Other editions of book Deenie

Deenie wasn't entirely against being a model, but her mother's insistence and all the nagging about her posture were a bore. Deenie liked being pretty-ugly things like hunchbacks and bad cases of eczema repelled her-and she liked being attractive to boys, especially Buddy Brader. She wanted to be a cheerleader, too, but it was the posture thing again! Was she going to have to walk around with books on her head forever? Then her posture problem really got out of hand. After all the doctors and all the examinations, it had a new name, adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, and it meant that Deenie would have to wear a brace from her neck down to her hips for four years-or longer. "The story, told from Deenie's viewpoint, expresses poignantly her hopes, her worries...Ms. Blume has a keen awareness of the teenager. Her book is rich in dialogue and characterizations: it should be popular."

Deenie chronicles the life of thirteen-year-old Wilmadeene "Deenie" Fenner, whose mother is determined to have her become a model. At the same time, Deenie's 16-year-old sister, Helen, who is academically proficient, is being pushed by their mother to keep her grades up so that she can eventually become a doctor or lawyer. One day, Deenie is diagnosed with scoliosis, and is prescribed a body brace to wear for the next four years. At the same time, Helen has fallen in love with Joe, a charming and romantic young gentleman who works for the family business (a gas station). Mrs. Fenner, upset that her plans for her daughters are coming undone, has Joey fired and still exhorts Deenie to pursue a modeling career once she stops wearing the back brace. Though fearful that Helen will hate her because Mrs. Fenner said that Joey was let go because of the family's doctors' bills, Deenie is astonished to learn that Helen refuses to blame her for Joey's departure, and the sisters close ranks.