Here's a book review of 13 Little Blue Envelopesfrom Mary S., the wonderful Americorps member who worked at Mainely Girls before me. Interesting reading! -Meredith
I'm excited to have an official blog follower! I hope those of you who aren't bloggers and can't add this to a list of "followed" blogs are instead showing your support by telling all your friends about the Girl's Point of View Book Club.
This review is of one of the books on our High School list, 13 Little Blue Envelopes, written by Maureen Johnson. It's not one of our new titles, but I happened to pick it up and read it a little while ago and I thought that I would share my thoughts with all of you.
Those novels I referenced rather negatively in my last review, that focuses solely on one sudden, huge, and rather unlikely life-changing event? That is exactly the concept on which 13 Little Blue Envelopes is based.
However... it is an absolutely wonderful, fun, interesting and entertaining story. Even if you have never been left a mysterious series of notes or a hefty inheritance from a recently deceased, quirky relative, this book contains enough careful character development and realistic conversation to be understood and appreciated by everyone. Ginny’s European adventure is complete with Italian food, Parisian wine, and a cute British actor, but her classic teenage American charm, naivety, and awkwardness persist throughout the story and compel the reader to love and relate to her as well as the girl next door. As she explores so many different countries and cultures, it is impossible not to empathize with the main character’s every excitement and discomfort. I would strongly recommend this book for anyone who is looking for a laugh and a confidence boost.
Currently, I am finishing up both The Green Glass Sea (by Ellen Klages) and Ida B. and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (possibly) Save the World (by Katherine Hannigan), which are both new titles here at Mainely Girls and would probably be best enjoyed by girls reading from our 4th and 5th grade or Middle School lists. Look for those reviews coming up soon! Enjoy your Club meetings this week.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
First review!
Here's a book review of Criss Cross from Mary S., the wonderful Americorps member who worked at Mainely Girls before me. Check it out! -Meredith
Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins
Everyone has read at least a novel or two about teenagers whose lives are changed suddenly when they have to move across the country during freshmen year, or decide to become a high school soccer star. While I generally find these stories entertaining and critically important, I have often felt that those of us without some life-altering change during our teenage years are in need of some relatable plots and characters as well.
Enter, Criss Cross. Have you ever been introduced to a cute boy or girl for the first time and then realized afterwards that you missed their name completely? Have you tried to prevent an argument by allowing your mother to buy you some piece of hideous clothing, and then ended up stopping along your walk to school to change your outfit? Do you sometimes wish that something really interesting would happen to you…something different, and soon, just anything totally out of the blue? If you can understand any of these situations, then this book was written with you in mind. Lynne Rae Perkins manages to capture in print the hilarity of basic everyday life, allowing readers to laugh at the characters and then at themselves as they experience each simple, awkward moment of this relatable and entertaining story. The main characters are not rock stars, or even high school superstar athletes or geniuses- they are just small-town kids, growing up together one day at a time and wondering when their lives will really begin. Perkins’ language is simple but not simplistic, and her tone is reminiscent of a comfortable conversation with an old friend. I found myself laughing out loud throughout almost the entirety of the book, and I am excited to recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxing afternoon.
Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins
Everyone has read at least a novel or two about teenagers whose lives are changed suddenly when they have to move across the country during freshmen year, or decide to become a high school soccer star. While I generally find these stories entertaining and critically important, I have often felt that those of us without some life-altering change during our teenage years are in need of some relatable plots and characters as well.
