Dear Pen Pal

November 1, 2009
Gr 5-8-The girls of the mother-daughter book club enter eighth grade with major changes on the horizon. Jess attends boarding school, where she struggles to get along with her roommate. Megan's grandmother comes to stay, causing tension in the Wong household. Cassidy is less than thrilled at the news that her mother and stepfather are expecting a baby. And Emma is balancing her relationship with Stewart Chadwick with her role as editor of the school newspaper. The club is reading Jean Webster's novels this yearincluding "Daddy-Long-Legs"inspired by Jess's move to boarding schooland its members are corresponding with participants in a mother-daughter book club in Wyoming. As in previous books, there are a lot of subplots and characters to keep track of, and this makes it difficult for the author to fully explore the issues and conflicts raised. Problems are tied up a bit too neatly, but readers will continue to recognize personality traits and relate to the situations that the girls experience. Fans of the series should enjoy this latest offering, and will be looking forward to the characters' upcoming move to high school."Amanda Raklovits, Champaign Public Library, IL"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2010
Jess, Emma, Cassidy, and Megan find their eighth-grade year filled with issues including boarding school, boys, dress codes, and family changes. They read Jean Webster's Daddy-Long-Legs and write to a pen pal, while their book club expands and they take a group vacation. Though the story is packed with too many subplots, the girls' alternating narration keeps things moving.

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)