"The Time-Traveling Fashionista" by Biana Turetsky

The Time-Traveling Fashionista by Bianca Turetsky
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Genre: middle-school fiction, paranormal
Book 1 of a new series
On my TBR list?  No



Summary:
Louise Lambert is a 12-year-old girl with a thing for vintage. She loves old movies and all the fashion and glamour that go with them, and her life seems dull in comparison. Then one day she receives an invitation to a vintage fashion sale that starts her on an adventure that transcends time.

The one persistent thought I had while reading The Time-Traveling Fashionista was that if it had been published about 10 years ago, my daughters would have moved on to this after reading The Magic Tree House series. Although the blurb on the back of the book makes it sound like a juicy YA novel -- "Louise relishes the glamour of this opulent age and slips into a life of secrets, drama, and decadence" -- it is much more innocent than that. After all, our heroine is only 12, a fact that I missed because I skipped the blurb on the inside flap and only read the back. There were three separate incidences where people have to be reminded not to offer her alcohol, so it definitely isn't in the vein of other YA books where sex and drugs are front and center.

I think the author did a smart thing by including full-color illustrations of many of the dresses mentioned in the story. My kids appreciated picture books even when they were in middle school, and all four of them are fans of graphic novels now. The pictures in the book were done not just by an artist but a proper fashion illustrator (Sandra Suy). It gave me the feeling that the author and the artist both really understood fashion.

The only quibble I have with this book is the depiction of Louise's modern life. The author makes her existence as a middle-school student seem so drab that it isn't quite believable to me when she says she wants to go back to it. I haven't seen a summary of the second book's plot, but I am hoping that Turetsky sticks with Louise and shows the reader more of what she enjoys about her modern life.

There is a trend of adult readers picking up YA books, but I think that some books are strictly for kids. The Time-Traveling Fashionista falls into that category for me. The tone reminds me of PBS shows my kids used to watch like Wishbone and The Time Warp Trio -- supernatural adventure with a history lesson thrown in. This is the book you hand to the quirky young girl in your life who enjoys black-and-white movies and shopping at thrift stores. Don't be surprised if you see her doing a little fashion research at the computer after reading it.

"My Life in Pink & Green" by Lisa Greenwald

My Life in Pink & Green by Lisa Greenwald

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Genre: middle-school fiction
On my TBR list? Yes, since Aug 2010



Summary, from Goodreads:

Twelve-year-old Lucy Desberg is a natural problem solver. After the local homecoming queen shows up at her family’s struggling drugstore with a beauty disaster that Lucy helps to fix, Lucy has a long line of makeover customers for every school dance and bat mitzvah. But all the makeup tips in the world won’t help save the pharmacy. If only she could find a way to make the pharmacy the center of town again—a place where people want to spend time, like in the old days. Lucy dreams up a solution that could resuscitate the family business and help the environment, too. But will Lucy’s family stop fighting long enough to listen to a seventh-grader?


This story, with its young heroine who knows more than the adults, could have been annoying. Many of us have grown up watching TV shows and movies with parents portrayed as morons and kids who have too much power and freedom. However, Lisa Greenwald gave it context that made it more believable. It was easy for me to see how a 12-year-old and her college-student sister could do the research needed to help save the family business, especially when the grown-ups are so close to the problem that they are frustrated and blinded to the possibilities. I remember reading a few stories like this when I was a teen and I found them inspiring. Even when the circumstances are bit unrealistic, the idea that you can at least try to do something to make things better -- no matter what age you are -- is uplifting.

C1, my 13-year-old daughter, had a few things to say about this book, as well:

My Life in Pink and Green was written for girls my age, but even so, I found it kind of hard to relate. I had a feeling of what she was going through with the money problems, but other than that, I found the book a little boring. In the description above, the book sounds like it is all about makeovers, but it took a long while to get to the makeover parts. When we finally got there, she didn't stay on the subject for too long. It seemed like doing makeup was a side thing, while the real issue was whether or not the mayor is going to give them the grant. There was a touch of romance in the book, but since she was only twelve it didn't go very far. I read books with main characters a lot older than me, so I'm used to people at least getting to the first date, before the book is over. All in all, I think this book is good for girls my age or younger, but I personally didn't like it that much.

