Coming Soon

you all know how much i love Brigid Lowry, i also know lots of my readers do as well.
so i have some Great news, she has a new booking coming out!!!! it's called Triple Ripple. it hasn't got a realise date yet, but I got this information through my Allen and Unwin YA newsletter, so I'm guessing sometime next year. for more information on this book, Brigid Lowry or her other books check out the Allen and Unwin site Here.

Description -Taken from Allen and Unwin

The Writer begins with a sparkly good idea for a fabulous fairytale. A girl called Glory is sent to work in the Royal Palace, where the queen is planning a grand ball and a bad-tempered princess is sorting through jewels and tiaras. And, unknown to Glory, the threads of her destiny are coming together.
Nova is reading the fairytale. Fairytales are not usually her thing, but right now she?s feeling a bit messy and lost. Her best friend has gone away and bitchy Dylan is hassling her. Still, Nova is curious to find out why Glory?s mother is scrabbling under the bed for an old magic book.
Can the Writer make everything turn out happily ever after? Will the princess find true love? Will Glory escape a secret curse? And can Nova smooth out the lumps and bumps in her life?

Couples of Christmas Countdown!

Alexa from Not Enough Bookshelves has a countdown of her favourite couples from books she's read this year. she is also running a great contest, click here to find out more.
so i get to post about my favourite book couple this year, which is quite fun, but very hard. i thought I'd split it into 3 categories, siblings, friends and romantic relationships. there's 4 books in each category .

Romance
1 Jarvis and Electra in Jarvis 24 by David Metzenthen.
there connection was just so strong and powerful, i was honestly in awe of it.
2 Elly and Will in I Left my Mobile at the Mall by Wendy Harmer
they were so sweet with each other and it was very realistic and Australian teenagery. i was honestly jealous of Elly at points.
these 2 aren't new realises. but i only read them this year.
3 Rosie and Asher in Guitar Highway Rose by Brigid Lowry.
they just had so much fun together, and Asher was so cool.
4 Juice and Val in Juice by Katy Watson.
they both helped each other and needed each other in that moment, yet it was very believable. i liked that.

friendships
1 Alice and Valery in Yankee Girl by Mary Ann Rodman.
they weren't very close friends, but Alice learnt so much from just from the fact that they weren't friends, that it was favourite friendships this year.
2 Bruno and Shamuel in The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne.
so sad, but incredible
3 Todd and Viola in the Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness

Siblings
1 Lia and Emma in Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson.
Emma saved her without even knowing it.
2 Annabel, Whitney and Kristen in Just Listen by Sarah Dessen.
the way they connect sometimes, yet sometimes barley know their sisters was quite like me and my brothers.

there is my very long post, but i can never make desisions. ask me what my favourite book is an expect me to talk for half an hour. anyway, 10 great books, read them.

Top 100 YA Books - Persnickety Snark

this year 735 voted for their top 10 YA novels. Persnickety Snark ran this Pole over here.
but i most admit i got it of nomes on the ever awesome incrush.

here's the list. i'm putting all the books i've read in bold and all the one's i know i'll be reading (for school or that i have waiting on my shelf) in italics.

1. The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins
2. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, J.K. Rowling
3. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
4. Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson
5. Northern Lights, Philip Pullman
6. The Truth About Forever, Sarah Dessen
7. The Book Thief, Markus Zusak Go Aussie! :)
8. The Outsiders, S.E. Hinton
9. Twilight, Stephenie Meyer
10. This Lullaby, Sarah Dessen

11. Looking for Alaska, John Green
12. Just Listen, Sarah Dessen
13. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling
14. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
15. City of Bones, Cassandra Clare
16. On the Jellicoe Road, Melina Marchetta (yay!)
1 7. The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger
18. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, J.K. Rowling
19. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky
20. Along for the Ride, Sarah Dessen

21. Shiver, Maggie Stiefvater
22. Vampire Academy, Richelle Mead
23. Graceling, Kristin Cashore
24. Thirteen Reasons Why, Jay Asher
25. Sloppy Firsts, Megan McCafferty
26. The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien
27. Alanna: The First Adventure, Tamora Pierce
28. Ender’s Game, Orson Scott Card
29. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling
30. Uglies, Scott Westerfeld

31. A Great and Terrible Beauty, Libba Bray
32. Tomorrow, When the War Began, John Marsden
33. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, E. Lockhart
34. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
35. The Westing Game, Ellen Raskin
36. Paper Towns, John Green
37. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling
38. Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins
39. A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, Betty Smith
40. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Sherman Alexie


41. Lock and Key, Sarah Dessen
42. The Amber Spyglass, Philip Pullman
43. Evernight, Claudia Gray
44. Sabriel, Garth Nix
45. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J.K. Rowling
46. Beautiful Creatures, Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl
47. Forever, Judy Blume
48. I Capture the Castle, Dodie Smith
49. Ella Enchanted, Gail Carson Levine
50. The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot

51. Stargirl, Jerry Spinelli
52. Howl’s Moving Castle, Diana Wynne Jones
53. The Dark is Rising, Susan Cooper
54. Hush, Hush, Becca Fitzpatrick
55. Saving Francesca, Melina Marchetta (yeah!)
56. Second Helpings, Megan McCafferty
57. Dreamland, Sarah Dessen
58. Eclipse, Stephenie Meyer
59. Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, Rachel Cohn, David Levithan
60. Fire, Kristin Cashore

61. The Chocolate War, Robert Cormier
62. Weetzie Bat, Francesca Lia Block
63. The Diary of a Young Girl, Anne Frank
64. Looking for Alibrandi, Melina Marchetta
65. How I Live Now, Meg Rosoff
66. City of Glass, Cassandra Clare
67. Keeping the Moon, Sarah Dessen
68. Breaking Dawn, Stephenie Meyer
69. Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging, Louise Rennison
70. If I Stay, Gayle Forman

71. The King of Attolia, Megan Whalen Turner
72. Wintergirls, Laurie Halse Anderson
73. Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast, Robin McKinley
74. The Blue Sword, Robin McKinley
75. Feed, M.T. Anderson
76. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, Ann Brashares
77. Go Ask Alice, Anonymous
78. Wicked Lovely, Melissa Marr
79. Lord of the Flies, William Golding
80. Someone Like You, Sarah Dessen

