That was the time you played catch with Thelma's new boomerang," said Mother. 
"Thelma did all the throwing, and you came home with lumps on your head."
"I remember that time now," said Frances.

Many years ago when one of my daughters' was 10 ( not Little Missy, a different daughter, I have 5) she had a friend like this.  Only it was much more difficult because it wasn't just my daughter being taken advantage of, she was being drawn into a culture of being mean, really mean, to other girls.  This book helped her take a step back and look at this friend and make some decisions about whether she could be friends with her or not.

Singing on the way home about the wonderful deal she got on the used, plastic with red flowers tea set.

Family can be so brutally honest.  This is Gloria, Frances' little sister calling it like it is.  I love her little badger doll.

After Frances discovers that she has been duped she sings on the way home,
Now that plastic's what I've got, 
Backsises are what there is not. 
Mother told me to be careful,
But Thelma better be bewareful.

I love the little songs throughout the book that crystalize Frances' thought process for the reader.  I have had 2 children who make up songs and it rings so true to childhood.

 Mr. Scientist, my 11 yo, says his favorite part in this book was when Frances calls Thelma to tell her in a very sneaky, but yet honest way that there is some money in the sugar bowl of the ugly tea set she has sold her.

"Can I keep what is in the sugar bowl too.? said Frances.
"What is in the sugar bowl?" said Thelma.
"Never mind," said Frances. "No backsies. Good-bye." 
Frances hung up.

I love how Frances is able to creatively resolve her own problem and still maintain her friendship - and in fact took her friendship to another level.  She isn't mean spirited but she is not a door mat!  I also love how she interacts with her sister and mother.

All the the Frances books are lovely and so wise!  We love them all, Bedtime for Frances, where you find out that it is a moth's job to bump into the windows at night, Best Friends for Frances, where you find out that sisters can be friends and go on outings, Bread and Jam for Frances, when what she is, is tired of jam, A Baby Sister for Frances, when she runs away under the dining room table and A Birthday for Frances, where you are introduced to the delights of Chompo Bars.