Oh man, this is triggering memories! I’m 27 but read tons of books like this in the Catholic grade school library, since they kept books until they fell apart. I made sure to read “Ballet Shoes” at least once a year.
Can I contribute a question?
I distinctly remember reading a series of books in this same age range that were also set in the 40s or 50s, but it was about Jewish kids, I think in New York. There may have been a character named Veronica? I remember there was stuff about bar mitzvahs and other Jewish things (kind of funny that my Catholic school library would have them, heh). Does this ring any bells?
This one sounds like the Marilyn Sachs books set in the Bronx. The first one is Amy Moves In and then Amy and Laura, and there’s a Veronica who is a bully who bothers Amy (?) but then later Veronica gets her own book.
Oh, and I was also going to ask if Kitty in the Middle was the one that had an episode where one of the girls forgets to bring her veil to church and so she wears a Kleenex on her head, causing a scandal. In the one I’m thinking of, there was also a big thing about which girl was going to be the May Queen.
Okay, I’ve read half of Kitty in the Middle and skimmed through the rest, and I don’t think this is it. Plus, it’s a sucky book - it’s all fakey fake “Remember there’s a WAR on because THIS BOOK IS SET IN THE FORTIES” stuff. Thumbs down. (The Betsy books, however, are as good as I remembered.)