81. The Forest of Hands and Teeth, Carrie Ryan
82. Jacob Have I Loved, Katherine Paterson
83. The Knife of Never Letting Go, Patrick Ness
84. Poison Study, Maria V. Snyder
85. Shadow Kiss, Richelle Mead
86. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, Avi
87. An Abundance of Katherines, John Green
88. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Mark Haddon
89. A Ring of Endless Light, Madeleine L’Engle
90. Glass Houses, Rachel Caine

91. The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I:The Pox Party, M.T. Anderson
92. Walk Two Moons, Sharon Creech
93. Whale Talk, Chris Crutcher
94. Perfect Chemistry, Simone Elkeles
95. Going Too Far, Jennifer Echols
96. The Last Song, Nicholas Sparks
97. Before I Fall, Lauren Oliver
98. Hatchet, Gary Paulsen
99. The Pigman, Paul Zindel
100. The Hero and the Crown, Robin McKinley

so i've read about 30 of these books, but many of them are on my 'summer reading' list. to name a few hunger games, saving francesca, the book thief, before i fall and whale talk.
so it's a great list.
which ones have you read?

Tagged

I've been tagged by the lovely Naomi from Inkcrush. thank you.

so i have to tell you 10 things you don't know about me. i haven't been tagged in months so I'm really excited!!!

1. i plan to buy a book on every continent. obviously not including Antarctica, anyone who knows me knows that i don't mix well with cold temperatures. for this reason and the fact that i don't think there is a book shop there, Antarctica has been replaced by England. it sounds simple enough, but I'm a perfectionist so i will have to buy the perfect book, with the perfect cover and will have to be hardback of course. :)

2. i have multiple different journal type books each for a slightly different thing.
i have one for creative writing, one for list writing, one that i still things i love in, one for recipes and one that i just journal in.

3. my ipod is loaded with music none of my friends really like, though s few do humour me. my brother is into Ska/party punk/punk music and mainly loads my ipod for me. i love it. to give you an idea as i walked home today i was listening to Beatles, NOFX, mxpx, Chris duke and the royals and the Decline (his band).

4. a church choir practices in my lounge room on Sunday mornings and my brother holds practice for his other band in his room on Sunday afternoons. we're quite a musical household. one of my favourite things is to be lying in my bed late a night while my brother plays his guitar and sings old songs like i will survive, here's to you Mrs Robinson and ones from grease.

5. my favourite definition of love is the one from Deadline by Chris Crutcher. as 14 yr ODs we often make fun of each other and make jokes about who likes who which annoys me no end. this definition helps me to understand that i can love all my friends without it being like that.

"we can say we love each other if my life is better because you're in it and your life is better because I'm in it. The intensity of the love is weighted by how much better."

6. i get really excited over strange things. i sort of have epiphanies when i realise something, some kind of deep thought and i just bubbling about it. just yesterday my baby cousin was born and realised how much of an identity he was from the second he was separated from his mother. how much there already was to know about him.

7. I'm kinda paranoid. not in a crazy, people are out to kill me way, but i always worry people are being nice to me because they're polite. i also worry that my friends are going to make new friends and forget about me.

8. i can clearly remember getting my library card and the first time i reserved a library book. i got my library card at 4 and i remember reserving the Tiger who came to Tea by Judith Kerr when i was 3 and getting terribly excited when my dad got the letter saying i could go get it.

9. i am the biggest harry potter nerd. honestly, i know almost everything about it. i have read all the books at least 3 times each.

10. when i was 4 I told my pediatrician that real girls don't look like barbies. he was trying to distract me as he took the cast of my broken arm so he asked if i had lots of barbies. mum says he was slightly shocked.

Jarvis 24

title: Jarvis 24
author: David Metzenthen
published: penguin

i actually read this a few weeks ago, but somehow never got round to reviewing it. Jarvis 24 has been a big award winner in Australia this year taking gold in the children's book council, and i gotta agree that it deserves it. it really enjoyed it.

Marc Jarvis has to do work experience, it's either that or spend a week in the school library doing assignments. as he walks past the local second hand car yard he decides to see if they'd let him work there for the week. only partly inspired by the beautiful girl walking out of the gate. from here the story unfolds. new and old friends and relationships.

this book kept me up all night, just because i couldn't bring myself to put it down. I'd also like to say that thanks to David metzenthen everyone who was near me while i was reading this book thinks I'm crazy because i couldn't help but laugh out loud.
i also loved reading from what seemed a typical guy, because it's rare in a non-adventure, sport, action book to have a main protagonist, especially one as realistic at Marc Jarvis.

over all i thought this book had a great, gentle ending, but there was one thing i was left wondering and i actually looked for a way to contact the author so i could ask him, unfortunately i couldn't. apart from that i loved the whole book.

The Winner!

the winning list is... THINGS TO DO WHEN YOU"RE INVISIBLE.
congratulations.

- Poke an irksome acquaintance in the face until they go insane.
- Pretend I'm a "voice" and whisper bad (but funny) ideas in the Queen's ears.
- Pretend I'm the voice of God, visit the Pope and tell him he looks good in a dress.
- Write "your fly is undone" on fogged up glass in public places.
- Sing (badly) into the mic on an empty stage in a busy bar.
- Trip up "posers" as they walk down the street.
- Continually turn someone's TV to the Bible channel.
- Yell "He IS the Kwizats Hadderach!" at a kid's Christening.
- Carry a penguin around under my arm to make people think they could fly all along.
- Do the above with other animals...particularly household pets.
- Wear a sheet and be a ghost.
- Spy on people I hate and use the gathered information against them. Mwahahahaha!
- Infiltrate and Area 51.
- Go on free flights.
- Never pay for another cinema ticket.
- Confuse the automatic doors that run on pressure sensors.
- Stow away in Johnny Depp's shower...he he he.
- Read top secret government files.
- Convince kids in toy stores that I am a possessed teddy bear.

thank you to all those who entered, they were all great.

could the writer of this list please email me at cherry-banana-split@hotmail.com with the address to send the book to and some information to help me pick a book for you. your age, genre preferences and the titles of a few of your favourite books would be a good start.

