Festivals Books

A neighbor sent me the link to this author's website and I immediately became entranced with her style, it is unique, captivating and totally engaging - my kids (5, 6 and 8) LOVE it! I sent the web site link to all my friends - everyone adores her books, they are fun, inspirational and this mom wants to put the word out for others: With the oversaturated, overabundant children's picture book market, why not choose books with sweet, thoughtful and positive messages?! It helps us moms do our jobs better! From one mom to another - thanks Stephanie Lisa Tara!

With illustrations from Alex Walton, Little Library Mouse by Stephanie Lisa Tara is a creative and encouraging tale of an illustrious mouse who lives in a library and when the library is closed and locked at the end of the day carries his little furry mouse friends through fun and imagination driven adventures to be found in the library's many books. Enrapturing the minds of its young readers, Little Library Mouse combines a poetic text with full page works of art in presenting his adventurous endeavors throughout the night of the darkened library through pages and pictures of some very interesting books. A perfect choice for all school and community library picturebook collections, Little Library Mouse is very highly recommended for young readers and their parents seeking to instill in their children a love of reading and an appreciation of libraries.

Even when you are little you can imagine big, so begins this adorable book. Written in rhyme, the story begins as the clock goes tick-tock, is that the key in the lock? It is the end of the day and the library is closed. A white mouse dressed in a purple suit begins to tell of his adventures, of all the things he can be.

With the help of books he can be a clown, a juggler, or a lady bug on a leaf. On the pages he flips, he finds good cheer in storybook trips. In winter he's snow spinning a silvery fable, frosted wilderness-white on the library table. He's a king, he's a queen, and upon all words he stands tall.

He's red, he's yellow, and he's iridescent blue. Short stories are rainbows of sharp color and hue. He is paper, he is ink. He becomes any book he reads. He can read, he can imagine so can you, take a look

If you want to stimulate your child's imagination this is the book for you. It is colorful and fun to read. Who doesn't love cute little mice, as long as they are illustrated in books? Each page is filled with fantasy and wonder.

Finding innovative and evocative ways to stimulate, inspire children - is the key to effectively teaching special education -- a colleague handed me this big beautiful purple book last week, its joyful large-type rhymes had me giggling. Then I put it to the real test and read it to my students.

It is rare that I have such a huge response -- Little Library Mouse instantly became everyone's favorite. My students repeat the bouncing lines back to me, they speak openly about the book's concepts; of words, sentences, poems, stories... of books taking the imagination anywhere it wishes to go, regardless of physical handicaps.

Skillfully told, beautiful illustrated, this teacher gives it a large gold star! Brilliant work from Stephanie Lisa Tara.

What do a mouse, a trapeze and a library have in common? The answer lies within the pages of the Little Library Mouse, by Stephanie Lisa Tara.

A nameless mouse jumps into action, through rhyme, as the library is closed for the evening. We're invited on a journey as the mouse "sails on a sentence" and becomes library book characters, including a ship, a wild animal and a circus act.

Tara enchants us with her storytelling as she makes a library tour exciting, encouraging literacy and reading. Little Library Mouse is to be applauded for its light-as-a-feather rhymes, a style Tara undoubtedly perfected while earning a B.A. in English.

The illustrations, by Alex Walton, are bold, confident, full-page drawings of a mouse as he takes on the identity of the story he becomes.

This exciting adventure is sure to please the preschooler set and would also make a great baby shower gift. It would also be an excellent jumping-off point for parent/teacher and child to create new rhymes, based upon Tara's format.

Armchair Interviews says: This story, as with the Man on the Flying Trapeze, "floats through air with the greatest of ease." Bravo, Little Library Mouse...bravo!

for this well-researched series. Grabien has a gift for writing scenes that are spooky without being gratuitous.

I'm sorry, but I frequently save books that I buy from Amazon to read at a future date. This is such a one. I'm sure it's excellent, however, because I've read all the author's other books.

Grabien is a consistently delightful writer, and with "Matty Groves" she not only continues her Haunted Ballad series but improves on it, upping the ante with her scariest ghost yet.

