Author last name, first name. Title. Year. Publisher: City.
Bradley, Alex. 24 Girls in 7 Days. 2005. Dutton Books: New York.

Genre:
Fiction-Humorous

Themes:
Prom, Senior Year, Friendships, Relationships, Dating, Insecurities

Age / Grade Appropriateness:
Grade 8-11

Awards:
YALSA Quick Picks 2006

Censorship Issues:
This book has quite a bit of foul language in it. There are several words that are used that a teenager may use, but it would definitely need to be approved by parent before letting a teenager read it. Some of the profanity is dealt with by other characters in the story (mostly girls) correcting the guys use of it. There is also a little talk about sexual activity. They do not go into much depth; it is just mentioned a few times in the story.

Plot Summary (Summarize the plot in 250 words or less):
Jack Grammar is your average American senior, looking forward to his upcoming prom. His best friends, Natalie and Percy, have always been all that he needed as a social crowd. They feel a little different, and extra sorry for him that he does not have a date for the prom. They know that next year while at his own at college, he will have to learn to find be himself without them. So they decide, as a joke, to post an ad in the classified section of the online school newspaper. The ad is for a prom date for Jack, and it becomes a little more serious than anyone expected. Jack becomes the talk of the school. There are so many responses that Percy and Natalie have to shorten the list to only 24 girls. And since the prom will happen in just a week, it is dubbed 24/7 (24 girls in seven days). He must date 24 girls in seven days and choose one of them on the night before the prom. Some of which provide the audience with tremendous laughter, and some on the verge of tears. This is something he has looked forward to all of his life, and it is becoming more trouble than it is worth. This story is a great comical view on dating from a guy’s perspective.

Critique (Consider if the book fits the bill of a YA book as we have discussed /read. Include your opinion of the book here as well):
This book has characters that are very real. The main characters all come from different backgrounds, as do most teenagers in a high school setting. Several of the girls mentioned are stereotypes of the plethora of females found at your typical high school. The settings that are described are by far equal to that of the real thing. Different places that a teenager might travel, as well as how they get there. The only questionable setting I found in this story was that of the prom. It was set outside at the football field, but it was fitting for the story and explained as unusual as well. I enjoyed the story; it did not bring about too many emotions other than pleasant ones. I could see where this would be very popular for the teenage crowd.

Curriculum Uses (Possible uses in the classroom / school library / public library):
This would be a great introduction to use of different media online. The students could make their own personal ad, and begin a blog. They could insert video and audio as well. They could create an advertisement or pamphlet for the upcoming prom. This would be a great read for guys who are reluctant readers. They would definitely get a kick out of this.

Loved it- this is about a guy in high school who can't get a date for the prom (not that he's trying very hard...) So, his friends decide to 'help' him out by putting up a personal ad for him in the school's online newspaper! After nearly every single girl at school responds, the girls are then weeded down to 24, and with just a week left until prom, he's got a lot of dating ahead if he's going to find the perfect prom date! ( )

Booklist; 1/1/2005-1/15/2005, Vol. 101 Issue 9/10, p842-844, 2p ( )

Shurie Geis
EDCI 4120
6-26-08

Bradley, Alex. (2005). 24 Girls in 7 Days. New York: Dutton Books

Grade Levels: 6-9

Category: Problem novel

Read-Alouds: pp. 33-38 (Jack agrees to go along with “the plan”), 211-222 (Jack finds out the truth behind all the responses), 242-265 (prom and the surprise dates)

Summary: When Jack Grammar tries to ask his dream girl to prom, and botches it up big time, his best friends, Natalie and Percy come up with a plan. They put an ad in the school newspaper advertising him looking for a prom date. A little coaxing from some of the hottest girls in school, and he suddenly has a list of over 200 girls that want to go with him. Natalie and Percy pair it down to 24 a week before prom, and he spends the next 7 days going on tons of dates. He learns a lot about dating and women, but mostly he learns about himself. And, in the end, he decides to take someone that wasn’t even on the list to begin with!

Themes: The main theme is teen dating. Also, there are a lot of ideas about friendship and teen sexuality presented. A lot of the time Jack is trying to deal with himself and trying to grow up and find out what he wants. A lot of the novel is centered around his coming of age, and maturing. Also, teen dating and sexuality is dealt with extensively.

Discussion Questions:
Why does Jack decide to go through with “the plan”? In the end, how did they get all the girls to go along with “the plan”?
Why is Jack wanting to go out with Natalie, even though they are best friends? What happens, and what does this mean to you about friendship?
What do you see as the significance of who Jack decides to take to the prom? Why is this so important to the novel itself? What does this mean about Jack?

Reader Response: This novel was very fun to read! You really feel connected to Jack, who is trying to come out of his cocoon, and start dating. He meets tons of interesting girls, and each experience teaches him something different about dating and teenage sexuality. There are lots of adventurous dates, and in the end he just learns a lot about himself. This is a great story for younger teens, who are struggling with these same problems. I think that they would really connect to all the problems that Jack is facing.

This book is about a boy who found a site about himself on the Internet. On this site, 24 girls all wanted to take him to the prom. I would recommend this book because it is like real life. It was interesting and many people will be able to relate to it. ( )