Follow the Blue

Title: Follow the Blue
Author: Brigid Lowry

once again another great book by Brigid Lowry.
Bec is restless, sick of being the responsible one she decided to become a new Bec, in a summer of change for her family. this story start with Bec's father in hospital due to a mental break down. soon after he comes home her mother, a famous cook, is offered a book tour to America and they both disappear for 6 weeks leaving Bec and her little brother and sister with a house keeper. along the way Bec dies her hair red, makes some new friends and falls in love for the first time.

as much as i liked this book i didn't think it was as good as all her others. i felt the characters wern't as well developed and that let the book down. apart from that it was great. like her other books the slightly more scrapbook style, in the case adding in recipes and instructions on things like how to Henna your hair, and the amount of detail really add to the book and make it enjoyable and more realistic. the thing i loved most though is how well she understands and expresses what it feels like to be 15. being almost 15 I identified with Bec a lot. feeling unsure about who you are, not knowing how to relate to her parents and just wanting her life to be more exciting are all things that a teenager goes through.

another beautiful book by brigid lowry.

I Am the Messenger

Title: I Am the Messenger (even thou my copy just says the messenger his website says I Am the Messenger)
Author: Markus Zusak
First Published: by Pan Macmillan in 2002

before i review this i should warn you that I'm still very mixed up about this book. i know i loved it, but it was very deep and complicated. in fact I'd love to talk to the author so if any of you happen to be Markus Zusak or know him leave a comment.

Ed is ordinary, it's just Ed. he drives a Taxi, he plays cards, talks to his Dog and sucks at sex. then the 1st card turns up and everything changes. Ed is given a mission, a purpose.

from the blurb, i didn't get the story i was expecting, though it would have helped if i had read the blurb properly. i was expecting an Alex rider or Artemis fowl type of mission, but this was much more ordinary. this book wasn't about the extraordinary part of having an adventure or mission, it was about what Ed did.

i feel i should explain a bit more about what this book was about, so I'll try. this is a story about Ed who is chosen to care, but not only for others, for himself, for life in general in a world that sometimes seems to not give a shit. it's about "small things that are big" (page 239.)

i really loved the beginning, it's one of the best intros ever. the story starts in a bank robbery. yes, lying on the floor while a man with a gun steals money and from there it all springs or so we think. Ed becomes the messenger, caring about people, changing things in his town.

the one thing i wasn't too sure about was the ending, in some ways i loved it and in others i hated it. but i can't say because it would spoil it and i HATE people who do that.

over all it was a book about life having meaning, about wanting to live and about the need to care. if somebody as ordinary as Ed can do it, so can the rest of us. we can change things and we can live.

do yourself a favour and read I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak. then do me a favour and come chat to me about it, because i want to talk about it, but can't get my head around it to review it.

this book left me feeling like my life was special.

Tomorrow When the War Began

Title: Tomorrow When the War Began
Author: John Marsden
First Published: 1993 by Pan Macmillan Publishers

Ellie and her friends Corrie, Homer, Robyn, Fi, Kevin and Lee all go on a camping trip. when they return they discover Australia is at war and all there families are being held captive.

i think this is a great book, it's beautifully written. I actually found myself admiring the writing and trying to absorb it to apply to my own as I read. my favourite sentence was
"The, light switched off, the patrol got back into formation and continued down the road like a dark crocodile."

it was very different to most adventure/war/action books, it was really centred around characters which i usually really enjoy, but i found it made the pace a too slow. in the action parts involving guns and bombs found that it wasn't very compelling, there was a lack of suspense, I even managed to put it down in the middle of a shooting and not read it for a week. over all though i think that the characters shone through and made it an incredible book, even if the action wasn't so good.

for some reason, I'm not sure why, i was expecting this book to be in 3rd person. At first i wasn't so sure about reading from Ellie's point of view,I felt i wasn't getting to know her in the same way i was getting to know the other characters. as i read on i became really glad that we could read Ellie's thought, they were so interesting and insightful and i loved knowing what was going through her head.

a brilliant book for action and realistic fiction lovers alike. i can't wait to go and see the movie and read all the other books.

So Much to Tell You

Title: So Much to Tell You
Author: John Marsden
First Published: 1987 by Walter McVitty Books

So Much to Tell You is the incredible diary of a 14 year old girl sent to boarding school and her family life explodeds. there is one thing making her diffferent from every other girl in the school, she doesn't speak.

slowly through her diary enteries we learn all about her, she didn't plain to put all her secrets into this diary but once she started she couldn't help herself. once she started she couldn't stop. over the course of the novel she slowly starts to be herself again, still silent, but with some patience and kindness from a few other people she starts getting there. slowly.

not only do we learn all about her feelings and her life, we get her insightful observations of the people around her, some of which no one but the silent girl would notice. i loved how she learnt that she wasn't the onlt person feeling things. through English, with her awesome teacher the girls learn that lots of other people are feeling things like they are. it was a great reminder for me.

my faveourite thing was that we didn't find out her name until the last page. i felt is very symbolic, like she had finally found herself in all the mess and put herself back together.

i think that everybody should read this book, it's reallu sticks with you, especiaaly because it is based on a true story. if you are not convinved it's written by the man who wrote Tomorrow When the War began. in my opinion it's even better.

Juice

Title: Juice
Author: Katy Watson
First Published: 2000 by Fremantle Press

Juice wants to be an Australian sprinter and she thinks she's got what it takes, the Body, the determination, support and her crazy new coach Wiz. soon though, everything is changing. Juice's head is spinning, she thought that she was just changing coaches so she'd become the best 100m sprinter around, but that was just the start. Soon she's crushing on her running partner, who seems to have issues of his own, her best friend seems to have been replaced by an alien, her Gran is moving to sydney and her family is changing completely.

this book is prequel to Mama's Trippin' , but saying that you can read them in any order because there is no necessary information in one for the other and they have different Protagonists.

there are some Big difference between how the two books are written, which i wasn't expecting. Juice is written in 1st person all from Juice's Point of view, while Mama's Trippin' is written in 3rd person from multiple points of view. Mama's Trippin' definitely had more serious themes, but both books i really liked.

my favourite thing about this book was that it was set it Perth, which is a rare treat for me, because it's my city and i knew the places they were talking about and other details just seemed so right to me.

the other thing i loved was the characters, they were so realistic. the way Juice thinks about things, especially her parents, her body and boys was, in my opinion, was really like in my own head. every character had flaws and not silly little things, but there were moments i wanted to yell "you idiot Juice, don't say that! she your best friend" i felt i knew each one.

that brings me to the first thing i didn't like. i felt that the book could have been longer, the ending wasn't rushed, but i felt it could have been stretched out a little further. i also was hoping that Von's feelings about his diabetes would be explored more, because in mama's trippin' i felt I'd like to know more and thought it would be in Juice, but i was a little disappointed, but it was explored.
my only over problem is I'm not sure how well the end of Juice over laps with the start of Mama's Trippin', I'm not sure if they match.

i really liked this book. a simple, yet great read.

