Chicks with Sticks: It's a Purl Thing

Title: Chicks With Sticks: It's a Purl Thing

Author: Elizabeth Lenhard

Pages: 272 

Dutton, 2005

Genre: Chick lit/Contemporary fiction

Recommended for: Crafty teens, ages 13-17

Rating: B

Meet Scottie, Amanda, Tay, and Bella: four very different girls with one thing that they love in common. Scottie, the 15 year old daughter of Jewish artists who live in a former bread factory in Chicago, is very different from popular, outgoing, and wealthy Amanda, who is always clad in designer clothes from Paris and constantly has a throng of people following her. And Amanda contrasts with Bella, an upbeat hippie who is nothing like Tay, a tomboy and a punk. Yet all four are the best of friends, and all four like to spend their free time at KnitWit, a funky, tucked-away knitting store where the girls participate in many a "stitch n' bitch"; befriend KnitWit's kind owner, Alice; discuss their problems (boys, learning disabilities, high school, parents, friends...); learn about each other and their differences, and create close bonds between one another.

 I found Elizabeth Lenhard's lovable knitting novel to be a warm, exceptionally well-written, and very clever, creative story for teenagers about how any problem can be solved by a bunch of compassionate friends and a good knit. Lots of novels out there these days have so many innappropriate aspects that are advanced and sometimes too complex for younger teens, but Lenhard manages to keep it simple and sincere in her first YA novel. I thought it was home to a lot of great themes and values, including loyalty and always being there for your pals in their times of need. I'd easily recommend it to any teen girl who likes a sweet, straight-to-the-point read.

The Clique Summer Collection: Alicia

Title: Alicia

Author: Lisi Harrison

Pages: 112

Poppy, June 2008

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Recommended to: Tweens and teens, ages 12-14

Rating: A-

Heads up for a spoiler! If you haven't checked out Alicia, read no further!

Olé! Alicia Rivera, of the Westchester, New York, Pretty Committee, is headed to sunny Barcelona, Spain this summer to spend time with her hawt Spanish relatives; avoid her thieving, lying cousin Nina; and become a Euro-cool Spalpha (Spanish alpha) that will make Massie green with envy. After this summer, no one will dare call Alicia fake Spanish anymore! Lucky for her, a perfect opportunity to become a Spalpha appears when super-famous Spanish pop star ¡i! announces he's looking for a "real Spanish beauty" to guest-star in his latest music video. Too bad that Alicia will have to compete against her gorgeous European cousins for the position...But when Alicia and Nina accidentally wreck a Spanish heirloom, they're stuck with a job as a maid (complete with dis-gusting ewniforms) at the hotel where ¡i! is shooting his video, the same place where Alicia's two older cousins (who weren't supposed to ditch her with nasty Nina) get to lounge around in gold bikinis by the pool. In between doing laundry, cleaning the hotel's legendary peacock pen, picking up dirty towels from the poolside cabanas, and being ordered around by her short, stout, and demanding new boss's orders, Alicia realizes that her future as a Spalpha is looking pretty bleak...Until she and Nina team up (gasp!) to take down the twins and pursue Spanish stardom. Maybe this summer won't be so bad after all...

   I really enjoyed Alicia, which is, for those of you out there who aren't readers of The Clique series, the third book in the summer collection. It had plenty of color, generous descriptions, realistic characters, and a throughly enjoyable plot. I loved getting into Alicia's head, all of the new Spanish clique lingo, the new characters (the twins were probably my favorites-their characteristics were so well-developed), and especially how [spoiler] Nina and Alicia, enemies ever since the fourth book (Invasion of the Boy Snatchers), when Nina steals the Pretty Committee's crushes, finally team up against the twins, and (sigh) get along. All in all, I felt like while I was reading the breezy, fast-paced 112 pages, I was actually in Spain with Alicia, getting frustrated over a pointless summer job and let down when she thought that she didn't have Spalpha potential. I ah-dored this Clique book (Lisi Harrison is on a roll!), but Dylan would still have to be my favorite, with Alicia in a close second place.

The Outsiders

Title: The Outsiders

Author: S.E. Hinton

Pages: 180

Speak Platinum Edition, 1967 (revised 1995)

Genre: Classic

Recommended to: Teens of both genders, 13 and older

Rating: A+

Ponyboy Curtis has had a pretty hard life for someone who's just 14 years old. His parents passed away when he was just a kid, and he lives with his two brothers, the handsome high-school dropout, Sodapop, and tough, angry Darrel who's constantly trying to protect him. Even though he no longer has parents, Ponyboy has friends and brothers that he can count on. His gang will always be there for him, no matter what happens. Together, with their other friends Dallas, Two-Bit, Johnny, and Steve, the boys are unstoppable and nothing can get in their way, not even the vicious upper-class Socs who'd like nothing more then to see "greasers" (kids of a poorer, working-class) like Ponyboy's gang get beat up or even killed. But then the boys' friendship is put to the ultimate test when one of them gets fatally injured, and they'll have to realize that they'll always be together in soul....even if they are apart.

