The Fashion Disaster That Changed My Life by Lauren Myracle

Alli wants to put sixth grade behind her and finally stop being invisible. She wants to be popular and have a breakout year in seventh grade. Alli gets her wish, but not exactly how she intended. On the first day of seventh grade, she discovers, to her horror, that her mother's underpants are stuck to her sweats with static cling. For the rest of the year she is labeled the stripper of seventh grade Taken from teenreads.com

When I read the jacket summary of this book, I knew it would be a perfect tween read. I don't think I realized how involved I would become in the characters and how much it made me remember middle school. It made me remember just how cruel the popular girls can be and just how stupid the boys can be. Alli comes to school on the first day of 7th grade with panties stuck to her pants and doesn't realize it. She is labeled a stripper by Jeremy and is made fun of by him for the rest of the book. Alli has been friends with Kathy for a long time and has met a new girl named Megan. She becomes closer to Megan and Megan spills her secrets to her that she doesn't tell Kathy. A group project has to be done in their social studies class which partners Alli with one of the popular girls. Kathy starts to become jealous that Alli is hanging out with the popular girls all the time and giving her a hard time about it.
This book really reminded me of a middle school version of Mean Girls. There is so much cruelty amongst a few of the characters that it really makes you feel like you're part of middle school again. The popular girl makes the boys do some pretty stupid things just to try and impress her. The book is also written in diary format so there are no chapters to speak of but it is separated by date entries. The author definitely has the tween voice down and I think it is very entertaining. I also liked that the book does not have an ending that is wrapped up in a bow. Alli has messed things up and you can tell that she has a long way to go before everything is fixed. I would recommend the book to those tweens that are struggling with friend issues or had an embarrassing experience. They will definitely be able to relate to the main character as well as her friends.

Sonny with a Chance

One Teen. One Dream. One Big Break. This live-action sitcom stars Demi Lovato as 15-year-old Sonny Munroe, who finds instant stardom when her self-produced Internet film catches the attention of some major Hollywood producers. Within days, Sonny and her mom are whisked from Winsconsin to… More Hollywood where Sonny is given the chance of a lifetime: a starring role in her favorite teen-sketch comedy series. The show captures the effects of her fame on her home and work life and also includes sketches from the show-within-the-show. Sonny with a Chance also stars Tiffany Thornton as Tawni Hart, Brandon Mychal Smith as Nico, Doug Brochu as Grady and Allisyn Ashley Arm as Zora. Taken from http://www.tv.com/sonny-with-a-chance/show/75677/summary.html

I decided to check out the Disney channel this week to see some of the tween shows. Sonny with a Chance had just started so I gave it a chance. I actually found myself enjoying the show even if I thought some of the characters acted a bit over the top for the laughs. It is not a total gag show but a few of the episodes did rely upon the gags. The first episode that I watched touched upon Sonny needing to pass her math test so she could go on the show to do a sketch with a co-star. Her co-star convinces her to cheat to pass the test but ends up blurting out before the test that she intends to cheat. Later, she realizes that she has learned the material from writing everything down on her cheat sheet. It's a valuable lesson episode that I think sends the right message without being too cheesy. The other episode that I watched had Sonny wanting to set up a prom since all of her co-stars missed their own prom. As predicted, she never truly gets to enjoy the prom because she has to do everything including preparing food and making sure that her boss doesn't find out about everything.
It's an entertaining show which does not push the limits to the point that every other character is annoying. Everyone on the show has a bit of a quirk to them that would make them relatable and likeable. I would recommend this show to any tween looking for some wholesome and fun entertainment on television. I ended up watching 2.5 episodes before deciding that was enough for me but I think I would find myself watching it anytime it was on if I was younger.