Children's Book Council of Australia- 2010 Winners

the last month or so is the peek of book awards in Australia, at least in YA/children's books, which is all i know. i thought I'd do a post showing you some of the books that have won prizes. this award is only given to books by Australian authors that have been nominated by their publisher.

Older Readers
WINNER: Jarvis 24 by David Metzenthen
HONOUR: The Winds of Heaven by Judith Clarke
HONOUR: A Small Free Kiss in the Dark



Younger Readers
WINNER:Darius Bell and the Glitter Pool by Odo Hirsch
HONOUR:Running with the Horses by Alison Lester
HONOUR: Pearl Verses the World by Sally Murphy



Picture Book (meant for children aged 0-18. some books are for mature readers)
WINNER:The Hero of Little Street by Gregory Rogers
HONOUR: Isabella's Garden by Glenda Millard
HONOUR:Fox and Fine Feathers by Narelle Oliver

The Running Man

Title: The Running Man
Author: Michael Gerard Bauer
First Published: in 2004 by scholastic

Joseph is a quiet, shy boy who lives with his mother, while his father does construction work in far away countries. this story begins when Joseph is asked to mow the Leyton's lawn. Caroline Leyton convinces him to paint a portrait of her brother tom, a reclusive Vietnam war veteran. a very special relationship forms over silkworms, books and secrets. but their can be problems of relationships built on secrets, what happens if someone else says different, who do you trust? Tom and Joseph give each other just what they've needed for a long time.

i love, Love, LOVE this book. i have no criticism, i thought it was perfect. it was perfectly paced, i was hooked from very early in and read it all one Friday night. this is quite a philosophical book, so i was very surprised to find that it was so suspenseful and interesting. most books that are about thoughts, feelings, relationships and life in general usually have a relaxing pace, but The Running Man is quite eventful.

like i said, this book is very philosophical. it talks about life, death, views on life, perspective, judgement of others and even miracles. i learnt so much from just reading it. The Running Man is the kind of book you feeling happy and hopeful after reading, it just sticks in your mind.

i feel i haven't done this book justice in my review, i highly recommend reading it. please give it a go.

Competition Time!

Cherry Banana Split is having their first competition!! (party poppers go bang now while everyone claps).
we are having a write a list like Georgia comp.

now i know you must be thinking 'what on earth does Anna mean?', but that's OK, just keep reading!

in With Lots of Love From Georgia by Brigid Lowry Georgia keeps a notebook full of funny, insightful and interesting lists. she calls herself a list-writer extraordinaire. so here at cherry banana split we are inviting you to become list-writers. it's quite fun, i now have a list notebook myself.
here is an example:

Jobs i DO NOT wish for:
dentist (who wants to look up people's noses?)
bike courier wearing disgusting Lycra outfit
filliter in a fish factory
telephones sales of any sort
mortician
Michael Jackson's surgeon
Michael Jackson's lawyer
head of complaint calls centre at the tax dept.
policewoman in hell-rough suburb
fat girl for singing telegram company

the best list wins an Australian book chosen specially for them by Stacey and myself.
all you have to do is follow these simple steps:
1 write a list about ANYTHING you want from things to call a pet zebra to reasons i hate my best friend.
2 post it on your blog and leave a link in the comments here on my other blog
3 wait and see if you win. OR if you want you can enter again.

entries close on the 30Th of September west Australian time.we will post the winning entry after that and I will leave a comment on the winners blog and get in contact from there.

GOOD LUCK!!!!

Sugar Sugar

title: Sugar Sugar
Author: Carole Wilkinson
First Published: Black Dog Books in 2010

Jackie sets out for France in 1972 to try and become a famous fashion designer. she has been living a drab life in London, working for a boring fashion company as a sales girl, with a bunch on crabby part-time models who only eat salads and hard boiled eggs. she decides suddenly take a few days off and travel to Paris to show her designs to a famous designer in hope of getting a job.

somehow she ends up chasing two American girls in a vintage British cab to get back her folio. from here she continues chasing people right to Afghanistan, having the worst of luck on the way. she makes quite a few new friends, with the help of some drugs, lack of food, Dolf's guitar and Val's dice.

i quite liked this book it was very different to what i was expecting though, it wasn't your usual girl travels to Paris story.
here are some things that i liked:

-it's slow winding pace. it's very peaceful and appropriate and doesn't make the book boring

-the descriptions of the different places. i loved hearing about Yugoslavia and turkey, it showed how beauty can be all kinds of different things. i especially loved Jackie's descriptions of home, red dirt, the beach, soft green grass and eating peaches in summer.

-the characters were very realistic, they had so many faults and not token faults. one character was 'the moody one' and another 'the one who has a big mouth'. all characters made mistakes and changed and grew. i know this was true because i found myself being mad at Jackie who i quite liked, and liking Dolf something even though i thought he was annoying.

-i like the paisley pattern at the beginning of every chapter.

here are some things i didn't like:

-i felt that i didn't really know Jackie for the first half of the book. i even managed to forget her name, which isn't a good sign. i felt she was a little undeveloped at the beginning.

-there were lots of characters coming and going, and of course they all had names native to there countries. i found myself a little confused at time.

-it somehow felt a little heavy. this must be just be because i don't really know what i mean.

overall i liked this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes more slowly paced books. it's quite thought provoking at parts and you feel like you get to visit all the countries, while at some points it makes you wish you were traveling across Europe and Asia in a London taxi. my favourite thing about this book is how you could see the characters grow and develop.

