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Posts from June 2007

The Extended Day Girls on TV!

A while back I wrote about 10 fifth grade girls from East Harlem who, with two of their teachers, wrote a book. DEAL WITH IT! Powerful Words from Smart, Young Women contains real-life stories about the girls' lives, and is now available from Amazon and other outlets. The story of these girls who came to school 40 minutes early every day to write has captured people's imagination.

Today's news is that CBS invited two of the authors to appear on Up to the Minute. You can see the video here, in which "Stacey Shubitz and Amanda Sevilla discuss their book "Deal With It!" and the challenges children face today." I thought that student Amanda was remarkably poised. And Stacey, one of the two teachers involved, simply radiated both concern for and pride in her students. Please click through. The video is well worth watching, and I expect great things from the Extended Day Girls in the future.


Some Administrative Notes

I just wanted to mention a couple of blog-related things to you all.

  1. If you comment on this blog, you may have noticed that I've started requiring "catchpa", where you have to copy a series of letters and numbers from a graphic before your comment will be accepted. I find this annoying as a commenter, but spammers have made it necessary. Since I turned this on, comment spam has markedly decreased. Sorry for any inconvenience.
  2. You may have noticed that at the end of all of my reviews, I've been including bibliographic information about the book (publisher, age range, etc.). A friend who uses this blog to find book suggestions for his two children asked if I could make a change, to move the information to the top of the review. That way he could see at a glance if the review would be relevant for him, and not have to spend time reading reviews of books that weren't of direct interest. I'm all about saving people time, and I thought that this was an excellent suggestion. Since some of the bibliographic information is more detailed, I decided to leave that at the end. Therefore, I've started splitting the reference information about the book into two sections. Author, title, number of pages, and age range at the top, publisher, publication date, source of books, and links to other reviews at the bottom. Please let me know if you think that there would be a better way to organize this information, or if you think that this works. I especially want the reviews to be helpful to parents, librarians, and teachers who are looking for book ideas for kids.
  3. There's a link going around by which you can have the content of your blog rated, following the standard movie ratings. For anyone concerned about such things, Jen Robinson's Book Page was rated PG. It probably would have been rated G, except for some references to "dangerous", and one reference to "death". That dratted Dangerous Book for Boys!

Online Dating

Mingle2 - Online Dating


New Readergirlz Issue

The July Readergirlz issue is now available. Readergirlz, founded by YA authors Lorie Ann Grover, Dia Calhoun, Janet Lee Carey, and Justina Chen Headley, celebrates gutsy girls in life and literature. The July issue of Readergirlz focuses on FUN. To that end, the book of the month is Goy Crazy, by Melissa Schorr. The accompanying community challenge is to register at BookCrossing, hardly a strenuous effort, but one that helps bring books to many people. This issue also includes an interview with Melissa Schorr, a recommended playlist, and some intriguing discussion questions. I haven't read Goy Crazy yet, but I do have some first-hand experience in dating across cultures, and I'm sure that I'll enjoy the book and the discussion.

Along with Little Willow, Jackie, Miss Erin, and Alexia, I'm a Postergirl for Readergirlz. The Postergirlz are working together to help the Readergirlz divas come up for book suggestions for future months. If you have any favorite YA titles that feature gutsy girls, let us know.


A Seed is Sleepy: Dianna Hutts Aston

Book: A Seed is Sleepy
Author: Dianna Hutts Aston (Author), Sylvia Long (Illustrator)
Pages: 40
Age Range: 4-8

A Seed is Sleepy is the sequel to the acclaimed, Cybils-award-winning An Egg is Quiet. Written by Dianna Hutts Aston, and illustrated by Sylvia Long, this lovingly-illustrated non-fiction picture book is all about seeds. From the mundane (rice and sunflower seeds) to the exotic (black palm and orchid) to the ridiculous (hamburger bean and earpod), Aston and Long bring them to life.

As with the previous book, a frontispiece shows numerous examples of seeds, with the plants they came from rendered at the end of the book. Within the text, we learn that seeds start out sleepy, and are sometimes secretive, fruitful, and/or adventurous, and sometimes even naked(!). In the authors' now trademark style, colorful ink and watercolor illustrations are paired with concise, easy to digest facts. In addition to scientific information about how seeds distribute and nourish themselves, and grow into plants, the book includes interesting, less-known facts. For example:

"The oldest known seed to sprout came from an extinct date palm tree. After it was unearthed from a long-ago king's mountaintop palace in Israel, a scientist planted it. Four weeks later, it sprouted!"

