Tony Abbott's Firegirl was published in 2008 by Little Brown. It
is a children’s story about Tom Bender and how he navigates his
way around Jessica, a disfigured burn victim. He struggles to
deal with her presence in his neighborhood and class, which
changes all aspects of his life. The novel is told in first
person and this immediacy connects the reader’s empathy to Tom
and to Jessica. At St. Catherine’s School, Mrs. Tracy prepares
the students for Jessica, who has moved to town in order to take
advantage of special medical attention. Despite the preparations
for Jessica, the teacher is unable to offset her shocking
appearance. Most of the students avoid looking at her
altogether. Mrs. Tracy arranges to have Jessica sit between
Jeff, Tom’s best friend, and Tom. Jeff moves his desk away. Tom
stays in place and struggles to appear normal even if he feels
frightened inside. The students begin to come up with stories
about how Jessica was burned in a fire. True to the nature of
rumors, the stories grow. After sc