Beach Reads!

Henderson, Laura. Flirting in Italian.

Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 12 June 2012

Violet is an art student in London who sees a picture hanging in a small museum, and the girl in the picture looks just like her! She manages to arrange to travel to Italy and study in a small Italian language course with Catia, who runs a sort of finishing school. This gets her near the castle from which this painting came, and also away from her very overprotective mother who looks nothing like Violet. Joined by fellow Brit Kelly and Americans Paige and Kendra, Violet settles into a routine of learning Italian and nicieties like flower arranging, going out with Catia's children, and falling for the handsome but wicked Luca. The housekeeper at the castle has an odd reaction to Violet, and she does bear a strong resemblance to the current owner's sister when she was young. When someone tries to lock Violet in a secret passage and she is late poisoned, it's clear that there are secrets that someone would like kept that way.

Strengths: The biggest need for books for girls that I have in my library is for romances, but it can be hard to find one that is intriguing and middle school appropriate. This was both. 13 Little Blue Envelopes is a huge favorite, so anything where girls travel does well. The relationship between the classmates is a nice touch.

Weaknesses: The whole mystery aspect of this seems weak to me. Why not just ask is she is adopted instead of planning a whole scheme to get to Italy? There is a bit of drinking, but never ends well. I don't see another book to this one, but the last paragraph hints at one.

Zeitlin, Meredith. Freshman Year and Other Unnatural Disasters.

(1 March 2012)

Kelsey Finklestein vows that THIS year will be different. She will rock at soccer, and since her arch nemesis has moved away, she has a shot at Jordan Rothman. While she does okay at soccer, an older girl, Julie, has something against her, and she gets stuck playing goalie. Her nemesis' cousin has moved to town and threatens to take over, but turns out to be a nice person. Jordan is dating someone... one of her good friends! The school year continues with these ups and downs (a boy is interested in her, but is a horrible sloppy kisser), but Kelsey manages to get through them with the help of her friends.

Strengths: This reminded me of Ellen Conford books, and I was all set to give it to one of my students who likes both sports books and romance books.

Weaknesses: *Sigh* Too much talk of sex. Not a lot of doing, but just a lot more discussion than I was comfortable with. This was a real shame, because I was enjoying it.

Coriell, Shelley. Welcome Caller, this is Chloe.

1 May 2012

Chloe has a great life-- she's just been elected dance queen and has two great friends. Things start to go south when her friends are upset at how she treated them after being elected queen and stop talking to her. Her grandmother's Parkinson's is getting worse, and she may have to go into an assisted living facility. Worst of all, she has an annoying new guidance counselor who has denied her junior project (that had to do with soap opera vixens) and signs her up instead to help with the failing school radio station. Since her friends aren't talking to her, and have convinced most of the school that they shouldn't talk to her, either, Chloe figures that she might as well work with the radio station. She gets a call in program that ends up doing well. Can Chloe manage to pass her junior project, save the radio station, make peace with her friend situation, and maybe even find romance? You bet your vintage shoes.

Strengths: Light, fluffy, improbably-- this is a great beach read. I've not been buying as much girly lit since the Simon Pulse Romantic Comedies went belly up, so I will probably have to buy this one.

Weaknesses: Not a lot of internal consistency (her friends won't talk to her, but everyone turns in to the radio program?), and a fairly high slappage factor. Yes, Chloe is enthusiastic, but she also is highly insensitive to those around her. I didn't care for the acerbic Clementine any more. And what WAS with the vintage shoes? What teen is going to spend $200 on a pair of shoes?

Bittersweet-- Middle Grade Monday

Smith, Ann Warren. Bittersweet Summer.

Katie and her father and brother are still coming to terms with the fact that her mother is on the road as a country music star, but they hold out faint hopes that maybe she will return. Fourth grade has just ended for Katie, and she is going to miss her teacher, Ms. Morgan, very much. Her friend Claire has a plan-- to get Ms. Morgan to marry her widowed father. Katie thinks that if Ms. Morgan marries anyone, it should be her father! Both families hang out a bit with Ms. Morgan, and they all go to see Katie's mother's concert. Katie's father might have to move the family to Portland for his job, so everything is in chaos. Can Katie make her summer vacation turn out the way she wants it to?

Strengths: Like The Turkey Monster Thanksgiving, this is a sweet tale that I would have adored in the third or fourth grade. The cover art is great, and there is a second book in the series, Tails of Spring Break, that I missed. I would certainly get this series for an elementary school library.

Weaknesses: Still think this series is too young for middle school students. Sigh.

Ockler, Sarah. Bittersweet.

Hudson Avery was a fantastic skater, but when her father has an affair and leaves the family in New York to move to Las Vegas with a female Elvis impersonator, she decides to give it up. It takes all of her time and energy to help her mother run Hurley's Diner, babysit her brother, and keep up with her schoolwork. When she gets a letter about a possible skating scholarship, she thinks about taking up the sport again, especially when she meets hot hockey captain Josh and he wants her to help the hockey team with their techniques. It's hard to fit this in, since the diner is struggling even more and Hudson has to waitress in addition to making fantastic cupcakes for the finer. There are more and more complications as well-- another hockey player, Will, likes Hudson as well, there are issues with a former best friend, school continues to be demanding, and there are unresolved issues with her father leaving. Will Hudson manage to hold everything together, and maybe have a chance at the skating scholarship?

Strengths: This somehow reminded me of Mandelski's The Sweetest Thing-- cooking, involved but somewhat dysfunctional family, young adult but appropriate for voracious middle school romance readers. The cover is really pretty, and it is a satisfyingly complex and hefty read. Hudson is a strong character who stands up to the obnoxious hockey boys!

Weaknesses: Hudson doesn't always make the best choices, but that is realistic. I could have done without some of the details of the father's affair, but it's not that bad.

Middle Grade Monday is a feature on Shannon Whitney Messenger's Blog. For a list of great middle grade reviews, visit there today!