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Library | Material Type | Shelf Number | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
Searching... Lebanon Junction Branch | Juvenile Book | J SLOA | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
From two extraordinary authors comes a moving, exuberant, laugh-out-loud novel about friendship and family, told entirely in emails and letters.
Avery Bloom, who's bookish, intense, and afraid of many things, particularly deep water, lives in New York City. Bett Devlin, who's fearless, outgoing, and loves all animals as well as the ocean, lives in California. What they have in common is that they are both twelve years old, and are both being raised by single, gay dads.
When their dads fall in love, Bett and Avery are sent, against their will, to the same sleepaway camp. Their dads hope that they will find common ground and become friends--and possibly, one day, even sisters.
But things soon go off the rails for the girls (and for their dads too), and they find themselves on a summer adventure that neither of them could have predicted. Now that they can't imagine life without each other, will Bett and Avery (who sometimes call themselves Night Owl and Dogfish) figure out a way to be a family?
Author Notes
Holly Goldberg Sloan was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She attended college at Wellesley in Massachusetts. After graduating, she worked in commercial advertising as a production assistant, then a script supervisor, a producer, and finally as a commercial director. She also writes screenplays. She sold her first screenplay at the age of twenty-four to Paramount Pictures. Her screenplays include Made in America, Collision Course: The Crocodile Hunter Movie, Angels in the Outfield, and The Big Green, which she also directed. She has written several books including I'll Be There, Keeper, and Counting By 7s.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 5--8--When 12-year-old Bett Devlin composed an email with the subject line "you don't know me," she was pleasantly surprised when Avery Bloom replied. Bett is eager to announce that their fathers, who met at a building expo, are now a couple with high hopes of their daughters forming a friendship during an upcoming eight-week summer camp. Neither agrees with this "instant" family idea and join forces to thwart it. At first, it is a formidable task considering Avery and Bett are as opposite as the coasts they live on: Avery is a nerdy New Yorker, Bett a carefree Cali girl. Yet it is their very differences that ultimately help them form a bond of strength and determination in this delightful Parent Trap--esque novel. Imani Parks and Cassandra Morris join forces with a talented ensemble cast: Cassandra Campbell, Michael Crouch, Robbie Daymond, Giordan Diaz, Ronata Friedman, Alexandra Harris, Sullivan Jones, Johnathan McClain, Emily Rankin, Abigail Revasch, Erin Spencer, Bahni Turpin, and Emily Woo Zeller. Each narrator gives the full scale of emotions their character demands: giddy to gut-wrenching. Told entirely through emails and the occasional letter, a clever tinkling chime announces a new message, allowing for seamless, often rapid, transition of speakers and subjects. VERDICT A thought-provoking novel about finding fun adventures, new friends, and even new family members in some of the least expected places, this is sure to be a top choice for tweens.--Cheryl Preisendorfer, Twinsburg City School District, OH
Publisher's Weekly Review
Peeking at her father's emails, 12-year-old Californian Bett learns two pieces of upsetting information: her father has fallen in love with a man she's never met, and the two of them are scheming to send Bett and the man's 12-year-old daughter, Avery, away to summer camp together. Furious, Bett finds Avery's email address to break the horrible news. The girls vow not to speak to each other during the summer, but despite their differences (Bett is spontaneous and adventurous; Avery is bookish and fearful), they form a strong bond. When their fathers part ways during a disastrous trip to China, the girls, who had been looking forward to being sisters, are determined to find a way to reunite them. Written entirely in emails and letters, this laugh-out-loud novel showcases the collaborative skills of bestselling authors Sloan (Short) and Wolitzer (Bellzhar). In addition to the two distraught protagonists, the authors create several other unforgettable characters, including Avery's estranged biological mother and Bett's feisty grandmother. Featuring a dramatic climax and a host of surprising twists, the novel affirms that families conventional and unconventional are families just the same. Ages 10-up. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Two popular writers team up for a Where'd You Go, Bernadette-esque tale for the middle-school set. An entire country lies between anxious New Yorker Avery Bloom and adventurous Bett Devlin, but there's something powerful connecting them: their dads are in love. At first horrified at the prospect of becoming gulp sisters, the two surprise themselves by bonding at a summer sleepaway camp while their dads motorcycle their way across China. But when their dads' relationship sours, they're willing to do whatever it takes to get them back together. Even if the target readership eschews email these days, they'll be hard-pressed not to be laughing out loud at the witty, clever email and letter repartee among the girls, their dads, and the rest of the supporting cast. Though the story lacks the emotional depth of more true-to-life novels dealing with blended families, such as Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich and Audrey Vernick's Naomis Too (2018), its escalating stakes and Parent Trap-like setup is sure to appeal to both authors' fan bases. Alternately heartwarming and hilarious.--Jennifer Barnes Copyright 2010 Booklist