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"Madeline"

"Madeline" is really just this: A little girl feels pain in her gut. She needs to have her appendix out. The End.

But look at the "how": The little girl is a troublemaker in Paris, walking along high ledges, flirting with a possible dive into the Seine. Thrown into a hospital, having complained about inner pain, Madeline is of course enchanted by the toys and the candy, and by the crack in the ceiling ("which sometimes had the habit....of resembling a rabbit").

When Madeline's friends visit, they don't care so much about the toys. They really want to study the fascinating scar on Madeline's stomach. And when the friends return to their little convent/orphanage/school, they can't sleep because they're too jealous; they want appendicitis, so they can "compete" with Madeline.

This is a smart, bizarre story about the gulf between children and adults. The teacher thinks art and architecture are interesting. The children want to study and talk about death. And so it goes.

I really love this book, and it's currently a staple in our house. I'm thinking about looking into the sequels.....

P.S. An unstated joke in the story is that the teacher, Miss Clavel, views a walk in Paris as a glamorous event....whereas the children would rather be hanging out in the enchanting hospital....
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