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"Eighth Grade Bites" by Heather Brewer

Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer

On my TBR list?: No
Genre: supernatural fiction, middle school

Book 1 of an ongoing series

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Summary, from Goodreads:

Junior high really sucks for thirteen-year-old Vladimir Tod. Bullies harass him, the principal is dogging him, and the girl he likes prefers his best friend. Oh, and Vlad has a secret: his mother was human, but his father was a vampire. With no idea of the extent of his powers, Vlad struggles daily with his blood cravings and his enlarged fangs. When a substitute teacher begins to question him a little too closely, Vlad worries that his cover is about to be blown. But then he faces a much bigger problem: he's being hunted by a vampire killer.

Eight Grade Bites came home with me from the library because C2 asked for it. Apparently, it is popular at the middle school; her twin C1 called it "witty and exciting". I wasn't going to read it myself until I ran across an article that attempted to put the fear of God into parents about the evil that lurks behind the covers of YA novels. It made me realize that I had fallen down a bit on my book screening duties, so I put on my Good Parent hat and read it.

Unfair though it may be, my brain immediately made comparisons to the Harry Potter series. This series deals with the supernatural and is set up where each book covers an entire school year, but I think that is where the comparison should end. Brewer isn't as verbose as Rowling, which can be seen as a good or bad thing. The books are shorter and easier for a reluctant reader like C2 to get through. The downside is that many of the characters surrounding Vlad aren't as fleshed-out as Ron, Hermione, and Draco in the Rowling series.

Brewer takes a little too long to set up the "big bad" for the series, but otherwise the book was enjoyable. I found the descriptions of how the main character works blood into his diet without biting anyone to particularly inventive. Also, I appreciated the fact that Brewer doesn't shy away from the fact that vampires do bite people and those people sometimes die. It is a testament to her skill that she does it in a way that isn't too gory for the average middle-school kid.


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"Calamity Jack" by Shannon, Dean, & Nathan Hale

Calamity Jack by Shannon Hale

On the TBR list?: Yes, since Dec 2009
Genre: graphic novel

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Shannon Hale is one talented dame. I am accustomed to reading work by authors who stick to one genre or age group, but she has written for adults, young adults, and middle schoolers. She's written romances, fantasies, and graphic novels. For all I know, she's working on a cookbook next!

Calamity Jack is a follow-up to the superb Rapunzel's Revenge and I found it just as delightful. It gives the reader some background on Jack before he joined up with Rapunzel in the first book. As you may have expected, the Hale trio take the "Jack and the Beanstalk" fairy tale and give it the action-hero treatment. As a bonus, they throw in some romance and a self-esteem lesson, too.

I say hand this to your 13-year-old, especially if she is a reluctant reader like mine, but don't forget to read it yourself when she's done. Just a warning: the gorgeous full-color panels may make it difficult to go back to reading the black-and-white graphic novels that are more common in this genre!

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"The Mother-Daughter Book Club" by Heather Vogel Frederick

The Mother-Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick

On my TBR list?: yes, since June 2009

Book 1 of a series

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Synopsis from Goodreads:

Even if Megan would rather be at the mall, Cassidy is late for hockey practice, Emma's already read every book in existence, and Jess is missing her mother too much to care, the new book club is scheduled to meet every month.

But what begins as a mom-imposed ritual of reading Little Women soon helps four unlikely friends navigate the drama of middle school. From stolen journals, to secret crushes, to a fashion-fiasco first dance, the girls are up to their Wellie boots in drama. They can't help but wonder: What would Jo March do?

This was a cute book to share with my 13-year-old daughter C1. It combined elements of two other series that I've enjoyed. The daughters being brought together by the friendship shared by the mothers was one of my favorite parts of the "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" series. Girls with different personalities who are forced together through an activity reminds me of the "Chicks with Sticks" series. The plot may be predictable to an adult, but it isn't so trite that a middle schooler would turn her nose up at it. C1 enjoyed this book, and she has turned away many books where she felt the authors were trying to hard to be hip. I've already put the next book on reserve for us.

