Fourth Grade Celebrity - Patricia Reilly Giff

Casey Valentine is a quirky character who just wants to feel accepted. Somehow she has the idea that her older sister is better at doing things and liked better at school. This is a theme that I've read several times this summer. Because Ms. Giff taught, she writes a series of books that include characters that overlap from book to book. This set is in 4th grade. The girl feels that if she could just be a celebrity, she would be important. She lies (exaggerates) to a pen pal and sets about organizing things like presidency, Walter her friend, and the newspaper to make herself important. I'm not sure why she doesn't value Walter more. He seems to be the genuine friend type article...accepts her and even enjoys her. I wonder if the Tracey she is writing to is the same one in Poopsie Pomerantz, Pick up your Feet. At any rate, it's more dated somehow and doesn't feel quite true.