From Childhood to Adolescence

"This August she was twelve and five-sixths years old. She was five feet five and three quarter inches tall...In the past year she had grown four inches... If she reached her height on her eighteenth birthday, she had five and one-sixth growing years ahead of her. Therefore, according to mathematics and unless she could somehow stop herself, she would grow to be over nine feet tall. And what would be a lady who is over nine feet hight? She would be a Freak." 

This passage clearly illustrates Frankie's transition from a child to a pubescent adolescent. She is almost thirteen, yet she still believes it to be true that she can actually grow to be over nine feet tall. While this logic seems childish (very rarely do people grow to be over nine feet tall) the thoughts that drive such logic are those coming from a young girl. Frankie is delving into the world of low self-esteem and insecurity, very common among girls of 13 and 14. The passages prior to this also show the inner struggle of Frankie to be both a child and a young girl. Frankie is constantly in her own mind, thinking about the wedding, about her looks, about the world, things that she never gave much heed to before. She recognizes that these are new thought patterns, yet she doesn't have really have anyone to talk to about why she is having such thoughts. She looks for company from her 6 year old cousin (as a child would do) yet this doesn't satisfy her either. Frankie is in limbo between childhood and adolescence, a place that is never easy to be in. 

What events do you believe need to take place in Frankie's life in order to propel her from childhood to adolescence? As far as her low-self esteem, do you believe that the upcoming wedding will help her realize that she is not a Freak or merely make her more insecure?