Sixth Grade Secrets
 First Edition | |
| Author | Louis Sachar |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Richard Lauter |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's novel |
| Publisher | Scholastic |
Publication date | 1987 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 202 pp |
| ISBN | 0-590-40709-0 |
| OCLC | 51670925 |
Sixth Grade Secrets is a novel by Louis Sachar that follows sixth-grader Laura Sibbie and her friends as they create a secret club in violation of school rules. Laura aspires to be a leader and learns the three Rs of what leadership can entail – Relationships, Rivalries and Responsibility. In 2009 it was released by Bloomsbury Publishing in the United Kingdom under the title, Pig City.[1]
Plot summary
When Laura Sibbie starts a secret club at school, she makes the other members give her something totally embarrassing as "insurance," to make sure they don't tell anyone else about the club. She promises to keep the insurance secret, unless someone blabs. Gabriel wants to join, but when Laura asks him, there is a misunderstanding and he storms out to form a rival club, Monkey Town.
The pranks they play on each other escalates into ugly and destructive acts. It gets to a point where Gabriel steals the insurance, and reveals it to the school. Sheila (who hates Laura) and a friend, Howard, corner Laura on her way from school and cut a large chunk out of her long hair. Laura gets a new, short, curly hair style which Gabriel, arriving with daisies, likes. The sheared Laura sees how foolish they've been, and the truth of Gabriel's affection comes to light.
Characters
- Laura Sibbie - hero, fan of George Washington, natural leader, founder of "Pig City", has a clubhouse nicknamed the "Dog House" in her backyard that becomes club headquarters. She matures a lot the last few weeks of sixth grade. Pig City insurance: Love letter to Mr. Doyle.
- Allison - co-founder of Pig City, always clean and neat, fond of Aaron. Pig City insurance: photograph naked in bathtub at age 3.
- Tiffany - co-founder of Pig City, always unkempt, fond of Nathan, first of the trio to be kissed by a boy. Pig City insurance: Prank newspaper article from uncle that claims she is ticklish and that she is sloppy with spaghetti.
- Gabriel - has copied more dictionary pages than anyone else in class; always in trouble but never tells on anyone; has crush on Laura, plan to get Laura to tell him about Pig City backfires, forms rival club "Monkey Town." Planned Pig City insurance: to be photographed wearing a dress, then to kiss Laura, but was rejected from Pig City after that.
- Kristin - has a small face but wears big glasses that make her look cute and everyone thinks she is studious. Pig City insurance: underpants.
- Debbie - hangs upside down to get blood flowing to her brain. Pig City insurance: recorded phone call professing love to Howard.
- Nathan - uses amusing speech expressions ("okee-dokee-do!"), first to kiss Tiffany. Pig City insurance: Hate letter to Mr. Doyle.
- Aaron - always well dressed because his grandmother picks his clothes, good singing voice. Pig City insurance: recorded singing "I am such a stupid jerk..."
- Karen - easy going very talkative, Yolanda's best friend. Never invited to join Pig City, joins "Monkey Town" instead.
- Yolanda - very pretty but shy, never talks much, fond of Jonathan, Karen's best friend. Only Pig City member to be removed because of breaking the secrecy rule, joins "Monkey Town" then leaves for Jonathan's club "Eagle's Nest" after club splits. Pig City insurance: Love note to Jonathan.
- Jonathan - smart, athletic, handsome, conceited, begins relationship with Yolanda after discovering the love note. Joins "Monkey Town" but splits with Gabriel after Laura's successful division ploy, forms "Eagle's Nest" with Yolanda. Fond of Yolanda.
- Sheila - has frizzy hair, extremely jealous of Laura and her long hair, motivated by revenge and capable of vicious pranks, joins "Monkey Town." Fond of Howard.
- Howard - seeks friendship by agreeing with everyone, but ends up backstabbing everyone. Kicked out of "Monkey Town" club, rejected by both "Eagle's Nest" and "Pig City" as unworthy. Becomes pawn of Sheila to help with attack on Laura. Fond of Sheila.
- Linzy - teacher's pet. Never joins a club. Tricks Laura for Mr. Doyle into admitting who wrote the messages on the board, but helps complete dictionary pages for them because she feels guilty.
- Mr. Doyle - Laura's sixth grade teacher, well-respected by most, especially Laura; admonitions to his class usually include the phrase "a word to the wise".
- Mr. Sibbie: Laura's father.
- Mrs. Sibbie - Laura's mother.
- Dan: Laura's eldest brother.
- Sue: Dan's wife.
- Rebecca: Dan and Sue's five-year-old daughter.
- Mr. West: Computer salesman at local mall.
- 15 students: 15 other unknown students, mentioned, but without names.
- Bald Man: Sold Laura Pig City hat for $1 at garage sale. Originally offered 50c because she was pretty, but she rejected, thinking that she "didn't think she should get it any cheaper just because she was pretty."
- Martin Luther King: mentioned by Allison as a brave person, like Laura.
- George Washington: also mentioned by Allison as being brave. Laura's idol.
- Howard's mother: was spoken to briefly on the phone to get to Howard by Debbie as part of her Pig City insurance.
- Laura's sister: mentioned only. Her old Hawaiian muumuu, which she left behind at Laura's house, is a recurring piece of clothing and was the dress planned to be used for Gabriel's Pig City insurance.
- Paul McCartney: obviously loved by Laura, as "Since then, [The Dog House] had been home to... the Paul McCartney Fan Club..."
- Gabriel's father: mentioned by Gabriel ("First, he erased Dear. His father called his mother "dear."")
- Gabriel's mother: also mentioned by Gabriel in the same sentence (as above.)
- Count Dracula: mentioned in Question 1 of Mr. Doyle's maths test ("The first question was a word problem: Question 1. Count Dracula drank 7 gallons of blood every 2 weeks. How many quarts of blood did he drink a day?")
- Mollie Morbid: mentioned in Question 2 of Mr. Doyle's maths test ("If she was, then Allison and Tiffany would have to show her Declaration of Love to everybody in the school, including Mr. Doyle. Question 2. Mollie Morbid made many meatballs. From 1 lb. of meat she made nine meatballs. She had 4 1/2 lbs. of meat. How many meatballs did Mollie Morbid make?")
- Laura's great-grandparents: mentioned as having a photograph of them in the hall of Laura's house.
- Laura's nephew: mentioned as having a photograph of him in the hall of Laura's house.
- Mary: mentioned in song title, "Mary Had a Little Lamb".
- Yankee Doodle: mentioned in song title, "Yankee Doodle".
References
- ↑ "Pig City by Louis Sachar". The Bookbag. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
External links
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