Summary

In Chapter 1, Charlie has recently moved from Raleigh, North Carolina to Colby, a small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Her father, Scrappy, is in jail. Her mother suffers from depression and does not take care of her daughters. As a result, Charlie now lives in Colby with her Aunt Bertha and Uncle Gus. Bertha is Charlie's mother’s sister. Charlie's older sister, Jackie, lives in her best friend’s household in Raleigh because she has almost finished high school. Charlie is in the fifth grade.

The school year is almost over, but Charlie still has to attend classes. On her first day, she has to answer questions that will let her teacher get to know her. The first thing she does is replace the name Charlemagne with Charlie. Then, she answers the questions in a manner that makes her teacher cringe when...