When authors produce a series of novels they tend to fall into patterns in their writing, and the action can get very predictable. Grabien avoids that trap in "Matty Groves"; although main characters Ringan and Penny once again run into a ghost connected to an old folk tune, this time around the threat is more serious and the tactics they used to cope before won't work. Grabien's clever solution to the problem of how to get rid of the ghost is unexpected and yet logical.

As with the two previous books in the series ("The Weaver and the Factory Maid" and "The Famous Flower of Serving Men"), "Matty Groves" combines historical and contemporary fiction into one entertaining story. You don't have to have read the two previous books in the series to understand and enjoy this one, although I'd still recommend reading them in order if you can.

Ever since I was a little girl, I loved ghost stories. I love mysteries and thrillers too and Deborah Grabien has married both genres perfectly in MATTY GROVES. I can guarantee you that if you get a copy of this book you'll be hooked right in. Folksinger Ringan Laine and Penny Wintercraft-Hawkes, who are back from Ms. Grabien's first to outstanding ghostly efforts, are once again involved in a ghostly mystery. The ghost in this story is a pretty malevolent character, some chilling stuff you're going to love to read about.

Ringan and his band Broomfield Hill, have been invited to play at the Callowen Arts Festival at Callowen House in Hampshire and a visit to an old manor brings Ringan and his actress lover Penny face to face with a ghost once again, a ghost who can kill and this is not good, well not good for Ringan and Penny, but plenty good for the reader who will not be able to put this book down.

Musician Ringan Laine returns home to Sommerset, England to find that he and his group Broomfield Hill are invited to perform at the Callowen House Arts Festival. He eagerly accepts the invitation and takes his girlfriend Penny Wintercroft-Howles with him. Residing there is the benign ghost of Lady Susanna who was murdered in August 1629 unlike the two spirits Ringan and Penny exorcised last year who were not as benevolent.

When they arrive, Jane, a member of the band, dreams that she is Lady Susana brutalized by her beloved husband's cousin Andrew. Ringan is possessed by Andrew and almost rapes Penny, hurting her ear and mouth. He is a malevolent incubus and can cause death to the living so he must be stopped before that happens. Penny, who is the power source that wakes him up, feels it is her responsibility to get rid of this evil; with the help of her lover they research records to learn the truth about what happened over three centuries ago so they can send him to hell where he belongs.

Although the antagonist is a ghost, he is just as evil, malevolent and sadistic as the most deranged mortal killer. He plays a major role in the storyline as the protagonists struggle to stop the evil that he perpetrates. The love between Ringan and Penny is so strong that she knows immediately it is not her lover who is hurting her but someone using his body. The investigation to learn the facts about what happened to Lady Susanna is a journey through historical forensic records and it is fascinating to see the pieces come together. Deborah Grabien has written a great mystery wrapped around a terrifying ghost story.

Harriet Klausner

I don't think there a Maisy book that I would give less than 5 stars to! My 2 year old has loved Lucy Cousins books since she was 6 months old. Maisy is simple, sweet and to the point. The fun little mini edition is easy for little hands.

I was skeptical that a full sized Maisy flap book could be reproduced as a miniature, but they actually pull it off. Every time you turn the page, there are 2 - 4 flaps to open, as well as the occasional pull tab. Open the oven to check the cookies, open Maisy's Christmas cards to see who they're from, or peek under the bed covers to find Panda -- they're very creative and not always conspicuous.

As other reviewers have noted, the focus is largely on Maisy buying, wrapping, baking and decorating for when her friends come to visit Christmas morning. Tallulah comes complete with a sparkly silver dress and panties that say "jingle bells" -- one of the more interesting flaps I've seen!

The paper is sturdy, but imho, the flaps tend towards the petite and are a bit on the fragile side -- I'm amazed my rough 2 yr old hasn't ripped any off yet. All in all, though, a thoroughly charming book conveniently sized for a stocking. My daughter *loves* it.

