Adored Dizzy. Had to buy a second copy, the first one is out so much. Read Indigo Blue (10/20/2006) from the public library, and liked it so much that I ordered Scarlett sight unseen, which I try not to do. I was not disappointed. Not only did it have a pretty, shiny cover, but it was a great story about blended families, teenagers who are creating their own rough times and not quite able to stop doing it, AND an "exotic local" (Irish countryside). I don't think any of these books ever get shelved-- they go out when I am still waiting to check them back in.
I wrote to Ms. Cassidy, sending her a filled-up circulation card, and she was wonderfully kind and sent me a copy of Driftwood, which isn't available in the US! I will be sending it to the rebindery for a nice hard cover, because it was an excellent story about, well, about a lot of things. The foster child's difficulties in adjustment and being bullied at school are quite timely, the romances are intriguing, and the whole book just made me sigh. I have a line of 8th grade girls who are demanding they be lent the book before they move on to high school.
The only problem I have with these books is that, like Julie Edwards' Mandy, they seem to have an indefinable quality that makes them appealing. I love them, but find it hard to express just why. Luckily, most of my students will accept this, and check the book out. There's just no brief "hook" I can use to describe them, which, considering I get children to check out Paul Zindel's Reef of Death by telling them I stopped reading it after the man's legs were bitten off and I couldn't stand it anymore, might not be a bad thing!
The natives are restless. Must go check out books. This is the other reason I have not been able to muster coherent thought to post.
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