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33 Things Every Girl Should Know by Tonya Bolden

33 Things Every Girl Should Know: Stories, Songs, poems, and Smart Talk by 33 Extraordinary Women by Tonya Bolden

Genre: Essays
On my TBR list? Yes

This is a compilation of essays, comics, poems, and short stories that are supposed to be inspirational and build self-esteem in middle-school girls and older. I think it probably would have seemed cool to girls reading it back in 1998 when it was published, but it is dated now. My girls (age 12 and 16) have never heard of any of the women mentioned in the book and one of the comics does a Madonna parody that would go completely over their heads. The best part of the book was the short stories that were written from the point of view of a teenager because they didn't sound like an adult saying, "Things are bad now, but they'll be better when you grow up."


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Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Harry Potter series made it difficult for me to pick up any other books about magic. Every one that I picked up seemed to pale in comparison. I'm glad that I've finally gotten over that mental block; otherwise, I would have missed out on a great story in Skulduggery Pleasant. It is about a 12-year-old girl named Stephanie who discovers a magical underworld in her city when her uncle dies. She is led on a tour of this underground community by her uncle's best friend, who happens to be an undead skeleton called Skulduggery Pleasant.

The author did a good job creating a new universe for his novel that didn't make me compare it to other book in the genre. The explanations of how magic worked in that universe and who the bad guys were was The banter between Stephanie and Skulduggery made my 12-year-old and 16-year-old giggle. As for the ending, it was just right. It made me want to read the next book without resorting to a cliffhanger.

The only hesitation I have about recommending this book is that there is more death than I expected in a kids' book. I would say that if your child can handle The Graveyard Book or the final Harry Potter book, then she can handle this one.






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Can You Get An F In Lunch? and Madame President are the first two books in a series by Nancy Krulik called How I Survived Middle School. My twin daughters, who just finished 6th grade, sped through these books and asked for more so I thought I should read them myself.

The series chronicles the experiences of an 11-year-old girl named Jenny McAfee as she starts 6th grade in a new school. The main conflict is whether Jenny should stay true to the person she was in elementary school or try to act older and look cool like some of the other kids in middle school. This comes about when Jenny returns from sleep-away camp and discovers that her lifelong best friend Addie no longer wants to have anything to do with her. Addie spent the summer hanging out with 7th graders and started the school year as one of the "Pops", or popular kids. Jenny finds her own group of friends by the end of the first book, so one of the themes ends up being Pops versus non-Pops.

These books are a quick read; even C2, my reluctant reader, managed to finish one in a couple of hours. Krulik addresses the common fears that a new middle schooler might have, such as getting lost in a bigger school building and not getting a morning snack like you got in elementary school. The author also comes down on the side of not growing up too quickly, which parents will love.

One thing that annoyed me was the constant mention of middleschoolsurvival.com, which is the website that Jenny turns to whenever she has a problem. It is a real website run by Scholastic, and all the quizzes that Jenny takes in the book are on there. The frequent references broke the flow of the story for me ("I wonder if Addie is really my friend? I'll go take a quiz and find out!") My daughter C1 even asked me why the website existed. I'm sure some kids who don't like reading that much will think the connection to the internet is cool, but an avid reader may find it a nuisance.

All in all, I believe this series makes good summer reading for girls during the summer before 6th grade, especially if they will be going to a different school. It will help them prepare for the changes they will encounter while presenting characters they can care about.

Squids Will Be Squids

Squids Will Be Squids by Jon Scieszka

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a picture book of modern fables, and it features Scieska's quirky sense of humor. Some of the morals to these one-page tales are straightforward (like not telling people that your mom has hair on her upper lip), while others are just weird. All of them made my kids giggle, which is the point of the book. If you are expecting life lessons, these aren't the fables for you.


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Babymouse: The Musical

Babymouse: The Musical by Jennifer L. Holm

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars


In this particular book, Babymouse tries out for the musical that her elementary school is staging. She is competing with her long-time nemesis Felicia Furrypaws for the lead role. Will she get it?

You can tell that the author is familiar with musicals. I caught references to at least 10 musicals including "Grease" and "Phantom of the Opera". My kids didn't catch that many, but they laughed out loud at the ones they did understand.

The Babymouse series of graphic novels is a favorite in my house. At first glance, you would think that these books are aimed at 2nd-3rd graders. However, I think the jokes would go over better with middle schoolers. If you have a 12-year-old girl in your life, you might want to add a little fun to her reading list with these books.

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