Mama's Trippin'

title: Mama's Trippin'
author: Katy Watson-Kell
first: 2006 by Fremantle Press published

Von leaves the life he knows in fremantle and travels to New Zealand to meet the mother who left when he was 6 and his new baby sister. he feels at a lost end in WA, fighting with her girlfriend, isn't doing so well at school, not sure what he cares about or what he wants anymore and isn't feeling right with his mates. his dad's heading off to the station with his mates for a week, so when Von's mum rings out of the blue and invites him to come stay he jumps on the chance. when he gets to Wellington he realises in an instant things aren't as magical as his mum, Charlene, made out. her boyfriend's running from the cops, she's working all might as a dancer at a nightclub and then their is Stella, his silent sister. it isn't long until things so from slightly hectic to crazy. soon people are turning up dead. Von travels to the place of his Moriori ancestors and they reach out to help him. at this point is he able to trust a culture he's felt no connection to before now. does Von have any choice?

i quite enjoyed this book, it's easy to read and flows really well. their have been other books about sons who find their mothers and have their lives turned upside down, but this one was different. i think the main difference was that it was told from lots of different perspectives. even though this book is written entirely in third person it's always easy to tell who's point of view it is from and if you can't tell you can look at the symbol at the start of the chapter. it was very int resting to get the mother's view of her long, lost son as well as his of her.

i also liked how realistic the relationships in Mama's Trippin are. instead of hating or suddenly loving each other, Von and his mother slowly and clumsily get to know each other. how stella, the 2 year old sister, and Von get along is also right on the mark, at first Von hasn't a clue what to do, but it isn't long before they are inseparable. how henry, the neighbour from down stairs, weaves his way into their lives was quite funny. it's nice to find an authour who remembers that young guys tend to think with what's in their pants not what makes sense.

this book also had a very good ending. not everything was resolved, but we had a feeling things would work themselves out over the next few months.

i felt this book left a few things unexplaned. Von is a diabetic and we get the feeling right from the beggining that he isn't comfortable with it, but that is never explored. we also hear nothing about his mates except his girlfriend Juice. all we know about his guy friends is that they play footy. i think that if i read Katy Watson-Kell's other book, Juice, that both of these things would be in that story.

a bit of background knowledge about the Moriori people could help understand this book a bit better becuase this book really shines when it comes to spiritual and cultural ideas. i plan on finding out more becuase it was the connection with Von's ancestors that made the ending so special.

sorry for the long review. it's a good book and i will deffinetly be trying to get my hands of Juice, which is also about Von.

New Aussie Book Blog

i thought I'd let you in on an awesome, little secret.
i have found an awesome new blog (well actually she commented on a review but still) it's called The Book Sooth it's run by a girl called Isme. we have a lot in common, we're both 14 year old girls from western Australia who love books.

check out her blog and leave her a lovely comment please. and you can leave one here before you head over to the book slooth.
xxx
by the way, we might be having a competition, but only people who have commented on our blog will be considered.

With Lots of Love from Georgia

Georgia is a 15 year old girl who would die to get to the natural affinity concert and meet Jakob. to do this she has to save up 500 dollars. Georgia is very mixed up, she loves her best friend, but it isn't quite right. she loves her mum but why does she always think she's right. she loves food, but why does it have to make you fat.

things are changing fast in Georgia's life and she's caught up in a whirlwind she can't control and is left feeling lost and lonely. but in the end, everything leads to something good. sometimes we just have to wait and see what comes next.

like always Brigid Lowry has written a beautiful book, not in the collage style of Guitar Highway Rose, but it is scattered with lists written by Georgia herself. I didn't like this novel as much as Guitar Highway Rose or Tomorrow All Will be Beautiful, but it was still a great read, once again Brigid Lowry has captured the confusion of being a teenager. suddenly your diving into an adult world, your parents no longer holding you up. you're realising that maybe you're a better swimmer anyway, but still you might not be ready to let go.

a beautiful book, read it.

The Night They Stormed Eureka

Title:The Night They Stormed Eureka
Aurthur: Jackie French
First Published:2009 by harpercollins

Sam has lots of family troubles and decides the only thing she can do is to run away. she ends up on the Ballarat gold fields in 1854, not long before the Eureka Stockade. she is picked up by a couple who run the 'best little cook shop on the diggins' and gets everything she's ever wanted, a family that loves her and friends who help her. life in the diggings is very different to life in the 21st century, to Sam seems so simple. the longer she spends there, she realises it is just a hard. she has to make some incredibly hard choices that could effect Australian history and culture from then on. she knows about the bloodshed and death, should she warn them that they will be attacked at dawn on Sunday so they save lives? would Australia be better off as a republic? with the help off her friend the professor she learns that all she can do is ask her self weather this bit is good or bad. Sam's trip back in time teaches her so much. it showed me how far we have come in 150 years, things people thought were impossible, like education for women, are now standard. my favourite lesson, and the most predominate, is that people can achieve things when they stand together that they could never get near alone.

i really enjoyed this book, but i found not a lot really happened. it was not boring in the least, but they're was really only one exciting or major event. this is mainly because even though their are no battles or fights Sam is the characters are constantly fighting themselves. Mrs Puddleham, Sam's adoptive mother, is battling with the memory of the baby she lost on the ship to Australia and her friend George is pushing the strains of being a half aboriginal who wants an education.

this is very easy to read and understand compared to other historical novels because Sam knows as little as we do. there are also appendices at the back including recipes from Mrs Puddleham and an explanation of things that you might not understand, including terms like "redcoats" and some extra information of the stockade which was useful and interesting.

i am very happy that this novel wasn't ruined with an "it was a dream" ending. towards the end i was worried that Jackie Frech would cop out have her wake up and say she was dreaming, but instead she gave us a propper believe ending, which left me wondering what happened to Sam but sure that she would get the help she needed and be happy.

Dodger

title: Dodger
Aurthur: Libby Gleeson
First Published: 1990 by Turton & Chambers

Mick is cast as the artful dodger in the school musical, Oliver. on the edge of the popular crowd he isn't sure what they'll think but after a couple of mishaps he is convinced to take the risk. but being in the musical doesn't always go smoothly. what mick doesn't know is that his history teacher Penny has stuck out her neck to have him in the musical because she wants to give him a hand. after a run in during the first lesson mick penny's special project, for reason she can't explain she is drawn to him. in a letter to her friend she writes "i see him as one of those immature kids who's got to prove himself to kids who are a bit older and a bit more established in groups or friendships. the responsibility of being in the play could be really good for him, make him grow up a bit". this is exactly what mick does, it also gives him a change to make some friends who aren't footballers who don't give a stuff. with all these changes stuff gets mixed up for mick and lots of old issues come to head, unfortunately in the middle of the play. mick had kept a lid on how he felt about his mother's death and his father working as a long distance truck driver for 3 years.

i really enjoyed this book and found it over all very realistic and easy to understand and relate to. the letters from history teacher penny to a friend help us get a very different view of mick and life as a teacher. for someone like me who is considering being a teacher she is exactly the type i want to be, interesting, nice, but still in control. it shows teachers in a much more human light which i think is a nice change, it's something i forget while I'm at school. the book flows very well but i found the ending a little sudden, i would have liked to know more about what happened after the musical. even though the ending was quite sudden it was a good ending. some novels about grieving over a death have very dramatic endings, with Dodger the ending was much closer to life. though this is a very good, and over all very realistic book i found how quickly and easily Mick turned his life around a bit fake. in my opinion at least, you don't just stop being friends with 2 popular and quite mean guys. especially because at the beginning he was very concerned of what they thought and what they would do. i also felt that time wise it was strange, at the start it was first term and suddenly it was third term. once you are caught in the story neither of those things things matter much. it was only when i got to the end and went WHAT!? that i noticed these faults.

this book was very good and a had subtlety i've never seen before in a book about a child losing their mother.

