* From the catalog:
Twelve-year-old Jane, who lives at the beach in a run-down old house with her mother, two brothers, and sister, has an eventful summer accompanying her pastor on bible deliveries, meeting former boyfriends of her mother's, and being coerced into babysitting for a family of ill-mannered children.

Reviewed by Bailey - The Class for TeensReadToo.com

Clever, lovely, and insightfully sharp, 12-year-old Jane is on a mission for one hundred adventures, and she is ready for them.

Her home is a permanent beach house that has doors that are always wide open, no matter the time of day or night or weather, and is delightful and homey. Jane loves her home and her family - her hopeless romantic mother and her three brothers and sisters.

But then a slew of possible fathers comes roaming around the beach, there's the coincidence of a dropped Bible on a baby's head, a gullible mother, and the question that maybe Nellie Phipps isn't really in the right mind as pastor and a responsible adult.

I loved this book. It is a slow paced one, but the tempo of this novel makes you savor it, and paints a detailed picture of one incredibly sharp girl.

MY ONE HUNDRED ADVENTURES is a charming read, and is very touching and endearing. Readers will identify with Jane, who longs for adventure and freedom, and her free-willed spirit and kind nature. Polly Horvath's style brings out the characters, such as the adults, painfully real, but somehow there is always this wishful feeling in her style, and I always felt as if there was maybe, just maybe, a touch of magic in her words.

I recommend this book for people who like simple stories about life and growing out of your innocence and into becoming a more responsible person. I know that people who love detail will enjoy this book, and it is wonderfully written, as well. But watch out - this tale is a little tricky, and there may be a few big words out there. ( )

Jane lives in a cottage on the beach with her bohemian, artistic mother and 3 younger siblings. In the face of her idyllic existence, Jane prays for adventure, and does she ever get it! Join Jane as she flies in a hot air balloon, delivers Bibles with her crazy preacher, and babysits for the worst family imaginable. Beautifully written in a lyrical style which will make you nostalgic for youthful summer adventures. ( )

12-year-old Jane lives in a house on a beach with her single mother and various siblings, of whom she is oldest. She takes everything well in stride, from potential fathers to hot-air balloons to blackmail. Horvath's Jane is a believable, stolid child who longs for adventure and gets it, although her somewhat haphazard summer escapades are accompanied by increased responsibility and, in time, maturity. The reader is lazily brought along for the ride-- not by an intriguing story, but by Jane's openness and enthusiasm for life. Overall, thoroughly enjoyable. ( )

A very gripping and exciting book. It is full of mystery, sadness, and excitement ( )