Quote 4
"Do you really still play with paper dolls?" April asked in just the tone of voice that Melanie had feared she would use. Not just because she was April, either. It was the tone of voice that nearly anyone would use about a sixth-grade girl who still played with ordinary paper dolls. (3.40)
April is only eleven years old, but she can still act superior when she sees Melanie doing something she sees as babyish. But when Melanie shows her the game, April is completely sucked in and has to admit that playing with paper dolls can be fun. That's the power of imagination.
Quote 5
"How old is she?" she asked, letting her eyes go narrow.
"I think her mother said she was nine," Caroline said.
"Nine," said April, with a cool smile, "is a lot younger than eleven." (7.4-6)
April is very skeptical about Elizabeth Chung because she's only nine years old. Two years younger seems like a lot when it's the switch from single digits to doubles. How are they going to have anything in common?
Quote 6
All of a sudden April grabbed Melanie's arm. "Look!" she whispered.
"What?" Melanie whispered back.
"Elizabeth," April said. "What does she look like?"
Melanie caught her breath. "Nefertiti," she breathed. (7.28-31)
Meeting Elizabeth also seems like it was meant to be when the girls look at her and realize that in profile, she looks a lot like the bust of Nefertiti. It's a pretty obvious sign that they have to let her join the game.