Booky Makes Her Mark is based on a trilogy of books by children's author Bernice Thurman Hunter. The novels and their film adaptation focus on protagonist  Beatrice "Booky" Thomson, a young girl living in Toronto, Canada, during 1939. Played by Tatiana Maslany, Booky is not embarrassed that she and her family have next to nothing nor that her father finds it difficult to provide a proper dinner, let alone pay the rent.

After the family -- consisting of father Thomas (Stuart Hughes), mother Francy (Megan Follows), brother Arthur (Erik Knudsen) and college aged Willa (Sarah Allen) -- gets evicted, Booky is booted from the lunch program for needy families because of her remarks about lunch tasting like library paste. However, Booky decides what happened at school ought to remain her own secret.

When Booky's new English teacher asks students to write about what happened on their weekend, she chooses to be candid about her family situation in her essay. As a result, the teacher tells her she has the soul of a writer. Coming from someone who is a published author, this compliment carries even more weight for Booky. Gloria (Kate Todd), an affluent student, has transferred into the class because of the teacher's reputation as a writier. 

Happily, Gloria invites Booky and her best-friend Ada-May (Lauren Collins) to the latest Deanna Durbin picture. Although Booky can't get money from her mother, Ada-May has enough for both of them.

Booky’s family and friends start to notice her persistent coughing. She's also experiencing dizzy spells. Malnourished Booky tells her sister Willa what happened at school, but she thinks it's in confidence. Willa spills the beans anyway, and   Booky's doctor tells her that it's bronchitis and that she could develop tuberculosis if she doesn't get exposure to fresh air.

Booky is reluctant to be sent to her aunt in Muskoka. She's surprised when Aunt Aggie (Roberta Maxwell) gives her tough work to do, but Aggie tells her niece that nobody said anything about a vacation -- they only spoke of the girl's need for fresh air.

Booky returns to Toronto feeling inspired by Aunt Aggie. She goes on her first date with a boy named Georgie ( Ephraim Ellis) who takes her to the movies only to make her sneak in through the side door held open by a friend of his.

Booky cannot believe what happens next. They are caught by someone with a flashlight, and Georgie is banned for six months, Booky for one week. Georgie asks her if she wants to join him for chocolate sodas, but she scoffs. After all, how can he pay for them if he can't even pay for a movie? He can't steal them  -- or can he?

After Booky vows never to see Georgie again, she learns that Gloria and her boyfriend Lorne (Mike Lobel) are no longer an item. She begins to see Lorne in a much different light.

Booky resumes writing stories but is turned off about her work when her English teacher doesn't like her latest effort. And she meets Gloria's neighbor, Lucy Maude Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables, who advises her to focus on education. Then she learns about a Toronto Telegraph writing contest which her friends and mother encourage her to enter. The winner's story will be printed on the front page of the newspaper.

Will Booky muster up enough courage to enter and not be discouraged with the odds against her? Can she win? More importantly, will she become a solid writer? If Booky should win, will her life at home and school change?

Booky Makes Her Mark was the closing selection at this year's Sprockets: Toronto International Film Festival for Children. Director Peter Moss hopes this film, written by Joe Wiessenfeld, is spun into a TV series after it airs on CBC in Canada next fall. If this delightful family film is any indication of its success potential, a series ought to be imminent.

(Released by Shaftesbury Films; not rated by MPAA.)

Review also posted on www.movie-critiques.com .