   I found The Outsiders to be a frank, realistic, and truly terrific novel. It amazes me how S.E. Hinton was only 15 years old-only a year or so older than her protagonist-when she wrote her first novel, yet she has such an adult-like perspective of the world: sincere and truthfully told, not leaving any of the dangerous, difficult, and violent aspects out. This novel really made me open my eyes and see that not all of the world is a happy place, and lots of kids really do have a rough time. This is a story of friendship, brotherhood, love, and belonging that I think people of all ages, genders, and races can relate to, a true classic.

   There's about a zillion copies from lots of different publishers of The Outsiders that you can pick up, but I chose the Penguin Speak Platinum edition (picture above). At the back of the book is an interview with the author and a book-club-directed discussion guide with questions that I definitely think will help you understand the novel more after you're done.

Amazing Grace

Title: Amazing Grace

Author: Megan Shull

Pages: 256

Hyperion Books for Children, 2006

Genre: Chick lit/Contemporary Fiction

Recommended to: Teenage girls, 13 and up

Rating: A+ 

Meet Grace Kincaid: at nearly sixteen, she's a multimillionaire teen tennis phenom who is used to constantly being followed by the press everywhere she goes, be it on the court or shopping on Madison Avenue. Constantly attending press conferences, appearing on television, and booking interviews, Grace (nicknamed "Ace" by her fans for her incredible talent and skill) has never experienced a normal childhood or teenage life, and she's tired of it. Then three words change everything. Three words, and she's freed from a life of perfect images, crazed paparazzi and screaming fans, freed from tennis-"I want out". In a single night, Grace changes her name to Emily O' Brien, disguises herself with a new hair color and attitude, and leaves behind the life she no longer wants, heading somewhere far, far away with former FBI agent Ava Grady where no one will find her...

   Welcome to Medicine Hat, Alaska, where Grace begins her new life in a log cabin with Ava complete with freezing cold showers and an outhouse practically a mile away from where she sleeps. At first Grace isn't so crazy about her new habitat, but then she's rescued from a crazy moose by a gorgeous native, and realizes that with this new romance heating up, a therapist who will listen to her, and a possible friendship with a girl who likes her for who she is, Grace discovers that a life lacking fame might not be so bad after all...

   I absolutely adored Megan Shull(author of the award-winning Skye O' Shea books)'s debut YA novel. I felt like I was actually in the story as I pictured Ava's perfectly-described cabin, the gorgeous (but cold) Alaskan wilderness, and all of the crazy things that Grace experiences in Medicine Hat. This novel is beautifully written, with well-described, realistic characters, a flowing, fast-paced plot, and a wonderful ending that will have readers hungry for more. Words cannot even explain how much I enjoyed this creative novel, and I can't wait to see what's next from the seemingly-talented chick lit author Megan Shull!

  (Sorry it took me so long to post the review; what with summer ending, it's been pretty busy!) 

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The Clique Summer Collection: Dylan

Title: Dylan

Author: Lisi Harrison

Pages: 117

Poppy/Little, Brown 2008

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Recommended for: Tweens, 11-13

Rating: A+

Dylan Marvil is prepared for a summer of great change as she and her mom Merri-Lee (the host of famed TV talkshow The Daily Grind) pack their bags with designer summer apparel, board the show's private airplane, and jet off to Honolulu, Hawaii in time for the Aloha Tennis Open. While her mom sees the trip to interview hotheaded super-famous teen star Svetlana Slootskyia, Dylan takes the vacation as an opportunity to become the new her: fabulous, thin, and to possibly discover a new crush to erase all memories of being dumped by-not just one, but two-Briarwood hotties last year. Lucky for her, Dylan manages to find a tennis-crazy, Svetlana-loving grand slam cutie. Too bad that the only way to get him is to put down her fork, get off of the massage table, and learn the art of tennis (even if it means wearing frumpy white outfits!)...But then Dylan realizes that the ever-grouchy Svetlana holds the key to Dylan's summer romance. If only Dylan can convince Svetlana to teach her how to play like a pro. Luckily, Dylan has a few trick á la Massie up her sleeve, but will Svetlana keep her promise?

