The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell

In the second semester of Sam’s sixth-grade year, Michaela “Mickie” Kennedy is a new student at OLM. Her parents sent her to Catholic school due to behavior problems. Mickie has short hair and wears short skirts, and she prefers to hang out with the boys: “Boys in the class denied her admittance into our exclusive domain, but we learned quickly that Mickie was not to be denied” (147). She especially enjoys challenging Ernie at sports.

A popular girl, Mary Beth, nominates Sam to be class lector for the upcoming school-wide Mass, which the students’ parents will attend. It is an important job but anxiety-inducing for some students. He knows his mother will be ecstatic. Though this nomination was intended as a joke, Mickie seconds the nomination. Ernie tells Sam he fears Valerie and Mary Beth are trying to humiliate Sam, but Mickie encourages Sam, telling him he deserves the honor. When Sam rushes home from school to tell his mother the news, she is worried but congratulates him. Sam is eager to begin his preparation, and Madeline, having done theater work in college, offers to help along with Sam’s father. Sam notices his father has been missing dinner due to working late; their pharmacy is losing business to a larger chain drugstore.