Fill Out This Application and Wait Over There

Title: Fill Out This Application and Wait Over There
Author: Ruth Starke
First Published: 2009 Omnibus Books

Thousands of teenagers are employed in today's job market, but who is writing their story? I, Hailee Moxie, am the writer and this is my employment diary.

Hailee just fnished high school and is ready to fullfill her life goal: to go go on a one year backpacking journey to Thailand.

But as her mother points out, she has no job and therefore no money. And so begins her search for the right job. She starts working at her local supermarket SpendUp, and during the time is looking everywhere for a second job.

But working, as she also realises, is awful. Spending hours listening to whiney customers and crabby managers is the worst. And is it really worth the money?

This is a pretty good book, I haven't read anything with this idea before. You kind of dislike Hailee for being a bit selfish and lazy, but she changes as she makes so many new friends. But as a warning, this book does contain a bit of rude stuff, so it's not for everyone.

I liked the way it was written, in a diary form. though sometimes it was a little hard to tell which job she was talking about, and also a bit hard to remember who was who and all. But still, a pretty good story.

Sorry, this was a pretty wacky review, it's just kind of hard to review this book. Ah well, I tried :-)

Requiem for a Beast

Title:Requiem for a Beast
Authur: Matt Ottley
pages:96
First Published: July 2007

this is a story told from many points of view, but we are mainly told the story of a young stock man trying to capture a bull. at the beginning we are introduced to lots of the aspects of Requiem for a Beast through the young stock man's dream. over the course of this book we unravel what this dream means and what mysteries all these stories and memories hold. this book shows how many stories often are linked together and how it can take many people to get a complete picture. for the about the first 40 pages we are show many different ideas, people and events and it isn't until the end we understand how they fit together.

i love the way the book is put together. it is not just a picture book it is an experience. Matt Ottley did not only write a story, he painted all the incredible pictures and composed the CD that comes with the book. it is all these parts that make this book as amazing as it is. the way the book is written varies, some pages have just an image some have many cells like a graphic novel. some of the text is poetic while some is very colloquial. some times we barely have a sentence per page but others are completely text.

i found this book to be very worth reading and would encourage anyone who tries it not to be put off but it complexity. to really understand and appreciate Requiem for a Beast you need to understand a little Australian history about the relationship between the aboriginals and white Australian and about the stolen generation. part of the beauty of this book was the undertones about that travesty and what is now happening. we see this in not only the aboriginal elders memories, but also in metaphors we are shown throughout. this is a book you have to be dedicated to reading because you need to Analise the images to get the most out of it.

I'm sorry this is such a confusing review, it is not at all like your normal book so it is hard to know what to say. it is definitely worth reading.

Allie Mcgregor's True colours

title:Allie Mcgregor's True colours
Aurthur: Sue Lawson
First Published: 2006 by Black Dog Books
Pages:218

Allie has her fair share of problems. she is sharing a room with her 6 year old sister because they're having renovations, is trying to fit in at school and is now being called the hormonal one by her Dad on his radio show, which basically everyone in town listens to. oh, and her Mum has cancer. Poor Allie's life is spinning out of control, but slowly Allie learns all about good friends, courage and how to important it is to talk. after a few major mishaps.

As always Sue Lawson has Given as a believable character. Allie is constantly in a Bad mood and earned herself the name 'The Hormonal One', but as her 6 year old sister reminds everyone, she just sad about Mum like me. Allie is trying so hard to ignore the fact that her mum is sick that she can't see what's in front of her. she accuses her best friend of being jealous and finds herself with a bunch of bitches who all where they're hair the same way. i thought that Allie's hair was a brilliant metaphor and i have never would have thought how girls wear would be so clever.

i think this book isn't as good as her other books Finding Darcy and After, but i think it is directed at a slightly younger audience. over all i think she did a good job talking about a common but scary issue. i love how it related into the Cyndi Lauper song True Colours, which is a beautiful song.

