Cathleen Daly

Even though I don't want a pet, and even though I generally prefer illustrations that are more realistic, this book just charmed me. Daly gets it.

I particularly loved that she freed Formal Footwear to go live in the junkyard where he'll be happier....

Full review on Reader's Dialogue: http://readersdialogue.blogspot.com/2011/03/flirt-club.html

I love this book! It's so much fun, and such a real glimpse into the workings of middle-school minds. Told entirely through journal entries and notes passed back and forth between Cisco (Izzy) and Bean (Annie) with an occasional note from the other girls in the group, the story captures the way girls in middle school think and talk, and what they think and talk about. Especially the way girls feel show more the need to rehash every little thing that happens - why do we do that?

I like that the girls are not the popular girls, but they're not on the bottom rung, and they're not trying to become popular either. They don't like how they can't talk to boys, but they're comfortable with who they are, they're fine with being drama geeks - and they can laugh at themselves for acting like drama geeks! They're self-aware, and I love that. And they're always there for each other, so the ups and downs of their friendship are great to watch.

What I really love is how real the relationships are. The crushes each girl has on the various boys at the beginning of the novel do sound like crushes of girls who think they have no hope of going out with any of those boys at any time, and the way they completely miss when boys take interest in them is also so typical. Then when they start "flirting," the disasters and silliness sound so natural to beginners. When they start really talking to boys, going out and even kissing, again it sounds so real. Each boy is unique, too, which I like - they're not stock characters, even told through the girls' own words to each other.

And then there's the way this book really empowers girls. In every relationship, even when the guys are acting in not-so-likable ways, even when a guy ends up putting pressure on one of them, the way they deal with it shows the girls as strong, self-assured characters. Though they start out shy and unable to look at boys, they show that they're not doormats to be walked all over - they stand up for themselves, and for each other.

This is a fun but thoughtful book, an honest look at how middle-school girls deal with real issues, with boys, friends, social groups, and popularity - or lack thereof! show less

A story about a young artist coping with the divorce of her parents. This picture book is divided into five chapters. In the first chapter, Emily reflects on the life of Pablo Picasso: "He liked to mix things up...so does Emily." The next chapter opens with "Lately Emily's family is mixed up. She doesn't like this." Her mom and dad now live in separate houses, her dad in his own little "cube." As a result of the divorce, Emily enters a "Blue Period" much like Picasso. Later, Emily's art show more teacher introduces the class to collage and instructs the students to make a collage of home, "but Emily has two homes. Which one should she make?" Emily searches every room of both houses, collecting scraps to add to her collage. Her final work, which she describes as "big and soggy and beautiful," signifies her acceptance of the changes in her home life, ending her Blue Period. Children struggling with being split between two homes will strongly identify with Emily and be encouraged by her words and actions. A strong testimony to the healing powers of art. show less

Emily's father has recently moved out from her family's home and she is deeply saddened by this. Emily decides that she is going through a "blue period" with her painting, just like Picasso did during his lifetime. Emily does not know if she will ever make it back from her "blue period" as everything in her life is changing. This book is directed towards kids who are struggling with their parents divorce or kids who are struggling with some kind of new change in their life.