How cool is that? Also:

"A parachute of fine, silky hairs can take a dandelion seed 100 miles from its parent plant."

100 miles! Who knew? I won't forget that one any time soon.

What else can I say, that hasn't already been said about this book? The illustrations are wonderfully detailed, dancing across each page, a riot of colors and textures. The facts are engaging, detailed without being the least bit dull, and easily accessible for elementary school readers. Highly recommended for children and adults.

Publisher: Chronicle Books
Original Publication Date: February 2007
Source of Book: A review copy from the publisher
Other Blog Reviews: Book Buds, A Wrung Sponge, The Excelsior File, A Year of Reading, Love2Learn Blog. See also an interview of the author and illustrator at cynsations.

© 2009 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved.


Do We KidLit Bloggers Rock, Or What?

This morning Amanda from A Patchwork of Books nominated me for a Rockin' Girl Blogger award, as shown below. Rockin_2

How cool is that? Amanda totally made my day. I especially liked that she said: "I have ordered a ton of books for the library based on her musings and my TBR pile has grown considerably thanks to her." I love to think that my reviews make a difference for people. That's really what made my day, though the "rockin' girl" thing is fun, too. And delightfully pink. Amanda clearly rocks herself (though she made me feel old when she said that 10 years ago she was babysitting and riding her bike around).

I didn't see any rules, but I'm sure that I'm supposed to identify other Rockin' Girl Bloggers. However, I simply can't limit this to a couple of people right now. My Summer Blog Blast Tour friends (chaired by the indomitable Colleen) rock. My Postergirlz and Readergirlz cohorts rock. And really, the whole Cybils team (especially our tireless leaders Kelly and Anne, and the still-active young adult fiction nominating committee), also rock. (Though a few of the Cybils participants are not "girl bloggers" of course.)  These people have all been unbelievably great to work with.

One other person who I'll mention specifically is Robin Brande, who rocks because she is hosting a party for kidlit bloggers. She recently started encouraging the bloggers and writers who visit her site to invite others. She wants to give us all a chance to meet each other, in a safe, friendly, non-exclusionary environment. So, if you can swing a trip to Chicago on October 6th, you can attend the party. I'll be there. I've already purchased a plane ticket.

So, all of you rockin' bloggers (you don't have to be 'girls', though many of you are female), I hope that I'll have a chance to meet you at Robin's party. But even if you can't make it, if you're here reading this post, and wanting to come, or you know that I read your blog, then you rock, too. Happy Thursday! And thanks again to Amanda.


An Egg is Quiet: Dianna Hutts Aston

Book: An Egg is Quiet
Author: Dianna Hutts Aston (Author) and Sylvia Long (Illustrator).
Pages: 36
Age Range: 4-8

An Egg is Quiet, written by Dianna Hutts Aston and illustrated by Sylvia Long, is a non-fiction picture book about eggs of all different types of creatures. I realize that that description alone doesn't make it sound very exciting. But An Egg is Quiet is simply gorgeous. It's also filled with interesting facts, sure to engage budding naturalists. The combination of lovely ink and watercolor illustrations and clear, engaging text won this book the first ever Cybils award for non-fiction picture books last year.

This is a book that could keep elementary school kids entertained for days. The frontispiece, just before the title page, is a two-page spread with pictures of dozens of eggs, each to scale and labeled. A matching end page shows, in a different order, the creatures (birds, insects, fish, iguana, etc.) that the eggs come from, just begging kids to match them together.

Each spread throughout the book details another aspect of eggs. Their varied sizes and colors and types of decorations. Their different textures and means of camouflaging themselves. Their function, and how they protect and nurture. Specific examples of eggs abound, most shown actual size, unless otherwise indicated. The facts sprinkled through the book are kid-friendly, with occasional humor, always tied to concepts that kids can understand easily. For example, from the "an egg is clever" page:

"An egg might be speckled to resemble the rocks around it. Or it might be gray, the color of mud by a lake. An egg does not want to be eaten by a raccoon or a snake or a fox."

