Shurie Geis
EDCI 4120
6-26-08

Betancourt, Jeanne. (2002). Three Girls in the City: Self-Portrait. New York: Scholastic.

Grade Levels: 6-8

Category: Problem novel

Read-Alouds: pp. 40-44 (first adventure together), 110-123 (Carolyn gets lost) 158-162 (Carolyn gets to stay in New York).

Summary: Three completely opposite girls end up in the same photography class. Each is struggling with their own issues. Joy is struggling with her acceptance at home, with her father’s recent marriage and their new son. Maya is struggling with acceptance with her old friends, who she thinks she is outgrowing. And, Carolyn is struggling with her new life in New York City with her father after growing up in Wyoming where her mother died a few years ago. Each girl has her reservations about the class, until they start working together. The girls dislike each other at first, but through a few twists and turns they help each other with their own unique problems, and become close friends.

Themes: The main theme is friendship. The three girls are the most unlikely friends, but through all of the times they face with one another, they become very close. There is limited issues dealt with regarding race (and Maya, the only one that not white, feels the pressure from her old friends not to hang out with the others.) Also, there is limited issues dealing with other things in the city, as in mugging, crime, and violence. And, there are some issues dealing with family problems, including divorce and death. The overwhelmingly main issue though is friendship, and it’s ability to conquer all.

Discussion Questions:
Why does Maya, on the first day of class, want to hang out with Latifa and Charlene? What do you make of this? Are there other examples throughout the book?
Why is Joy so excited to take pictures of her brother, Jake? Why does she feel this way towards him?
What is the significance of all of the girls noticing Serge? What is the importance of this character in the novel?


Reader Response: This novel is well written for younger teens. It would be a great novel to get students hooked on reading. I can see it as a novel that doesn’t challenge the way that students think; in fact it mostly reinforces them. However, it would be fun to read in these grade levels, just for fun. It is fairly well written, and the characters are very believable. Their excursions are fun and adventurous, and make the novel more exciting.