My 2.5 yr old loves this book....It does focus mostly on the material side of the Holiday (much ado is made about getting the presents, wrapping them, making the dinner, the tree etc)....but honestly at this YOUNG age THAT is exactly what makes her so excited about Christmas!!!....You don't need every Xmas book to teach about religion...I think that fact that it DOES center on the stuff that for kids make this time of year so exciting is exactly WHy she loves it so much....

I think it is a very well made book...great colors, flaps and pull tabs.....As an adult , I enjoy reading it to her....

If your child loves Maisy or just Christmas - this is the book for them. Cute lift-flaps and story keep them entertained. My daughter loves to read this one over and over!

This is a good Christmas book for a younger toddler or child. Although it is not a board book, the pages are made of a heavier paper stock and will withstand some abuse. Maisy's Christmas story is consistent with the style of her other books: lots of bold primary colors and simple illustrations that younger children seem to prefer. Throughout the book, there are also flaps to lift and shiny objects. Overall, if you like the Maisy books, I'm sure that you will find this one a good addition to your Christmas collection.

My only mild complaint is that the focus of the book seems to be entirely on the material side of Christmas with presents taking center stage. I know that this book is for very young children, and I'm not suggesting that every book have a heavy handed message, but it would be nice for more books to touch on the larger spirit and message of Christmas.

What's more fun than a pop-up book? And this one is not only delightfully crafted with tabs to pull and wheels to turn. Its colorful, folk-art illustrations have an innocent reverence that is warm and appealing. We see and interact with scenes of the angel appearing to Mary; no room at the inn; the birth of Jesus in the stable; the angels appearing to shepherds; the wisemen following the star; and the wise men presenting their gifts. The brief text is surrounded by lovely, decorative borders. A treat for young and old!

This is a lovely book to share with children. The artwork is beautiful and the pop-up pictures are great to use in recalling the message of Christ's birth. It holds the young child's attention and allows the child or reader to expand on the details of what is portrayed on each page. We enjoyed this book and will continue enjoy it for years to come.

This is another example of beautiful pop up paper art. It truly is art, so wonderfully done. My almost 5 year old enjoys pop up books and is responsible enough to know that you have to be very careful with them. We added this one to our collection right before Christmas this year. The corresponding story is short enough to hold his attention also.

This book is a real gem! The pictures are like Renaissance art tableaux. They 'move' when the slides are pulled, so small children are very intrigued by the book and eagerly waiting to see what will move next. (The pictures are sufficiently fragile that we do not let our 2- and 4-year-olds pull the slides yet.) We have included this book in our Advent activities. It is my favorite of the ten or so Nativity-themed books that we use.

The other book that I love:Who Is Coming to Our House? (Board Book) is told from the perspective of the inhabitants of the stable. Who is Coming to Our House's unique perspective and its lovely rhymes that won me over -- not the artwork. (It tells only a portion of the Nativity story.)

FYI.... While the art in The Nativity is truly awe-spiring, it is probably not the best book for conveying all of the 'facts' of the Christmas story. This book is more of a supplement to other event-by-event chronicles of the tale.

Fantastic Book, I can use it for my Sunday School Class. They can enjoy the story while looking at the pop Ups. You know the old saying "One picture is worth a thousand words", and in this case it is so true. thanks, Muriel Carter

This book is a clever and funny version of the "Night before Christmas". The kids think its funny and as a mother, I found it to be VERY true to real life on the nights before the big day, but with a comical twist!! The price is right...we gave these to friends and neighbors instead of holiday baking!

...this is their favorite Christmas story.

As a housewarming gift, I picked up a pair of Christmas books for my friends' children last year. This year, their mother again thanked me for "The Night Before the Night Before Christmas." It had become her kindergartener's and pre-schooler's favorite. In fact, it was the only story the pre-schooler wanted to hear.

For fun, I ordered myself a copy. It is now my favorite too. Following the cadences of "The Night Before Christmas," readers are invited along to witness a typical, loving family's Christmas challenges. Page after page of endearing illustrations will enchant readers of all ages. Not even the most dedicated Grinch can resist.

Don't wait another year to pick up this great story.

We love this book. My three year old daughter loves the story and illustrations as do I. It also hits home as a parent during this frantic time of seeming unbridled avarice. Love is the best gift of all. Buy this book today and snuggle up with the ones you love for a hilarious spin on the classic poem. Happy Holidays!

I am an English teacher and a new mother and I love this book. The way it plays on the Clement Moore poem is so clever and well done. I also love the way it is humorous and fun, and yet has a sentimental and sweet ending and ties back to the original Christmas poem. I would recommend this book to all mothers and children who like to read together!

This twist on Clement C. Moore's Christmas poem is one that parents can really identify with! It's about all the things that can and will go wrong during Christmas preparations, like burnt cookies. Yet the spirit of the holiday wins out. My daughter really likes this book and I think it is a pleasure to read to her. I don't agree with the editorial review that it, "...scans awkwardly and does not easily lend itself to sharing aloud." I love the illustrator's style too. It's a very cute and clever book that is worth having in your Christmas library.

As an elementary literacy coach I found this book to be a wonderful addition to my December booklist. This story tells the tale of one family's Christmas Eve tradition of placing food on and around a special tree in the forest each year for the animals. Beautiful illustrations add to the story. This book lends itself to discussion of other family traditions. I used it with all elementary grade levels and we made food for the birds to be hung in the trees around our playground, wrote class and individual poems, and the upper grades wrote personnal narratives about their family traditions. A great way also for parents to think about a family tradition of their own.

I'm a 3rd grade teacher and my kids loved the setting and language of the story. It was an excellant book to enhance future writings about holiday traditions.

This is a neat story about a family's Christmas tradition. Every year, they troop out into the forrest to decorate their night tree, a living pine Christmas tree. The night tree is festooned with edible decorations. After the family enjoys the magic of the decorated tree, they depart, knowing that the friendly critters who inhabit the woods will enjoy the decorations as a Christmas time snack.

The book introduces an interesting family "tradition" and teaches the concept of tradition as well as doing for others (the gifts of food for the animals). It is a warm story that brings smiles to young faces.

This lovely book is a favorite at any time of the year, though it centers around one family's Christmas Eve tradition. My kids have asked if we can start decorating a tree in the woods, too! The illustrations are gorgeous (Ted Rand is one of our favorites) and the writing makes you slow down and savor the unfolding of this simple, but sweet story.

I'm an elementary ed. major and this book is also good to read to kids who don't celebrate Christmas because although the family decorates a tree there isn't any mention of a particular hoilday. The title even lends to this fact.

Old Dog Cora is a wonderful Newfie story about a family learning the importance of respecting and encouraging the spirit of an older dog.

We borrowed this book from the library for our 3 yr old, and immediately fell in love with the artwork, wonderful descriptions, and the heart-warming story of an old dog in with a puppy attitude. We just had to own a copy! For anyone who's ever owned a dog or cut your own Christmas tree in the forest (or hopes to do either), this is a great book.

This is my favorite Christmas story featuring a dog.The spirit of the season is love and understanding,and that is shown so eloquently as Cora is not left out of the annual pulling of the Christmas tree sleigh in spite of her aging body. She is allowed to have her traditional role,but without the weight of the sleigh on her harness, sparing her from overexertion,or worse---from failure. It is a beautiful lesson in compassion and in the importance of feeling useful and needed, especially as we age. And if you have ever loved an aging dog, this story will bring a tear to your eye. This book is worth seeking out despite its out of print status.

I had purchased a book, "The Wreck of the Ethie" that my 11 year old son had absolutely loved. It was recommended to read by a list from Courtney Lewis. Since the entire family had enjoyed that book so much, we decided to try "Old Dog Cora". We were not disappointed The illustrations were lovely and the story heart-warming. This book is a welcome addition to our family library.

Consie Powell should be commended for this fabulous work. The pages filled with her woodcut illustrations could be framable art, and they truly enhance the compelling story. Cora, the oldest of three Newfoundlands, wants to help with pulling the annual Christmas tree home on a sled, but her people won't let her! They don't understand her attempts to help. This would be a great book to discuss the importance of inclusion and how sometimes people (and dogs) can misunderstand each other. The Newf enthusiast will appreciate the artistic depictions of this noble breed.

Chet Spiewak has created a beautifully illustrated, well written book that fits perfectly into the season before Christmas, that time of year when parents search for stories that address the meaning of Christmas, the anticipation of the season, and the joy that culminates on Christmas morning. Yes, there are other tales such as 'Twas the Night Before Christmas' and 'Why the Chimes Rang' and some others that fill that need to build on the holiday without focusing on just gifts. Spiewak's fine little book sets the stage both for the excitement ahead and suggests traditions that children/families can build upon to make the holiday truly a meaningful event.

The main characters are traditional Christmas ornaments stashed in the attic until the holiday comes. Each of the ornaments (beautifully rendered through the magic of computer generated graphics) begins to prepare for Christmas when they spy the Christmas tree brought into the house. They polish each other and prepare, only to find that they are pushed aside from the merriment of hanging on the tree - discarded from their moment of glory. Halloween ornaments frighten the Christmas ornaments and mock the fact that they are stuck in the attic until the little ornaments decide to share the meaning of gift giving with the Halloween ornaments. Then together the band of decor find a way to sneak down the chimney only to fall asleep before they can climb the tree. But Christmas morning arrives and the children of the home delight in the shiny sleeping ornaments, placing them in the most visible spot on the celebratory Christmas Tree.

The tale is simple, but very well told and the lessons for children and adults are enough to make re-reading the book throughout the season a pleasure. Spiewak has a winner here. And now is the time to order this book to savor either as sentimental adults or with children - of all ages! Grady Harp, October 07

Author and illustrator Chet Spiewak uses film quality computer-generated 3D graphics to create his unique picturebook story of a colorful cast of Christmas ornaments who go on an adventure to find the perfect holiday tree. Trapped in an attic and all but forgotten, Percy, Stanley, Fiona and the rest of the Christmas ornaments embark upon their quest. Along the way the rather timid Percy gains confidence and the trust of his companions, all while teaching some old Halloween adversaries the real meaning of Christmas. This wonderfully illustrated and delightful Christmas 32-page picturebook is an enthusiastically recommended addition to family, grade school, and community library collections.

I don't know much about children, but I do know that they are sure to love Chet Spiewak's An Ornaments' Tale. Not only is the story quite good, the artwork is just dazzling. Every single page features incredibly vivid, 3-D images that truly bring the characters to life. In fact, I suspect very young kids will keep reaching out to touch each page - it really looks like you could just reach in and pluck any of these ornaments out yourself.

In the story, a wooden soldier named Percy and his other ornament friends eagerly await Christmas, anxious to be taken down from the attic to hang on the tree and spread happiness all around. Imagine their shock and despair after finding themselves hidden away in a corner where no one will be able to find them. The Halloween ornaments laugh at their wonderful little trick, but Percy and his friends are heartbroken over the thought of missing Christmas. Realizing that the Halloween ornaments did what they did because they didn't know what Christmas was all about, Percy shows them that this holiday is all about giving, not playing tricks or getting treats. Spreading the Christmas spirit around to their new Halloween friends is a wonderful thing - but it doesn't get the Christmas ornaments any nearer to the tree downstairs. Could it be that they will still miss Christmas for the first time in their Christmas-devoted little lives?

If there's a young child alive who wouldn't enjoy An Ornaments' Tale, he must be one ornery little fellow destined for nothing but a lump of coal in his stocking. The incredible 3-D images may be the real hook that keeps children coming back to this book time and again, but the wonderful story will always serve to remind them that there is a lot more to Christmas than Santa Claus and the presents he brings.

The illustrations in this book are stunningly impressive, their three-dimensional appearance and exquisite detail are sure to catch and hold the eye of the youngster. The people at CWS studios, who specialize in 3D design sketches and artwork, are to be commended. Once I completed the book, I immediately went to their website to see what other books that the company has helped create.
The story is about a set of Christmas tree ornaments that can't wait for the Christmas season to get here so that they can once again spread their message of cheer. However, due to some dirty tricks by the Halloween ornaments, they are placed aside and forgotten. Their attempt to overcome this setback is one of struggle and triumph. The combination of the happy ending and the illustrations make this an excellent Christmas present for the child in grades 2-4.

