How to Rock Break-Ups and Make-Ups

Haston, Meg. How to Rock Break-Ups and Make-Ups
25 September 2012, Poppy

Kacey is back in the band Gravity and hopeful that Zander might like her now that Molly has broken up with him, but Molly doesn't want anyone else dating him! Zander's friend Stevie arrives from Seattle, and she is so fabulous that Kacey is worried, and also really peeved that Stevie's father is dating her mother and making her go all googly-eyed. There's a dance being planned that Kacey gets Gravity a gig at, a school trip to the Shedd Aquarium, and also a big class election that Paige is running in. At the aquarium, Kacey gets Stevie in trouble for writing graffitti on the glass (Kacey and her friends did it), but when things get serious between their parents, the girls try to work together to break them up.Kace4y breaks into her mother's e mail and offers (as her mother) to interview rock star Levi if he will play at Kacey's school dance because Paige is dying of an awful disease. The star falls for this, so her mother has to miss a hot air balloon trip with Stevie's father, which makes him angry. In the end, Paige forgives Kacey for humiliating her in front of all of Chicago (and Paige wins the election); Kacey dates Zander; her mom dates Stevie's dad; everyone lives Happily Ever After.
Strengths: Quick, fluffy read for girls who like Lisi Harrison's Clique series. There is also a television series based on the first book.
Weaknesses: Didn't personally like, because it was somewhat ridiculous. The fashions alone were absurd (page 70 "In a sleek black moto jacket, low-slung army-green cargos rolled up at the ankle, and round-toed rose-gold snakeskin pumps... her moto jacket lifted, revealing a momentary flash of belly ring." Seriously? Who sends a seventh grader to school looking like this?), and the whole idea of a school election or kids' band playing at a school dance makes me wonder what planet the middle school was on. That said, I would no doubt have adored this when I was in seventh grade!

DeVillers, Julia and Roy, Jennifer. Triple Trouble.
1 January 2013, Aladdin 

Emma and Payton are back for their fifth adventure. Read and enjoyed; again, would have loved in middle school. I got a little confused that the triplets that play a large role in the book were NOT on the cover. As for realism-- we have two sets of triplets in our school right now! Definitely a fun series for girls who like realistic fiction.

From the Publisher:
Emma and Payton are home from Hollywood, but the drama continues: Not only is the Homecoming Dance coming up fast, but there’s someone new in school! Three someones, actually: triplets. Oliver, Dexter, and Asher look exactly the same, dress exactly the same, and—worse—have exactly the same superior attitude.

When the triplets mention they’re participating in a regional Twins & SuperTwins Festival that has a Tweens Division and twin-related contests, Payton and Emma are instantly interested. Emma’s been suffering from competition withdrawal ever since Jazmine James managed to get her disqualified from the upcoming science fair, so she’s got her game face on. And once Payton convinces Mrs. Burkle that the festival is perfect for a VOGScast field trip, the whole gang takes a road trip and the games really get going. But attempts to take down the triplets threaten to land everyone in hot water. Can Emma and Payton switch their way out of trouble, or are they stuck in a multiples mess?