This Journal Belongs to Ratchet by Nancy J. Cavanaugh

Ratchet lives in a small town with her strange father, but she wishes she knew more about her mother, who died when Ratchet was little. Her father moves frequently, fixes cars in the garage with Ratchet's help, and yells at the city council weekly to tell them how they're idiots and should be trying to save nature. Consequently, Ratchet is home schooled and doesn't have any friends. Her father's latest craze is to save the local park, but it just seems to be one more thing to embarrass her. Ratchet's anger grows from loneliness, missing her mom, and her father's secrets. It seems as though things get worse when her father is sentenced to teach a go-cart class at the community center, and the neighborhood boys and girls make even more fun of Ratchet. Finally, Ratchet decides to take over the class and she's determined to uncover the mystery of her mother by herself.

The entire book is composed of different forms of writing as Ratchet completes her assignments. There are free verse poems, narratives, journal entries, and persuasive essays. This format offers a nice variety of writing, and the plot flows along. The author was able create empathy for Ratchet, as she tried to learn about her past and improve her future. The book had an interesting cast of characters with Ratchet, her father, Hunter and his mother, and Eddie J, the adult town bully.