Timeslip Tuesday

Timeslip Tuesday is a recurring feature at Charlotte's Library. Occasionally, the planets align and I read a time travel book in time to post on Tuesday.

Turetsky, Bianca. The Time-Traveling Fashionista.
Louise loves vintage fashion, even though her mother thinks that wearing other people's old clothes is sort of icky. When Louise gets a mysterious invitation to a vintage clothing store, she goes in search of a dress for her middle school dance. After donning a particularly appealing pink confection, she is transported back to 1912, where she is "Miss Baxter", a beautiful and famous actress... and she is on the Titanic! Knowing the fate of the ship, Louise tries to warn a variety of people before the worst occurs, but is transported back before she becomes a casualty.

Strengths: Beautiful illustrations of the dresses make this a very pretty book. And the entire concept of clothes being agents of time travel-- brilliant!
Weaknesses: Maybe my expectations were a little high for this. I was oddly disappointed. I will buy it, because the students will love it, and I am looking forward to a next book if there is one. I think perhaps I didn't like Louise. She wasn't whiny, exactly, but I didn't adore her.

Webb, Sarah. Ask Amy Green: Boy Trouble.
Amy has an unusual life: her parents are divorced, remarried, and either have small children or are expecting them, and her aunt is a 17-year-old who writes an advice column for a teen magazine. Not only that, but she lives in IRELAND!!!! (I've even been to Dun Laoghaire, where the author lives.) This gives the book an interesting, exotic flavor. Teen clubs? Wow. Don't have those here! A variety of complications ensue over the blended families and the advice giving. Amy Green: Summer Secrets is out in the US, and Amy Green: Bridesmaid Blitz is out in the UK.

Strengths: Great for girls who read a Cathy Hopkins or Cherry Whytock book per day. Sigh. My favorite sort of thins.
Weaknesses: Not really something the boys are going to read!

Bunce, Elizabeth C. Star Crossed.
Digger, a teenaged thief, is on the run from having been attacked when she comes across a party of wealthy young people, who take her in. She ends up working as a maid for one of them, Merista Nemair. When a visiting lord finds out about Digger's past, he blackmails her into spying on the Nemair's, and Digger gets pulled into more political intrigue. Plenty of villians, action, fancy dresses and medievalish fantasy elements make this a satisfying read.

Strengths: Fans of Tamora Pierce and other high fantasy books will enjoy this well-written novel with a strong female character. Weaknesses: There wasn't much new or original ground covered in this.