Before I Die by Jenny Downham

Tessa has just months to live. Fighting back against hospital visits, endless tests, and drugs with excruciating side effects, Tessa compiles a list. It’s her To Do Before I Die list. And number one is Sex. Released from the constraints of “normal” life, Tessa tastes new experiences to make her feel alive while her failing body struggles to keep up.
Tessa’s feelings, her relationships with her father and brother, her estranged mother, her best friend, and her new boyfriend, are all painfully crystallized in the precious weeks before Tessa’s time finally runs out.

Before I die is aimed at the young adult audience but there is no specified age group. My best guess after reading this book would be aimed towards the older tweens 13-16. The main character, Tessa, is 16 years old herself and is battling cancer. I think this book is extremely well written and would love to read anything else by this author. Even though you obviously know how the book is going to end, it is still heartbreaking to read because Tessa has grown up so much in a little amount of time. There is a sense of cynicism througout the book and Tessa doesn't hold anything back when people ask her about her illness. It seems that sometimes she tries to offend people in the way she handles everything. Her best friend Zooey goes through her own transformation and finds out that she is pregnant but does not know how to handle it. Tessa urges her to keep the baby and even tries to make the goal to stay alive for the birth. Tessa compiles a list of things to do and most of them are illegal. Some of them are added as she begins to deteriorate including trying to talk during her last moments. She has a crush on her neighbor and they begin to fall in love even though she specifically didn't want to fall in love. Adam changes her attitude towards everything including death and makes her crave so much more. The way the ending is written makes her death all the more jarring because it is written in her perspective. They are partial sentences and large spaces between paragraphs. I've read other books on deaths before but this one was very unique.
I would definitely recommend this book but it is definitely not a light read. It is a book where you need to brace yourself for and be in the right mood.

The Death Collector by Justin Richards

Horror fans will delight in this British import by Justin Richards (Bloomsbury, 2006) set in foggy London in the 1800s. George Archer toils in the back offices of the British Museum as the youngest member of the Department of Unclassified Artifacts. When thieves burst in and kill his co-worker, George attempts to uncover why a scrap of paper from an obscure scientist's diary would be worth a man's life. Circumstances lead George to team up with a minister's daughter and a homeless pickpocket. The trio discovers the diary is sought by Augustus Lorimore, an industrialist with delusions of grandeur. The chase is on and narrator Steven Pacey picks up the pace and leads listeners on a breathless romp through Victorian London complete with a séance, walking zombies, and a fire-breathing monster. Taken from Amazon.com

I once read from Nancy Pearl that you have to give every book a chance before giving up on it. Read at least 50 pages and if you're not hooked on it then you can put it down. I wanted to give a review for this book even though I didn't finish it. I had hopes for this book because the jacket summary caught my interest. I'm always interested in zombies and mystery but I had the hardest time reading this book. I read to page 80 before completely giving up because I felt so lost.
The writing is too slow and very little of what I read actually made me want to continue on. Too many characters were introduced in a short amount of time and I kept having to turn back pages to keep track of who was who. One or two things were interesting to note...one part of the plot reminded me of the summary for the movie The Librarian which was very cheesy but far more entertaining than this book. I did find one other review off amazon that was basically saying the same thing as me and they also gave up on the book. I would love to give this book another try after this semester but I just find the book far too slow and confusing right now.

That's So Raven

A teenager Raven Baxter is a girl who can see the future. She and her friends Eddie Thomas and Chelsea Daniels always have wacky mishaps trying to follow the visions. Her family life is also wacky with her parents Tonya and Victor and her younger brother named Cory. Raven's got a lot on her hands! Taken from imdb.com

