Sheldon, Dyan. My perfect life.SHELDON, Dyan. My perfect life. Candlewick can·dle·wick n. 1. The wick of a candle. 2. a. A soft heavy cotton thread similar to that used to make wicks for candles. b. Embroidery made of tufts of this thread. . 201p. c2002. 0-7636-2828-X. $7.99. J To quote the review of the hardcover in KLIATT, September 2002: Suburban New Jersey high school student Ella leads a seemingly perfect life--until her outrageous friend Lola (the protagonist of Sheldon's prequel pre·quel n. A literary, dramatic, or cinematic work whose narrative takes place before that of a preexisting work or a sequel. [pre- + (se)quel.] novel, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, reviewed in paperback in the July 2002 KLIATT) convinces her to run for school president against her ex-best friend, Carla. Carla is popular but nasty; she doesn't sweat, "she oozes Calvin Klein Noun 1. Calvin Klein - United States fashion designer noted for understated fashions (born in 1942) Calvin Richard Klein, Klein ." The campaign is bitter and hard-fought, and along the way shy Ella begins to emerge from her shell and discovers that the veneer veneer (vənēr`), thin leaf of wood applied with glue to a panel or frame of solid wood. The art of veneer developed with early civilization. of perfection "can hide a lot of horrors." Her father leaves the family: Ella has to face up to her mother's alcoholism: and she learns that Carla's family has some problems, too. Humor humor, according to ancient theory, any of four bodily fluids that determined man's health and temperament. Hippocrates postulated that an imbalance among the humors (blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile) resulted in pain and disease, and that good health was is very much evident, though, as Ella's team works to counter Carla's schemes, and Ella emerges from the election with much more self-confidence and self-knowledge. This is like a junior version of Tom Perrotta's novel Election. exposing the underside of high school politics, and most YAs will be able to relate to it and to chuckle and commiserate com·mis·er·ate v. com·mis·er·at·ed, com·mis·er·at·ing, com·mis·er·ates v.tr. To feel or express sorrow or pity for; sympathize with. v.intr. with Ella over Carla's evil doings. It's not necessary to have read Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen to enjoy this; the ending, however, hints at more books to come featuring these engaging characters. Paula Rohrlick, KLIATT J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are of particular interest to young adolescents and their teachers. |
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