Enter, Criss Cross. Have you ever been introduced to a cute boy or girl for the first time and then realized afterwards that you missed their name completely? Have you tried to prevent an argument by allowing your mother to buy you some piece of hideous clothing, and then ended up stopping along your walk to school to change your outfit? Do you sometimes wish that something really interesting would happen to you…something different, and soon, just anything totally out of the blue? If you can understand any of these situations, then this book was written with you in mind. Lynne Rae Perkins manages to capture in print the hilarity of basic everyday life, allowing readers to laugh at the characters and then at themselves as they experience each simple, awkward moment of this relatable and entertaining story. The main characters are not rock stars, or even high school superstar athletes or geniuses- they are just small-town kids, growing up together one day at a time and wondering when their lives will really begin. Perkins’ language is simple but not simplistic, and her tone is reminiscent of a comfortable conversation with an old friend. I found myself laughing out loud throughout almost the entirety of the book, and I am excited to recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxing afternoon.
Inspiration and an explanation
Here's the first blog entry from Mary S., the wonderful Americorps member who worked at Mainely Girls before me and started this blog. Take a gander... - Meredith
An introduction of this blog, to the Mainely Girls in book clubs around the state...
So I started my job here at Mainely Girls several months ago, and a big part of my position is to ship out books to our book clubs around Maine and check them back in when they return. I had noticed over the course of my four months here that a lot of the same titles were going in and out quite a bit, but I didn't realize just how many brand new sets of books were being neglected until yesterday afternoon during some office inventory. Ladies, we have TONS of new titles that are just sitting in our office (slash storage room) literally unopened and simply dying to be read. These books are award-winning, recent stories on a huge variety of topics, and there are a few new ones for each of the three Club age groups. Go on our website right now to look through the list of titles (www.mainelygirls.org), or remember to ask your club facilitators if they have a hard copy lying around anywhere at the next meeting, and pick out something you've never even heard of to suggest to your club this month!
If the enticement of simply being the first person to open a brand new copy of a book (don't you just love the way it smells??) isn't enough for you... this brings me to the real reason that I have started a blog. Although I generally find the word "blog" awkward and unattractive, I wanted a method of communicating more directly with the Girl's Point of View members from around the state, and it seems that this is probably the best way to do that. Through this blog, I will be able to do things like review some of our brand new titles, so that you will be able to choose something that you think you or your club will really have fun with (and have a way to convince the girls at your school to choose that new title you've been eyeing since September!).
In order to do all of this, I obviously have to get reading on those new titles, but I do have two reviews around here somewhere that I wrote about two of our older books a few months ago. I'll try to post those first and start reading the new stuff right away, but for the time being please tell all your friends to keep their eyes peeled for the upcoming reviews! Stay warm and check back soon.
-mary
An introduction of this blog, to the Mainely Girls in book clubs around the state...
So I started my job here at Mainely Girls several months ago, and a big part of my position is to ship out books to our book clubs around Maine and check them back in when they return. I had noticed over the course of my four months here that a lot of the same titles were going in and out quite a bit, but I didn't realize just how many brand new sets of books were being neglected until yesterday afternoon during some office inventory. Ladies, we have TONS of new titles that are just sitting in our office (slash storage room) literally unopened and simply dying to be read. These books are award-winning, recent stories on a huge variety of topics, and there are a few new ones for each of the three Club age groups. Go on our website right now to look through the list of titles (www.mainelygirls.org), or remember to ask your club facilitators if they have a hard copy lying around anywhere at the next meeting, and pick out something you've never even heard of to suggest to your club this month!
If the enticement of simply being the first person to open a brand new copy of a book (don't you just love the way it smells??) isn't enough for you... this brings me to the real reason that I have started a blog. Although I generally find the word "blog" awkward and unattractive, I wanted a method of communicating more directly with the Girl's Point of View members from around the state, and it seems that this is probably the best way to do that. Through this blog, I will be able to do things like review some of our brand new titles, so that you will be able to choose something that you think you or your club will really have fun with (and have a way to convince the girls at your school to choose that new title you've been eyeing since September!).
In order to do all of this, I obviously have to get reading on those new titles, but I do have two reviews around here somewhere that I wrote about two of our older books a few months ago. I'll try to post those first and start reading the new stuff right away, but for the time being please tell all your friends to keep their eyes peeled for the upcoming reviews! Stay warm and check back soon.
-mary
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