I have found myself watching this show on Saturday mornings before I go to work. I can see why this show would appeal to the tween audience and I would probably like the show if I was that age. The particular episode that I was watching on Saturday had Raven's brother trying to learn how to skateboard so he could join the local extreme skateboarding team. He has very little skill and keeps on falling. Raven takes a lot of pleasure in seeing her brother fail and be humiliated. The only reason she turns around and tries to help her brother is so she can get money from her father to go to a concert on the weekend.
Personally, I think the characters could use an overhaul from what they are like now. Raven Baxter can be seen as selfish at times and a bit annoying in my opinion. I can see how her behavior applies to the show and some of the episodes seem to run off that irritation. Her friend Chelsea seems to only have moments of clarity but most of the time is portrayed as a simpleton of sorts. It is mainly when Raven has gotten into a sticky situation and needs the help to get out of it.
Generally, I don't think the show is a really bad show but I believe that some of the characters are flawed. I may be overly critical about the show since I haven't watched a show like this in years. The shows that I used to watch included Sabrina, The Teenage Witch and Boy Meets World. Some of the characters in those shows would act silly at times but they still had a lot I could relate to. I think I would rate That's So Raven as a 6 out of 10 on a scale of how much I would recommend it.

Romeo and Juliet -Together (And Alive!) at last by Avi

Ed discovers that his best friend Saltz is nursing a secret love for Anabell Stackpoole and gets the rest of the other eighth graders to rewrite and produce their version of Romeo and Juliet. They wangle the leading roles for Saltz and Stackpoole, and let romance run its course. Taken from Amazon.com

I said that the next book was going to be The Death Collector but I found a book that caught my eye when I was returning The Bridesmaid to the shelf. Romeo and Juliet - Together (And Alive!) at Last is a very quick read yet vastly entertaining. The Chapters averaged 3-4 pages at most but the writing kept me wanting to continue. The main character, Ed, is trying to find a way to get his best friend Saltz together with Anna Stackpoole after Saltz admits he has a crush on her. He somehow gets permission from the principal and teachers to put on a shortened version of Romeo and Juliet in just two weeks. I could smell disaster from a mile away when there was such a short time to put on a play. Everything that could go wrong during the actual play goes wrong but all the students still find a way to end the play. Saltz has his own mortal enemy on and off the stage which makes for a good amount of tension. Everything works out in the end even if the original intention of the play does not get worked out. I actually enjoyed this book more than I thought I would and zoomed through it. This would go in my recommendation pile of fun books to read on a vacation.

Next up: The Death Collector by Justin Richards. There is nothing wrong with getting sidetracked before starting a new book by reading a different book in one evening. Right?

The Bridesmaid by Hailey Abbott

Abby and Carol, whose parents run a hall used for wedding ceremonies and receptions, have seen the dark side of wedding planning and conclude that within every woman lurks Bridezilla. When Carol becomes engaged after her college graduation, she promises not to fall into that dreaded role, but 15-year-old Abby's wry, first-person narrative details her older sister's slow transformation into the familiar creature that they both loathe. Meanwhile, Abby's love life takes a hopeful turn, and she tries to decide whether to accept a soccer scholarship that will take her to Italy or stay at home and let the romance develop. Taken from Amazon.com

I was doing a bit of research and trying to find books to read that fell into the range of a tween. I was originally looking for books by Laura Halse Anderson because I greatly enjoyed Speak. This book popped out at me for no other reason that I'm going to be a bridesmaid for the first time this summer in my best friend's wedding.
I found it hard to get my head into "tweenage mode" in the beginning of the book and the best way I can describe the book is fluffy. Once I started getting into the book, I actually really began to enjoy it. Abby, the main character, makes you feel like you're standing there right next to her while she is trying to figure out how to deal with her sister Carol's impending wedding and her long lasting crush on Noah Spencer. There is a lot of humor dealing with weddings as well as Abby's own adventures. It is not all light and happy because Abby also has to figure out why her parents are falling apart at the seams when they usually are able to finish each others sentences. I found this book to be a very quick read having finished it in two sittings and would definitely recommend it to the older tween girl who is looking for a light book to read for a break from school books or a series.

Up next is The Death Collector by Justin Richards. Who can resist a plot that involves grave robbers and zombies? I know I can't because that is the reason I checked out the book in the first place.