Book Review Template

Anderson, Laurie. Title. Prom. Penguin Group: New York.

Genre: Humor

Themes: High School Drama, Sex, Skipping Class, Drugs, stealing, strong friendship, team work

Age / Grade Appropriateness: High School Only

Awards: A National Book Award Finalist, A Michael L. Printz Honor Book, An Edgar Allen Poe Award Finalist, A New York Times Best Seller, and An ALA Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults

Censorship Issues: The school teacher steals money from the school. Sex and some foul language are used. But, the language that is used is exactly like the halls of a high school.

Plot Summary (Summarize the plot in 250 words or less): Prom, when that word is said around high school students their hearts start to race. Prom is a time that is super important to “most” high school girls. Well, Ashley on the other hand could care less. Ashley is not your typical senior in high school. She juggles family, work, detention, and T.J. her boyfriend that is not that great to her. Ashley’s next door neighbor and best friend Natalia Shulmensky is head of the prom committee. One day the principal announces that the math teacher stole all the money for the prom. This devastated Nat. But, Ashley comes to the rescue.

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 is the best book yet I have read. I feel this book is perfect for all high school students. I do think females would like it better than males. This is a book that actually portrays events that actually would happen in high schools today. Normally they have picture perfect ends or scary issues that make the novel ridiculous. But, this novel hit the nail on the head.

Curriculum Uses (Possible uses in the classroom / school library / public library): “Prom” is a book that would be great to use for high school students. This particular book to me is a great book to turn it into a play. I know when I was in high school we would sometimes act out the book and it was so much fun. This book is a modern novel but, still teaches great life lessons to our young adults. ( )

I read this book a few years back but i still remember it faintly and i know anyone who likes teen situations and frilly prom thing you would love this book. It like a two in one package.

The book I have been reading is called Prom written by Laurie Halse Anderson.I chose this book because I read the inside and it sounded very dramatic and comical so I thought I would read it and see how good it was.One of the aspects of the book that I enjoyed were that the situations were events that could happen in real life.another aspect that I enjoyed was that the characters were very outgoing and funny and each character had a very different personality that made them stand out.

From the beginning of the book the main character ashly hanagin is a lazy trouble maker who likes to slide by in school and slack off.The prom is coming up but the math teacher stole the money for the prom.So now ashly who could care less about the prom is about to help plan one.This is what ashly thought about the prom "I had been saying the prom was stupid for years".

Prom was a very funny dramatic and heartwarming book.my favorite character was grandma shlumensky she was a little nuts. I also liked Nat she broke her leg in the end and i felt really bad for her. this book met all of my expectations. ( )

Good Book ( )

Finally, a realistic high school book that is acutally real. This novel presents the lives of "normal" working class teens at a real public high school, warts and all. High school complete with metal detectors, fights, thefts, graduation requirements, library fines, fun, friends and of course, prom. It contains not complely dysfunctional families nor Disney versions of suburban teens, although the ending is a bit predictable. Just realistically portrayed public school teens. This was especially refreshing for a book about prom, which usually involves either an axe murderer or a Cinderella story. The story follows the lives of Ashley and her friends and family. The reader sees Ashley contemplate changes in her life as she approaches graduation and works on the prom. The themes of growing up and making choices for the future make this book an ideal addition for the high school LMC. Due to more young adult themes, this book would be suitable for high school level students, but not middle school level. ( )