Clarice leads a cool, socialized life. Chaotic expressive pictures work well with scattergun text itemizing clarice’s likes and dislikes, family, relatives and friends. Stereotyped mum (relaxes in the bath ) and dad ( big office with Ms Egglington to buzz you through ). Many 10 year old girls might want to be Clarice.
“I like videos. But I like my dinosaurs better because you can fix them, you can bath them, you can take them to bed. And best of all, you can say their names.”
“She was very sad. The garden was dark. The house was dark too. Mog sat in the dark and thought dark thoughts. She thought, ‘Nobody likes me. They’ve all gone to bed. There’s no one to let me in. And they haven’t even given me my supper’. “
Anastasia deals with everyday problems such as popularity, the wart on her thumb or the new arrival of her little brother, Sam. The book is written in episodic fashion, each chapter self-contained with minimal narrative link to the others. At the end of each chapter is a list written by Anastasia, listing her likes and dislikes, showing the character’s growth and development through the story.
“I shall only answer if you call me George. I hate being a girl. I won’t be. I don’t like doing the things that girls do. I like doing the things that boys do.”