   From start to finish, I found Dylan to be a whopping A+ novel. Lisi Harrison excellently describes each scene vividly and with amazing amounts of color and detail. I must admit, I enjoyed Dylan much more than I did the first book in the collection, Massie. Something about this one makes it much more enjoyable than the previous. Maybe it's how I felt like I was experiencing the whole rollicking story, or how well-developed the characters were. Maybe it was the thoroughly engrossing plot or the near-perfect ending that made it so hard to put it down. I think what made this novel so special was Dylan's character. We don't hear much about her in the regular Clique series (Harrison focuses more on the two main characters, Massie Block and Claire Lyons), and her character is also so fun and realistic. I felt like I could really relate to her throughout this fast-paced summer read. If you're bored and sitting on the couch in need of some exotic and tropical adventure, then all you have to do is pick up Dylan and you'll be submerged into an exciting whirlpool of summer romance, kick-butt athletes, Hawaiian sun, self-image, and secrets...

Confessions of a Teen Nanny: Rich Girls

Title: Rich Girls

Author: Victoria Ashton

Pages: 208

Parachute Press, 2006

Genre: Chick lit

Recommended for: Teenage girls, 13 and older

Rating: A

Welcome back to the glittering, glamorous world of the Manhattan A-list in the second book of the "Confessions of a Teen Nanny" trilogy. Adrienne Lewis is still a nanny for the wealthy Warner family, including seventeen-year old debutante-to-be Cameron, who gets anything she wants and rules her private high school with a gem-studded fist. She and Adrienne have never gotten along, but when Cam steals Adrienne's lovable boyfriend Brian, that's the last straw for this teen nanny. So when Mrs. Warner, upset about Cam finding a "suitable" date for her debutante ball, pays Adrienne to try and push Brian away from Cam in time for the event, she jumps at the opportunity to get her boyfriend of two years back. But Cam is harder competition than Adrienne thought....From planning a disastrous debutante tea to figuring out how to crash the ball, Adrienne's got her hands full...and the clock's still ticking.

   Meanwhile, her best friend, Liz Braun, has her own problems. First off, she's stuck as a nanny for a psycho psychiatrist whose daughter is always on the verge of a nervous breakdown and whose son is bugging her practically to death with his obnoxious invisible friend-which his mother encourages! That's not the only thing on her plate, however. Her new boyfriend, wealthy socialite Parker Devlin, may or may not be also dating the talented and beautiful Isabelle Schyuler...

   I discovered this series at the library one day, and haven't been able to put them down since! Imagine a much-modified version of Gossip Girl: if Serena and Blair were nannies! Packed with galmorous parties, big secrets, cute boys, and haute fashion, Rich Girls could very well be the next "big thing". I think that Victoria Ashton has a real voice that truly calls to young girls. Her stories are glittering, likeable, fun, and very, very realistic. It's nice to read about real girls with real jobs who have real problems. Although I found the ending to be a little disappointing, I thoroughly enjoyed Rich Girls and can't wait to read the final third story, Juicy Secrets!

The Clique Summer Collection: Massie

Title: Massie

Author: Lisi Harrison

Pages: 123

Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Beach Read

Recommended to: Girls, ages 11-14

Rating: A-

It's summertime, which means one thing to OCD alpha Massie Block: her elite summer riding camp at Galwaugh Stables, where she's been collecting blue ribbons from the camp's show for the past six years. And this year, she's ready to dominate again. Too bad that she's stuck with Fall-a Abdul on her team, showing that desperate times really do call for desperate measures when she goes too far to win. Before Massie knows it, she's packing up her Louis Vuittons, bidding her horse good-bye, and heading back to her family's Southampton summer home to her less-then-thrilled parents and a boring summer of hanging out with frizzy-haired LBRs. But instead of her parents being sympathetic and soothing, they do the unmentionable: take away her Visa and force her to get an actual job (gasp!). But then Massie discovers her dream jobby (A hobby that is also your job! Hooray!)- a position selling fabulous makeup at an ah-mazing cosmetics line, working to make totally unattractive LBRs into supermodel-gorgeous beings through kindness and compassion, which may be much harder then it sounds...especially when Massie's got a sharp tongue and an even sharper eye...Can Massie become one of the cosmetics elites, keep her patience, and not misrepresent Be Pretty while trying to achieve inner beauty all the while? Whew. It's going to be one busy summer!

   Having a Clique summer collection was a great idea, and I, being a major Clique fan, thought  it was cool to see how each girl act separated and out of school. Each book (there are 5, Massie being the first) highlights every Pretty Committee member's summer escapades. Some of the characters that are seem sort of minor in the actual series (such as Kristen and Dylan) get to shine in their own little mini-volume. The covers are colorful and enticing; the books are kick-butt, easy little reads packed with juicy summer fun; and The Clique is as fabulous as ever. If you're looking for a short-but-fantastic beach read, Massie is perfect for you. I absolutely ah-dore the author, Lisi Harrison's writing, what with the neat similes, the perfectly thought-out dialogue, and the realistic and likeable characters (Plus her blog is really fun to read, she updates it every Wednesday). I can't wait to read the second book in the summer collection, called Dylan (it's on my bookshelf right now!). Apparently she goes to Hawaii so her mom can interview a hotheaded tennis star. But more about that later...(: