Izzy and Mackenzie have been best friends since they were little kids, and they have spent every summer together at camp. This summer the two girls go to a new camp where they have to make all new friends. On top of that, they are each assigned to different cabins. Izzy wants to fit in and be popular. She worries about Mackenzie but is more worried about being noticed by her new friends. Izzy soon learns that her cabin is in a time honored prank war with the Wolverine cabin. Izzy has a history of being a prank master, but none of her new cabin-mates are interested in her ideas. Then Izzy tells a small lie to gain the trust and respect of the rest of her cabin.This lie does the job, but it grows day by day and becomes a black cloud that, predictably, comes between both her new friendships and the long standing friendship with Mackenzie. Izzy learns an important lesson about trust and friendship. The plot is simple, characters are reflective of the age group represented, and the resolution is predictable. Readers who compare the cover image to the story will be disappointed – while the scene comes from the story, the accuracy of details is a miss.
Tag Archives: realistic fiction
Truth or Dare
This coming-of-age story is funny and realistic, and it deals with issues that tween girls face today.
Lia Rollins’ mother was killed in a car accident. The other driver was busy texting when he collided with her mother’s car. Lia is still grieving her mother and refuses to use a cell phone. Lia is part of a group of friends who have known each other since childhood. All of the girls are growing up and hitting puberty at different times. The changes – physical and emotional – take their toll on this once tightly knit group of friends.There is a lot of talk about getting your period, cramps, and wearing a bra. The girls are starting to notice boys, too. Most of Lia’s friends are starting summer vacation by attending the same camp. Lia chooses not to go, but to stay with her aunt Shelby, her mother’s sister, instead of attending summer camp with her friends. When summer is over and the girls return to school, there is tension in the air. The girls are growing up and going their separate ways based on interest and, in some cases, based on poor treatment of one another. Identities are being discovered and shaped, girls are pushing each other’s buttons, and their once strong friendship is fragmenting. Lia is at a crossroads with her friends and her feelings about herself, growing up and letting go. Lia’s family turns out to be a stronger support system than she realized, Lia discovers the meaning of friendship, and Lia learns that bodies change on their own schedule. Lia finally decides to get a cell phone and discovers that moving on doesn’t necessarily mean letting go.
Isabella for Real
Isabella Antonelli is living a lie. She didn’t intend to deceive all of her classmates and friends at her new private school. But it happened and she didn’t work very hard to correct their false assumptions. Plus, she starred in a video series for her cousin for a class project that wasn’t supposed to be posted to the Internet. Her luck was such that not only did the video get posted, but it went viral. Which, of course, meant all of her friends and classmates found out that Isabella is not a contessa’s daughter but a regular girl who ends up being a pretty funny reality tv character.
The story starts with Isabella hiding away from news cameras. When she finally leaves her room, it is to try to come up with a way to convince her friends that she really is a contessa’s daughter. She is also dodging her family to avoid having to admit to her ongoing charade and lies. Ultimately, she fails at her deceit. She must face her friends and her family as the real Isabella.
The book is mostly text, but is enhances with cartoon sections to that mostly show Isabella’s active imagination. This is a quick read which will have readers chuckling from time to time.
Out of Tune Gail Nall
Maya Mae is a typical pre-teen. She is obsessed with her friends, her phone, and her hobby. In Maya’s case, her hobby doubles as her dream – she wants to be a famous country singer. She is well on her way when the reality TV show, “Dueling Duets” announces an audition in Nashville, Maya’s hometown. Maya is doubly delighted when she has a plan to audition and her crush, the cute and talented, Jack, asks her to be his partner. Then, without warning, her life changes as her parents announce that they are selling the family home and moving into an RV to travel the country. In an instant, Maya’s life is turned upside down. The book focuses on Maya’s repeated attempts to get home to Nashville in time for her tryout. Along the road, new friends are made and her resolve is tested. Will Maya make it back in time for her audition or will she embrace a new life of adventure and memory making with her family? Will Maya’s parents realize the importance of Maya’s dream?
Each chapter starts with a countdown to audition day. Maya tells the story and paints an accurate picture of the emotional pain of leaving friends and dreams behind. In the end, Maya demonstrates a love for her family and capacity for compassion when she realizes that she has a lifetime to pursue her dream and she puts the needs and desires of others before her own. Meanwhile the parents’ ability to understand the immensity of the impact such a decision would have on their children is downplayed. This story is told through Maya’s eyes – a girl without a choice in her family’s decision to pick up roots, a girl who tries to be obedient but doesn’t know how to confront her parents about such a drastic move, a girl who is desperately holding on to a dream of her own and trying to balance her wants and desires with those of her family. At times funny, sad, and frustrating, Maya takes the reader on a journey of growing up.
Lucky Few
Stevie Hart describes herself as a normal-type. This is one of four categories she has created to describe students who are homeschooled. Her best friend, Sanger, is a normal-type also. Enter Max, the new neighbor kid who is obsessed with cheating death. Together this trio embark on a challenge to defy death 23 times. On her own, Stevie is involved with the political action efforts to save her favorite place, Barton Springs. What starts out as a way to pass time with friends – old and new – turns into a journey of self-discovery.
The story moves from one death cheat to another, yet in the background our characters are learning how to cope with change – sometimes with grace and other time with the elegance of a toddler tantruming. In the periphery, the cast of characters deal with pressures of academic success, discrimination, Christian values, political activism, and abandonment to name a few.
Note that Stevie and Sanger are homeschooled, yet they go to classes taught by teaching staff at non-home school locations and the homeschool co-op has a sports team. Part of the controversy in a side plot has to do with the homeschool co-op board requesting that Sanger leave the co-op because her parents are lesbians. This friction propels the plot and is an undercurrent of the development of the main character, Stevie, who questions these decisions by adults in authority and determines her own moral compass.
Sidney & Sydney: Book 1 Third Grade Mix-Up
The start of a new school year and the start of third grade. What could induce more uncertainty and nervousness? How about stepping into the classroom on the first day and seeing that your teacher spelled your name wrong. Should you speak up? Perhaps it’s better to just sit down and not make a fuss about it. After all the teacher, Mr. Luther, is known to be grumpy.
Ah, the trials of third grade! Sydney (spelled with a “y”) meets her gender counterpart (Sidney with an “i”) on that first day. They soon find out they have a lot more in common than just a same first name. This is a story of friendship that elementary students will like to read about. The dialog is very realistic and the characters are well written and believable. The story line is engaging without being trite or overly predictable. Jakubowski seems to accurately understands her audience.
The story is heavily illustrated, in full color, by Luisa Montalto. Most of the illustrations are full page, centering on the characters with little to no background distractions. The opening pages give an illustrated bio of the characters and the end pages give further info and insight into the characters. I can envision many of my students trying to copy Montalto’s clean style and creating a Sydney or Sidney of their own.
Visit Capstone to have students read bios on Sydney and Sidney and there respective friends. Also there are two downloads: “How funny are you?” and “Are you a good friend?” Both of these quizzes are the type with no definitive right or wrong answers. They are the type that sum up your answers with “If you have mostly “A” answers you are….