The Wild Girls (utgåvan 2007)

Joan is a 12 year old who has to move to California with her family. She makes a new friend and together they begin an adventure of being fierce, writing and learning about their families and truth. I had the feeling that I may have read part of it before as a short story somewhere. It's sweet, but it didn't bowl me over. ( )

You can find my full review on my blog.

This is a beautifully written story about two middle school girls who develop a deep friendship with each other while learning lessons about life, interpersonal relationships, and writing. The characters are complex and relatable, the story is soft and heartwarming (although some deep issues are mentioned), and the lessons are applicable to everyone. I cannot recommend this book enough!
(cw for alcoholism & domestic abuse) ( )

When Joan's '70s-era family moves from Connecticut to California, she investigates her new neighborhood, wandering from the manicured middle-class lawns to the wild fringe. There she meets Fox, who with Joan (dubbed "Newt") explores the woods and the culvert and the stories therein, in contrast to their muted lives at school.

When they win a writing contest, they also win (through their bold, unusual presentation) the attention of a writing teacher, Verla Volante, in the audience, who asks them to join her writing class. Through their friendship and their writing, they learn to navigate the vicissitudes of their family lives and their own adolescences.

Because it contains both the comfort and edginess of adolescence, I can think of many students who would really enjoy this title. ( )

When Joan's '70s-era family moves from Connecticut to California, she investigates her new neighborhood, wandering from the manicured middle-class lawns to the wild fringe. There she meets Fox, who with Joan (dubbed "Newt") explores the woods and the culvert and the stories therein, in contrast to their muted lives at school.

When they win a writing contest, they also win (through their bold, unusual presentation) the attention of a writing teacher, Verla Volante, in the audience, who asks them to join her writing class. Through their friendship and their writing, they learn to navigate the vicissitudes of their family lives and their own adolescences.

Because it contains both the comfort and edginess of adolescence, I can think of many students who would really enjoy this title. ( )

I really loved this book. The wild girls, Newt and Fox (Joan and Sarah), are so loveable. It deals with serious issues but is neither too heavy nor too lighthearted in its treatment of them—just right, I think, for the age group. The characters are fun, especially the Berkeley crowd (which makes me which I could go there), but surprisingly kind and wise as well. Really just a great book all around.