click here for the original

and here's the Glee version

~~~ LOOK!!!!~~~

our interview with jacklyn moriarty is up on CBS. come on! id that cool or what??
lots of comments please or i'll guilt trip you later.

Interview With Jaclyn Moriarty!!!

I'm so sorry we haven't been posting, but guess what!!!!!!!!!!! We have our very first interview with the amazing author Jaclyn Moriarty!!! She wrote lots of awesome books, including Feeling Sorry For Celia (reviewed here) and Finding Cassie Crazy (here). So, without further ado, here it is! (The questions in pink are by me, and Anna's are blue!)

What character from your books would you like to write letters to most and why?

- Actually, I'd like to start a correspondence with Mr Garcia, the History/Drama teacher from 'Dreaming of Amelia'. I've got a crush on him. I'd like to hear from Lydia too, but I think she might get sharp with me.

If you could, which of your books would you transform into? And what would you tell the characters?

- Maybe 'the Spell Book of Listen Taylor', in the part where there's snow in Sydney. And I would tell the characters how unhappy and lonely Listen is, and that they should rescue her, and also that the grown-ups should all grow up and stop cheating on each other. Also, I might steal the book of spells and bring it back to the real world with me.

Or else 'Dreaming of Amelia', I guess, so I could follow up on my correspondence with Mr Garcia. Maybe go get a coffee with him.


Have you ever wished you could turn your books into movies? Which one, and who would play the main character(s)?

- Just about every day I wish that someone would turn my books into movies. I would be happy to see them all as movies, but especially 'Finding Cassie Crazy' and 'Dreaming of Amelia'. I like Ellen Page and Michael Cera a lot; they are both very welcome to be in the movie. Actually, I'd also like to see 'The Spell Book of Listen Taylor' as a movie, and I'd like Joan Cusack in it, as Fancy Zing, and Jennifer Anniston as Marbie Zing, and Dakota Fanning as Listen, and Johnny Depp as Nikolai Valerio.


I thought "Dreaming of Amelia" had a much darker tone than the other Ashbury books, why so?

- I think that each Ashbury book gets a little darker than the one before, so it made sense for the final one to be the darkest. There are gothic elements in 'Finding Cassie Crazy' and 'Bindy Mackenzie' and I wanted to draw them out for the ghost story. I think it's important to look at the shadows as well as the light, and to keep changing the perspective all the time. I hope it is not too dark though, I wanted it to be funny and bright as well, and I think that the ending is bright and hopeful.

Is there a reason your books are written in a varying, scrapbook type style of letters, post-its and school assignments? what made you show Elizabeth's lack of confidence through letters from herself?

- I like to approach a story from as many different angles as possible, so that the truth is always slipping out of reach. I think that a collection of different genres takes us closer to shifting perspectives, and I'm especially drawn to the mystery of the spaces in between documents. The idea of showing Elizabeth's lack of confidence through letters to herself came directly from one of my teenage diaries-- I was re-reading it and saw that I had written whole passages in the second person, saying things to myself like 'You are such a loser!' and 'You are so ugly!'. It was as if somebody else was attacking me, and it made me think about how powerful the critical voices in your own head can be. They're right there so you believe them.


What was your favourite Australian book when you were younger. if you can't think of one,
what was your favourite book as a teenager?

My favourite Australian books were 'Seven Little Australians' by Ethel Turner, and 'Playing Beatie Bow' by Ruth Park; and then I fell in love with everything that John Marsden has written.

so

i suppose we forgot the hard part about this blog would be we actually have to read AUSSIE books. which there are lots of and we love them, but so many good books are english and american.

also we seem to have a comment issue. in saying that i mean THERE ARE NONE!
oh well.
xxxxxxxx

Guitar Highway Rose

Title: Guitar Highway Rose

Author: Brigid Lowry

Publisher: Allen & Unwin 1997

My name is Rosie E Moon. I am fifteen years old. My star sign is Aries on the cusp with Pieces, which is why I am a creative warrior-woman from Mars who loves to swim.

Rosie is bored and anxious. She wants a nose ring, to stop fighting with her mother and for her parents to give her space and trust.

One day she meets Asher. Asher, the former gypsy boy with funky clothes and dreadlocks. Asher, with the guitar and the attitude. Who just wants to get away, his head exploding with homesickness and the need to clear his head. . .

I'm thinking of taking off again.

Asher.

What?

I want to come with you.

Exactly how it says on the blurb: Sometimes we know we shouldn't and that's exactly why we do.

This is such an amazing book. Not only is the story wonderful and the characters believable, but the way the book is written is simply...wow. Little bits of what the characters are thinking, conversations, room descriptions, dreams, etc. all written beautifully with juicy words. Loved it.

People Might Hear You.

Title: People Might Hear You. Author: robin Klein Pages: 199 first published: penguin 1983.

frances has lived with her aunt forever. they've never had much, she always slept on the couch and they move to where her aunt can find work. resently though she' made a best friend and life seems pretty good. when her aunt Loris announces one morning that she's getting married and hand frances a note for the school office saying she won't be coming back frances get slightly confused. she is even more confused when her aunt explains that the wedding is today and that no, frances can't come. that night she and her aunt move to mr tyrell's house under the cover of darkness and frances is thrown into a whole new way of life. she no longer goes to school she stays at home with her new step sisters behind fences so high and frosted windows and study's the rules of the temple. she's taught that the world outside is evil anf that everyone who isn't part of there religion is going to perrish in a great war. but slowly as frances fear subsides she starts to think, " how can the be true?".

though i love the characters in this book in some ways i think frances seemed to be missing something. she was completley beleiveable in her actions though. if someone surrounded me with their religion and told me i would die in a horrific war i sertenley wouldn't question them. but eventually your mistakes like talking in meals or wanting to go outside would show just how crazy it is. my favourite thing is how frances is at first willing not to try because she doesn't want to die, but because she thinks if her aunt is happy there it can't be all wrong. she also didn't want to ruin her aunt's happiness. my only problem with this book was the ending. it left lots of questions, but i supose that they would have been hard to answer, how would anyone know what would happen to a cult if people got out and told the world.

it is a beautiful book and i'm still glad that robin klein let Helen see the stars.

lord sunday

lord sunday is out today. well, i bought it yesterday and it offically came out today.
it's the final book in a series of seven and if the others are anything to go by it is gonna rock!
here's my review of the first one, mr monday

I Lost my Mobile at the Mall

Title:I Lost my Mobile at the Mall
Author: Wendy Harmer
First Published: 2009 by random house Australia
Pages: 319

this book is awesome!
at first i thought i wasn't going to love it. you know, OK but not great. but quickly i got to know our main character elly, how she loves words and worries . i kept reading and not only had she lost her mobile, she had a broken heart, no computer, lots of confusing thoughts about society. and a few other problems to tackle. her lack of technology for 2 weeks really changed the way she saw everything.

i love how realistic this book was and how interesting the characters were, her boyfriend defiantly wasn't what i expected. my favourite thing was its take on just how connected we are now compaired to any other time, even though maybe we're less in-touch than we think. also the minor view on cyber bullying that came with it.
when Elly searched cyber bullying this came up " like drinking and driving, emotions and the internet don't mix. Don't react or you could end up being a cyberbully yourself" which reminds me what goes on online is not the same as is in real, saying something is going to come across differently than if you read it.

i also love all the quotes scattered through the book from jane eyre and websites. a very nice touch.

Just as good!

