Jo Whittemore

Tori Porter and her mom lead a fun, rather haphazard life: Tori's mom has never lost her youthful spirit, to the point that sometimes Tori feels like she has to be the adult in their relationship. When a financial crisis looms, a surprising way out emerges in the form of a contest set up in the terms of Great-Aunt Muriel's will. Tori and her mom, along with various aunts, uncles, and cousins, will spend two weeks on Great-Aunt Muriel's farm, living a colonial lifestyle: no modern show more conveniences allowed. They will face various challenges, and the family to survive to the end with the best score in the challenges will inherit. The competition is steep, and Tori and her mom are not exactly used to roughing it -- but of all the contestants, they need the money the most. Of course, there are some unexpected distractions for Tori along the way, such as the surprisingly cute son of the estate's groundskeeper. . . .

They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but in this case, you totally should. This book delivers exactly what the cover promises: tween fare, light on the historical accuracy, heavy on the innocent flirting. It's not always particularly realistic, but it's cute and fun, great for girls who are ready for just a little romance but not quite up to the stuff in the young adult section yet. show less

I really got a kick out of this book - and I don't normally read this sort of thing! Seriously, I think Jo Whittemore had me at "flaming bag of dog poop" - hello to you too, Evil Evins! :) This is a fun read - no major girl drama, no roller-coaster romance, just plain and simple FUN with some of the most ridiculous situations that kept me laughing! Alex is a great character who will really tug at your heartstrings and perhaps tickle your funny bone!

Reviewed by Jennifer Rummel for TeensReadToo.com

Delilah loves reporting the news and dreams about winning the prestigious Junior Globe Journalist award. However, as seventh grade starts, Delilah faces competition for the school's top reporting gig.

Delilah will do almost anything to win back her spot as the school's top reporter. She might even team up with the Debutantes, a clique she wrote about for the paper last year. The Debs aren't too sure about Ava either, and they might be able to show more help Delilah scoop her.

It's an all-out war, not just for the paper, but also for the cute editor's attention. Will Delilah prove herself worthy of the front page?

The story features a face-off that gets out of control, crazy with fun and mayhem. Delilah firmly believes in using any means necessary to uncover a good story - including things a little bit shady. Her amusing adventures to make the front page land her in more scrapes than ever. I also enjoyed her best friend, the surfer who plays with the boys for more competition.

All in all, a cute tween read. show less

I enjoyed a story about a mother and daughter relationship. Although the romance was really awkward and unnecessary to me I liked the heart of the story. Funny that her cousin was vegetarian when I just turned vegan.