Or this, from the "an egg is shapely page":

"Seabird eggs are pointy at one end, so if they're laid on rock ledges, they roll around in safe little circles, not off the cliff."

The page ("an egg is giving") detailing how an egg shelters and feeds "the little creature growing inside it" is fascinating. The book concludes with the hatching of some black-necked stilt nestlings. Young readers are sure to be thrilled. The general tone of the book is matter-of-fact, not overly sentimental, but also filled with wonder.

An Egg is Quiet is certain to be a hit with kids already interested in natural science. You know who I mean - kids who catch tadpoles, and watch ants scurry along on the sidewalk. But the beauty of this book is that it's also likely to engage other kids - the ones who have to be dragged outside kicking and screaming. And it's beautiful, making it an excellent gift book. Buy it for every early elementary school kid you know, that's my advice. And be sure to pair it with the sequel, A Seed is Sleepy, which I'll also be reviewing. I think that the Cybils committee that picked this book made an excellent choice.

Publisher: Chronicle Books
Publication Date: February 2006
Source of Book: Purchased it, after it won the 2006 Cybils award for non-fiction picture book.
Other Blog Reviews: Love2Learn Blog, Fuse #8, Planet Esme, Blogcritics Magazine (Gina Ruiz, also at AmoxCalli), About Children's Books. See also an interview with Sylvia Long, at the Cybils site.

© 2009 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved.


Local Program for Kids: Healthy Cooking and Live Theater

For those of you local to the San Jose area, I wanted to let you know about a program being held at the Santa Clara City Library this weekend. Here's the announcement:

For Kids: Healthy Cooking and Live Theatre. Saturday, 10:00 a.m.—12:30 p.m., Central Park Library Cedar Room. Start off the morning with Chef Silva from Pacific Coast Farmers' Market at 10:00 a.m. and learn ways to cook quick and healthy summer meals. At 11:30 a.m., watch an award-winning performance of Kaiser Permanente's Educational Theatre Program. It provides health information through the engaging medium of live theatre. Kids will love the show!

This program is part of the Kaiser Permanente/Santa Clara City Library "Wellness Conversations" series. You can download a PDF file with more details here.

Kaiser has been a tremendous benefactor to the library, and I think that the Wellness Conversation program is a great series, well worth your attention.


Small Sister: Jessica Meserve

Book: Small Sister
Author: Jessica Meserve
Age Range: 4-8
Pages: 32

Small Sister by Jessica Meserve is a classic tale of a younger sister trying to catch up with her older sister. Small can't jump as high or run as fast as Big. Big gets better presents, too. Eventually, Small is pushed to her limit, and lashes out against her sister, committing a rash act. But this makes her feel worse, instead of better. Things don't improve until Small finds an important task, one which only she can do. This puts the two sisters on a much more equal footing, an example sure to be cherished by younger siblings everywhere.

Small Sister is digitally illustrated, with tremendous detail. Small is particularly vibrant, with her sad eyes and pouty mouth. The outdoor backgrounds are filled with flowers and butterflies and grasses, and give a feeling of expansiveness. The indoor scenes are detailed, too, with patterned tablecloths and wallpaper, and the amount of pink that you would expect in a home with two young girls. There's a bit of a modern-day Little House on the Prairie feel to the setting, with a small house on a hill, surrounded by wildflower-filled fields. The parents are nowhere to be seen.

The author also uses the illustrations to symbolically capture Small's impression of Big. Throughout most of the book we don't see Big in the flesh. Instead, she looms as a menacing shadow over Small. However, when we finally do see Big, after Small's mean act towards her, she's nowhere near as large, or as threatening, as she looked in the shadows. She's just another little girl.

This book is a joy to look at. Even the relatively sparse text is used in a visual manner. On the first page, we learn that "Small had a problem." "Problem" is in larger text, looming. Later, and this is my favorite spread in the book, the guilty-feeling Small "decided to leave." The words "Nobody noticed" curve along the pathway, towards the front gate, trailing the forlorn Small. It's fun and playful, with just the right touch of pathos.

Small Sister would make an excellent gift for any younger sibling striving to catch up with an older one, regardless of gender. And aren't most younger siblings trying to catch up? Nostalgic and outdoor-loving adults will especially enjoy the illustrations. The last page, with the two sisters playing in the trees, made me want to join Small and Big, or at least watch them fondly from the nearby porch.