Just as good is another idea I've thought of. we're going to match Aussie authors we read to more common ones you guys know. we'll do it as often as we find authors we can pair up. their books might not always be quite the same, but we think if you like the English or American you'll like the Aussie one.

Jessica green and Anna and Mary k pershall are just as good as Cathy Cassidy!

i think most of us like Cathy Cassidy books so here are 2 series that are the same genre and that you'll like just as much.

Jessica Green has written 2 books, diary of a would-be princess and it's sequel a tyranny of toads. i think she'll write a third installment about Jillian James' year 7 experience, but i haven't heard anything yet.

Anna and Mary k pershall are a mother and daughter team who have written one series of books together. 2 weeks in year 6, a term in year 7 and escape from year 8. i really like these books and think they do a good job with the bullying theme from both points of view.

Grace

Title: Grace

Author: Morris Gleitzman

First Published: 2009 by Penguin Group Australia

Grace and her family are Christians - a special type. They believe that they they should have no contact with 'the outside world', aka other people. The church elders make sure of that.

Grace has never before questioned this belief, as she knew God loved her family and her church and would protect them. Until then. The day when she gets called a sinner, and the day where she makes contact with two outsiders and gets locked up in the solitary room, forced to read the Bible out loud until she almost loses her voice. But the most shocking thing of all, her beloved father gets expelled.

That's when Grace sets out on a mission to find him and bring him back, when she discovers that maybe her church isn't full of holy and spiritual people, but of child abusers and liars...

This is the latest book by Morris Gleitzman. I'm glad he started writing books for older readers. Grace really makes you think about the times when church leaders made up rules just so they could get more money, and how some people can be extremely mean. I loved how even in the worst times, Grace never blamed God for anything. The idea of the book was very good, it reminded me of 'I, Coriander' but it was a lot more realistic.

My only criteria was that the book seemed a bit short - it whizzed through some parts faster that others. And something was missing - like the plot had a hole in it. Other than that I really liked it, it's definitely one of Morris Gleitzman's best books.

3½/5.

i dare you january

hey, i dare you for this month is to have an "aussie picnic" on australia day, the 26th of january. it can be as simple as you like from vegemite on toast for breakfast to a feast with all your friends. you could even make a pavlova for your family.

all you've got to do is make your aussie food and post a picture on your blog with the link to cherry banana split. everyone who takes part will get a blog badge saying "i took part in the cherry banana split australia day picnic"

i'd love to hear what you think of this idea so leave comments. for inspiration look at possum magic or just ask.

thanks
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

possum magic

Title: Possum Magic
Author: Mem Fox
First Published:1983
pages:27

this is the story of hush and grandma poss and their adventure to make the invisible hush seen again. they travel all round australia and try heaps of different foods. parts of this book are in ryhme and it has adorable pictures, even the invisable ones are cute.

this book was written by Mem fox in uni as an assignment and published when she realised there were so few aussie picture books. this book is a classic. most aussie kids would have read it at some stage. in 2003 for the 20th annaversary of this book we celebrated at school by having each class bring in a dish from the book. my class had to bring in red sauages, i'm not sure why because they aren't mentioned.

unreal!

title:unreal!
Author: Paul Jennings
first published:1985 by penguin
pages:107

this is a book of crazy stories which happen to be hilarious. they'd be good for almost any age, it would be a great birthday present for a younger sibling because you could steal it after or a good one to read when baby-sitting because not only the 9 years will be in stitches. the first story is about a poor boy who when ever he speaks must add 'with out a shirt' on to the end. admittedly not all the stories are laugh-out-loud funny, but they are good.

some of these stories are a bit weird, but they are written well and some are excellent. another cool thing is the covers. they are two layers, the top one has a hole in it showing part but not all of the under layer and they look really cool. there are lots of other short story books all the same idea but with different stories. in one story the protagonist always says the opposite word. eg yes instead of no, left instead of right. I'm not sure if you guys out of Australia watched Round the Twist, Paul Jennings also wrote that.

warning some of these tales are a bit strange and involve people dying, but not in a gruesome way.

She's Leaving Home

Title:she's leaving home
Author: monica trapaga
first published: 2009 by Lantern, an imprint of penguin
pages: 155

She's leaving home is a cookbook. it has great recipes all put into chapters like practical, travel, fiesta, comfort food and my family and other animals. now, i know you're thinking why is she reviewing a cook book? but let me tell you, this book is not just a cookbook. it not only has the best recipes it has all manner of useful things on food like which herb is for what and which part of the cow to buy. all this written in a gourgous fun style and surrounded by cute, colourful, creative atrwork.

monica trapaga wrote this book for her oldest daughter who was leaving home. it's a compilment of all their family favourites. my mum loves this book because it has lots of the traditonal spanish recipes her mum used to cook like paella. if any of you readers are australian you might know monica from playschool. she also sings the bananas in payjamas song. do you remember having monica on playschool stacey?

Secret Friends' Stuff

title: Secret Friends' Stuff
Aurthur: Margaret Clark
first published: 2006 by random house Australia
pages:281

Secret Friends Stuff is very like Letters to Cathy. it's advice given by Margaret to girls who write to her for help. she give great advice (i have experience) through emails and letters. she also writes about her own experiences at a teenager and gives us segments of her old diaries. it's split into five sections to help you find what you're looking for: Friends, more about friends, more and more about friends, boy friends and more about boyfriends. the book is written in a really personal and funny way, Margaret could be right there telling you the advice. in fact it's really like you're getting help from a friend. except for the fact that she a lot smarter than my friends when it comes to boys.

the only thing i dislike about this book is how hard it would be to find certain advice if you were looking for it. it would be useful to have a more specific contents or an index. i know there are lots of non-fiction books on the topic for girls, but i think this one is the best! it makes an interesting read even if you don't want help because it's cool to see how different people deal with different situations.

its short review because i can't really talk about a plot or anything.

Feeling Sorry For Celia

Title: Feeling Sorry For Celia

Author: Jaclyn Moriarty

First Published: 2000 by Pac Macmillan Australia Pty Limited

When Elizabeth Clarry's English teacher announces that their school and another high school that stands two blocks away will start a letter writing project everyone, including Elizabeth, is extremely annoyed.

Until a girl named Christina starts writing back to Celia. Soon enough the girls form a strong friendship and learn that letter writing is the only thing keeping them sane - what with Elizabeth's best friend Celia running away again, her dad deciding to come back to Sydney for a year (keeping his Canadian wife and son behind in Canada) and the Trail Run coming up.

Christina's life isn't that easy either - she has to juggle her boyfriend Derek with her four brothers and sisters and her boy-crazy best friend/cousin.

This story was truly amazing. It was written in the form of letters between Christina and Libby, notes between Libby and her Mum, and imaginary letters to Libby from societies such as The Association of Teenagers (who advise her to climb in the fridge and never come out again), the COLD HARD TRUTH ASSOCIATION and The Best Friends club, and later on some Anonymous letters from a boy who is on her bus...

The book was really hilarious even in the most shocking and sad bits. Here's a tip: don't read this book before bed because not only will you stay up half the night reading to find out what happens next, but you'll also be laughing so hard you won't be able to close your eyes. Trust me.

I give it a 5/5.