It is nice to see that in a world where entire movies are generated from computers that there are artists who can use that same technology and produce a eye catching book such as Chet Spiewak has down with "An Ornaments' Tale" (Notice that the title is both plural and possessive). The tale begins with Percy, a wooden toy soldier, sees through a hole in the attic floor that the Christmas tree has finally arrived for this year. The elf ornaments make sure all of the ornaments are all dusted and shiny before they go back into their ornament box for the trip downstairs. However, the Halloween ornaments, who only know about tricking and scaring, not joy and cheer, decide to come up with a trick or treat surprise for the Christmas ornaments, and it looks like Percy and his friends might miss Christmas.

Of course, that cannot be allowed to happen, and what I liked most about the way Spiewak works out his Christmas story is that once you accept the idea of talking animated Christmas tree ornaments, most of what happens in this story tends towards the realistic rather than the fantastic (e.g., ornaments cannot hang themselves on a Christmas tree). I know that pretty much anything goes in such stories, but I appreciated Spiewak's logic as to what happens in this charming little story. The last page of the book shows some of the 3D design sketches and artwok from Spiewak's CWS Studios, showing story and character design sketches, along with some nontextured and textured renderings (if you check out the studio website there is a nice little promotional film, where the author throughs hubris to the wind and declares his book to be "a new holiday classic"; fortunately, I read the book first, so I can only chuckle at the quote).

"An Ornaments' Tale" struck me as a mix of elements from "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Toy Story" and "The Nightmare Before Christmas," which is not a bad thing, because this story does suffers little in such comparisons. Actually, the biggest problem in comparing Spiewak's book to those beloved animated films is that young kids will probably be disappointed to learn that they cannot get their own version of Percy, Topher, Crystal, Spencer, Fiona, and Stanley to hang on their Christmas tree this December. That kids (and their parents) would want real ornaments of these characters to hang on their trees would be just another indication of how this nice little story could become a personal Christmas favorite for those people who happen to stumble across it. I am glad I did and have salted it away with our Christmas ornaments so sometime in the next decade (or two) when grandchildren arrive on the scene I can read the book to them.

I gave this book 5 stars because it was a good book. The book is about a magic train that travels to the North Pole. The train took little boys and girls to the North Pole. When the children arrive at the North Pole, they learn that one of them will receive the first gift of Christmas.
This was a fun book for me, I really enjoyed the train because they had good treats. I also like the pictures of the train.
Westly
7
1st grade
Germany

I gave this book 5 stars because it was a good book. The book is about a magic train that travels to the North Pole. The train took little boys and girls to the North Pole. When the children arrive at the North Pole, they learn that one of them will receive the first gift of Christmas.
This was a fun book for me, I really enjoyed the train because they had good treats. I also like the pictures of the train.
Westly
7
1st grade
Germany

What this book speaks to me about is the magic of Christmas, not the commmercialism, something I try hard to capture each year amid the avalanche of enticements to buy and consume. I grew up not believing in the Santa that just brings presents but in the magic and spirit of giving and receiving and the joy and wonder of the season and by reading and sharing this book with my family each Christmas, I hope to capture some of that magic and wonder, for each of us to hold in amongst the chaos that surrounds us at this time of year.

I am a huge fan of books and loved this as a child, so I got it for my 17-month-old daughter to share with her the joys in this masterpiece. I have yet to see the movie, but the captivating story and artwork makes the book well worth it. You will teasure it for years to come!!!

Chris Van Allsburg's picture book THE POLAR EXPRESS is a Christmas classic anyone can enjoy. Both illustrations and text are wonderful and the book hits just the right magical mysterious notes with none of the creepiness the Tom Hanks movie can claim. And the ending is pitch perfect in capturing the spirit of Santa Claus and Christmas.