Publisher: Clarion Books
Publication Date: May 2007
Source of Book: A review copy from the publisher

© 2009 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved.


Children's Literacy Round-Up: June 26

I have a variety of children's literacy and reading related news for you this week. As is often the case, several of the stories are from Canada. Happy reading!

  • Each 11-year-old in England will be given a free book, from a list of 12 selections, to encourage reading for pleasure during the summer. According to an article in The Guardian, "The choice of books was made by a panel of experts, including booksellers, librarians, teachers and journalists, and aims to represent a diverse mix of levels and styles." Thanks to Annette Simon for the link.
  • Literacy News reports about Pennsylvania's state-wide summer reading programs, which have a theme of "Get A Clue At Your Library." The article includes "ideas for reading aloud, talking and asking questions about books and raising readers and writers."
  • Rockport, Maine will be holding the 10th annual Gala Kids' Book Party on July 6th. According to VillageSoup.com, "The party features entertainment, great books and puzzles for sale, puppet making and refreshments." I'd like to go to that book sale!
  • According to an article in the Philippines Sun.Star, volunteers from Smart Communications spent time in a village in Cebu City narrating stories to kids. ""We wanted to make the summer more entertaining and productive for kids," says Ramon R. Isberto, Smart public affairs group head. "We used storytelling to entertain, educate and instill knowledge and values to kids." Studies show that storytelling also improves vocabulary, prediction, sequencing, comprehension, story structure and recall - skills that will help children improve their life skills."
  • The Niagara Falls Review (Ontario, Canada) has a feature about a local woman, Sandy White, who has worked for all of her 33 year career towards the reading success of children. The article, by Nancy Reynolds, says "Literacy is Sandy's watch-word. She taught it, stressed it, revered it and shared it her entire adult life to the benefit of countless people, some of whom have no idea who was behind their success."
  • Another feature article, from the Northern News Services Online, describes recent efforts by the Inuvik Literacy Circle (Northwest Territories, Canada). The Literacy Circle sponsored a challenge, by which kids from various programs "either wrote or drew pictures of their favourite literacy activities such as reading or doing crafts. The winners, the children of the Aboriginal Head Start program, will now have extra reading materials to learn from, thanks to their love for literacy."
  • According to a recent press release, Ontario's government "is helping children in culturally diverse and high-needs neighbourhoods gain the language and numbers skills they need to succeed in school", by setting up centers focused on "building children's literacy and numeracy skills through stories, music,
    reading and playing."
  • Hamilton, Ontario is also initiating a children's literacy effort. According to the Hamilton Mountain News, the Mayor, Chamber of Commerce, and library system started Hamilton Kids Read. The program "aims to bring the business and educational sectors together with the common goal of providing books for children."

Maeve on the Red Carpet: Annie Bryant

I enjoyed the first couple of Beacon Street Girls books that I read, and was pleased when the publisher offered me a copy of the latest Maeve on the Red Carpet. The Beacon Street Girls series is part of a brand designed to empower "tweens", and help them with the transition from "toys and boys." The books feature five middle school age best friends, all from diverse backgrounds, and with distinct interests. They go to school on Beacon Street in Brookline, MA.

The books are (according to the publisher) "shaped by leading experts in adolescent development and current research on how to positively impact girls' self-esteem." Although I'm generally a bit leery of books that try explicitly to get across a particular message, I like the Beacon Street Girls books. The characters are well-drawn and realistic. They make mistakes, and learn from them. They suffer from pesky younger brothers, difficulty with math, and divorcing parents, among other ordinary tribulations. Despite their differences, they are loyal to each other. And their stories are fun!

This installment, part of a series of "adventure" titles that each feature only one of the five Beacon Street Girls, sends Maeve to movie camp. It reminds me a tiny bit of Noel Streatfeild's books (Theater Shoes, Ballet Shoes, etc., though with quite a bit more privilege). Near the start of what promises to be a boring school vacation week, with all of her friends away, Maeve learns that her father has arranged to host a New York Film Academy film camp in the family's theater. A wealthy sponsor has offered to pay for improvements to the theater, and a famous Hollywood director will be leading the camp. Maeve is over the ceiling thrilled, despite that fact that her annoying younger brother, Sam, will also be attending the camp.

