"Brownies" Response

Brownies was interesting to say the least.  I thought the setting in the story was very well done.  It seemed very authentic and did a lot to remind me of being at boy scout camp especially the dirty bathrooms that you had to hike to.  I also found the dynamic between the girls very believable with the two ring leaders who seemingly made up a story to stir up trouble.  I thought the perspective of the main character was also done very well.  By making her a quiet girl she can essentially be a narrator but can also offer a very human perspective to us.  I think that by making the character a non-ring leader she also has a lot more appeal because the majority of people are obviously not the "popular kids" to use the vernacular of a 4th grader.  Daphne's character was also very interesting because she is something of an enigma to both us and Laurel.  The perspective used made Daphne's character much more interesting along with her apparently modest means and upbringing.  Both the reader and the character are allied in their hoping that things will turn out alright for Daphne.  Her mysterious poem also adds to her being mysterious. 

Conflict was also utilized in this story very well.  First it is revealed that the Laurel's troop dislikes the Troop 909 but not why.  Then we are led to believe that one of the girls from 909 used a slur against Daphne but both the reader and the narrator remain skeptical after all, little kids lie, and it seems just as likely to be untrue as true.  Finally it all culminates in the fight scene and the two ringleaders are revealed to be likely be liars.    

I think what'd I would take away is that a conflict is best exposed early on and the story developed from there with allusions toward it.  The story is immediately interesting because you want to know why two groups of girl scouts would fight.