Read prom in one sitting, alot of fun and was laughing out loud through some parts. Some of it was close to the bone and I was blushing in embarrasment but smiling throughout. Not much more you can ask for from a book. The characters are real, are smart and there is something grand and timeless going on behind the situations and comedy. have not yet read paranoid park and heard good things about it but this one deserves a prom reunion!

It's amazing how successfully Blake Nelson captures the thoughts and feelings of your average teenage girls! Not only does he take you inside their minds, but all of his characters are true to life. Nelson's writing style is also very commendable. Loads of times, he had me laughing aloud, even on the train. The language that he uses fits perfectly with the content, and he doesn't overuse slang, like some contemporary writers do. I love how he shows what lies past the stereotypical American high school scene.

(And I promise that I'm not biased because Nelson's married to one of the best English teachers I ever had.)

This book details three best friends' very different experiences with a landmark American high school event... the prom. Laura is pstched to go for the second time (her boyfriend of 14 months is a senior so she went last year). Jace is nervous/excited about finding a date and hoping to go with the cute, Californian, tennis-playing Paul. And Chloe... she got "convinced" by Jace and Laura to go to the prom. She's bringing a blind date. How will these three girls' experienes pan out? Read this TOTALLY AMAZINGLY SUPER-COOL book and you will find out!! Side note: This book was just so amazing that I read it in under 24 hours (while still putting in a full day of school)... that's how good it is. I'm so excited because Blake Nelson is coming to my school in FOUR days to talk about it!

Step One: Dates

Laura has a date for the prom, because she and her boyfriend have been together practically forever. Julia, aka Jace, thinks she might have a date for the prom, if she can ever get up the nerve to put a coherent sentence together in front of Paul, the hot new tennis player. Alternachick Chloe has no intention of going to the prom at all until Laura decides that not only will Chloe go to the prom, she will also pre-screen possible dates for Chloe.

Step Two: Prep

Everyone knows you can't just show up at your prom in any old thing. The dress has to be spectacular, and Laura is going to have that spectacular $349 dress even though she's not allowed to spend more than $200. Chloe emerges from a vintage dress shop as Audrey Hepburn. And Jace? Well, she'll worry about the dress when Paul commits to the prom one way or the other.

Step Three: Prom!

More and more, Laura has felt torn between her boyfriend and her oldest friends. Chloe hasn't even met her date (she did talk to him on the phone once), yet she's written 31 poems about him. Paul finally agrees to go with Jace, though he has some serious reservations --- and I'm not talking about the restaurant kind.

There's a lot of fun and fluff in this novel, but there's also a lot in the way of good friendships and sticking up for the people you care about. Romance and family conflict make this more than just a throwaway book, but it's not going to fry your brain either. Recommended for all promgoers, or for those who wouldn't go to their prom even if you paid them.

--- Reviewed by Carlie Webber

I loved this book, it's one of those that leave you wishing for more-what's going to happen to Chloe and Zach? Will Paul learn how to deal with his mental illness and become the man he is meant to be? What about Laura, is she going to confront Mike about his indiscretion at the prom or just leave him to figure it out for himself? And will Ryan turn out to be the Best Boyfriend Ever? And, Rebecca, will she get a chance to wear that fabulous dress again? God, I hope so.
I felt, at the end of this book, as if I'd known-and loved- these girls all my life. I really liked how different they all were and how much they valued each other's traits-Blake Nelson has, once again, captured beautifully the nuances and importance of fully formed relationships that would (should, at any rate)cause the writers of "Friends" to publicly apologize.
This is a lovely, warm, funny and realistic look at how the friendships and conflicts of youth, with all it's trimmings of burgeoning sex, drugs and the dreaded Proms, impacts all of our lives while retaining a sense of perspective-makes me wish I had paid more attention.
In his fifth book, Blake Nelson has proven himself a major voice among novelists-with his wonderful dialogue, rich characters and near perfect sense of humor, he will, in years to come, be among those favorite writers whose books one can never quite bring oneself to donate.
It's so refreshing to read a YA book that doesn't patronize or sermonize but leaves the reader with a great big smile and a sense of communion with the awkward and important issues of maturity. Nice going, Blake. Thank you.