When camp begins, Maeve learns a lot, works hard, and is a bit star-struck by the pampered daughter of the wealthy sponsor (who, in an amusing throwaway joke, knows the famous "Venice Doubletree"). The other kids are more down-to-earth, though the Director's son turns out to have real acting experience. Through her interactions with the other campers, and their parents, Maeve learns some hard lessons about trust, friendship, and betrayal. I must admit that I saw the betrayal coming a mile off, and I think that many readers will, too. But the point isn't so much the betrayal itself, but the way that Maeve reacts to it, and eventually bounces back.

I also enjoyed Maeve's relationship with her little brother. He follows her around with a movie camera and drives her crazy, but also stands by her in unexpected ways. Here's one of my favorite exchanges:

"Good," Sam answered. "Because I think you're the best actress in the whole world!"

I looked at Mom, who just shrugged. Sometimes little brothers could surprise you by saying the nicest thing and make you feel totally guilty for ever thinking of them as an annoying pest. Then other times...

"Last one to the theater's a rotten egg! Haha, that's you, Maeve," Sam suddenly cried.

I think that fans of the BSG books will enjoy this installment. It's nice to have a chance to focus on just one of the girls, and get to know Maeve and her family a bit better. And Maeve is fun to spend time with. She's overly dramatic, and annoyingly obsessed with her appearance, but she's not afraid to work hard or to admit her mistakes. And her genuine enthusiasm for movies is irresistible. The details about how a movie is made are interesting, too, and should be a hit with kids who are film junkies. I give Maeve on the Red Carpet four stars!

Book: Maeve on the Red Carpet (A Beacon Street Girls Adventure)
Author: Annie Bryant
Publisher: B*tween Productions, Inc.
Original Publication Date: April 15, 2007
Pages: 240
Age Range: 8-13
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher

© 2009 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved.


The Wonderful Thing About Hiccups: Cece Meng

The Wonderful Thing About Hiccups, a picture book written by Cece Meng and illustrated by Janet Pedersen, is a silly story about libraries, hiccups, and hippos. A boy has to leave the library because he has the hiccups. While hanging upside down from a tree, he encounters a friendly hippo. Adventures ensue, all occurring around (an in one case on top of) the library. Most of the pages are written in the form of "the wonderful thing about" something happening is some unexpected benefit, followed by some side remarks. There are a few pages in which the narrator admits that "there's nothing wonderful about" something else happening, like a hippo getting a with a bellyache from accidentally eating library books. Each wonderful (or not-so-wonderful) thing leads into the next.

The humor is deadpan, and seems likely to appeal to four-year-olds (or at least it appeals to the four-year-old in me). For example:

"The wonderful thing about having a hippo carry your library books is that he can hold them high enough so they will not get wet in the sprinklers. Little sisters, on the other hand, get wet quite easily."

Or:

"... holding on to library books while riding a scared, running hippo is hard."

The Wonderful Thing About Hiccups concludes with a tongue-in-cheek, but basically accurate, list of "Library Rules to Remember." Like "When you are done, return them to the library so you can check out more books. Do not return them to the grocery store, pet store, or toy store. Never return them to space aliens." As for the librarian, she starts out looking a bit cranky, but reveals unexpected depths throughout the course of the book.

The bright watercolor illustrations are outlined in pen and crayon, and add considerably to the humor and details of the story. The hippo is downright coquettish, with expressive eyes. The boy is determined when looking for his lost sister, and bashful when he has to explain to the librarian how the sister ended up on the library roof. A pregnant woman walks by the children reading to the hippo in the library. She eyes them askance, while holding a barely visible copy of What to Expect When You're Expecting. Like she's thinking "hmm... this could be more difficult than I expected."

I personally found it a bit difficult at first to get into the "the wonderful thing" about x writing style. It's neither a pure narrative format nor quite poetry. The humor and the illustrations won me over, however. Not to mention the fact that there are library books featured on almost every page. Any book that ends with a bunch of kids sitting around a library, using books to help a hippo with hiccups, is ok by me. And although I haven't tried it out on any actual four-year-olds, I suspect that they'll find it hilarious. Try it out with kids who like silliness, and/or to lure reluctant visitors to the library.

Book: The Wonderful Thing About Hiccups
Author: Cece Meng (Author) and Janet Pedersen (Illustrator)
Publisher: Clarion Books
Original Publication Date: June 2007
Pages: 32
Age Range: 4-8
Source of Book: A review copy from the publisher

© 2009 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved.


The Off Season: Catherine Murdock

I was eager to read Catherine Murdock's The Off Season, sequel to Dairy Queen, because I loved the first book. The Off Season picks up right where Dairy Queen left off. Quiet, determined D.J. attends the Jorgensen's annual Labor Day picnic and starts her junior year in high school. School is a bit different for her now, because she's playing on the school football team. As a girl. So she gets more attention than she's used to. It's mostly positive attention, because she's good at football. So the year starts out well for D.J. Things really look up when the handsome rival quarterback, Brian (featured in the previous book), begins treating her as more than just a friend.

But alas, things start to go downhill from there. An injury makes D.J. question whether or not she can continue playing football. D.J.'s best friend, Amber, is wrapped up in a new girlfriend, causing some strain. D.J.'s favorite brother, Curtis, is sneaking around and lying to the family, and their mother throws out her back from the stress. Not to mention Brian's evident reluctance to be seen with D.J. out in public. And then a real tragedy occurs, changing everything for D.J. and her family.

Oh, how I love the Schwenk family. They are dysfunctional, but in a non-toxic, quirky sort of way. D.J. has to take on responsibilities well beyond her years because she's the only one physically and mentally capable of doing so. Her mother is laid low by the back injury. Her father's inability to help is based solely on his personal limitations, which D.J. accepts as part and parcel of who he is. As for D.J., she grows up tremendously over the course of a few difficult months. Here are a couple of examples that capture D.J.'s understanding of her family:

"Mom made it back from her walk, all pink and dripping and holding her back, which apparently doesn't like puffing so much. At least she didn't seem mad at me anymore. Sometimes time apart is just the same as an apology. It is in our family, anyway." (Chapter 10)

""Oh. Okay," Mom said, a hundred questions in her voice. Questions she couldn't ask because that's not our family." (Chapter 14)

I also enjoyed watching D.J.'s unfolding relationship with Brian, and her eventual understanding of the cause of Curtis's strange behavior. While I saw both resolutions coming, more or less, I still appreciated watching D.J. figure things out in her own way. And I promise, readers will appreciate the Curtis story.

But I think what I love most about The Off Season, as with Dairy Queen, is D.J.'s voice (both books are told in the first person, as D.J. looks back to summarize recent events). She's funny, in an offhand, shy sort of way, and completely genuine. It's hard to believe (and a bit sad to realize) that she isn't a real person. Here are just a few of my favorite examples:

"You know the expression "fall down laughing"? I actually did. I was laughing so hard, standing there on my little pitcher's mound, that after a while my knees didn't work and I had to lie down and try to breathe as I watched Curtis getting dragged around the bases. It was, hands down, the funniest thing I've ever seen." (Chapter 1)

""He shook his head. There are times when I'm next to someone and I don't feel incredibly taller than that person, and bigger too. This was not one of those times." (Chapter 3)

"Thinking back, I can't remember ever being that happy, straight happy, like I was that day. I mean, I get excited enough watching sports and doing them, but it wasn't the same. Maybe you can understand the difference." (Chapter 4)

"It's not such a good idea to go around kissing rival linebackers, at least not in high school football. I wouldn't know about the pros." (Chapter 6)

All in all, I like The Off Season at least as much as I liked Dairy Queen. I would recommend it to anyone, but especially to people looking for a strong coming of age story, filled with both heart and humor. Catherine Murdock can bring tears to my eyes, and then have me laughing on the next page. I don't know if there are any plans for it, and I admit that we leave D.J. with most loose ends fairly well wrapped up, but I would still love to see another chapter in her story. Highly, highly recommended for young adult and adult readers.

Book: The Off Season
Author: Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Original Publication Date: June 4, 2007
Pages: 288
Age Range: 13 and up
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher
Other Blog Reviews:  The Longstockings (by Jenny Han), Becky's Book Reviews, Oops...Wrong Cookie (by Michelle)

© 2009 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved.