Title: The Mother-Daughter Book Club
Author: Heather Vogel Frederick
Published: April 24, 2007
Genre: Middle Grade/ Young Adult
Summary: Books, books, books. Emma loves books and with a mom that is a librarian it's not hard. When her mom decides to start a book club you would think Emma would be thrilled. But when your mom invites your best friend Jess who has been a bit off lately because her mom left to find herself in the roll of Larissa LaRue - a soap opera star, your former best friend Megan - who left you for the annoying and rude cool kids, and the new girl in town Cassidy - who really only cares about playing sports (especially hockey) it doesn’t seem like the recipe for a good time. But all the moms think its a great idea so the four girls are now stuck together for at least an hour each week reading Little Woman. All while still trying to stay apart and with their own friends when they are at school and it's not easy. Navigating middle school and life the girls learn that while some books may be old, there is still a lot to learn from them.
What I liked about it: The book goes through different chapters from the perspectives of each of the four girls. I liked all the girls for different reasons. Each one is unique and has different interests that make her stand out from the others so that they don't all become one uninteresting group. The setting is cool and while I have read most of the books that the girls read in the series I was introduced to new ones that I have since read and enjoyed. One of the cool things about the books is that all the books they read over the series are real books - which if you haven't read them, make you want to read along with the girls and find out what happens. I also love that each book is a new school year so you can grow up along with the girls.
A note for parents: As they get older they do read books that are more mature. When they start in 6th grade they read Little Women and in 7th grade Anne of Green Gables. However when they get to High School they read books such as Pride & Prejudice and Jane Eyre. I didn’t start reading the books until I was in high school so I had already read Pride & Prejudice. But if you let your kids start reading the series at a younger age (like 6th grade) and they are a fast reader and want to read the whole series you might want to wait to read the books the girls are reading until your child is a bit older which is ok! You don't have to read the books the girls are reading to still understand what they are doing. (I will admit I have still never read Little Women and loved the first book!)
Language: None
Romance: Almost all the girls by then end of the series end up with boyfriends or at least major crushes. There is occasionally a kiss or two in each book but not until the girls are in High School, except for one surprise kiss to one of the girls by one of the other girls' crush in the second book
Violence: The kids live in Concord Massachusetts and they have an annual Revolutionary war re-enactment but its just a re-enactment and not real.
Magic: None
Recommended Age: The girls are in 6th grade in the first book and I think that that is the perfect age to start these books.
Want to know about other great books to read, hop over and see the book link-ups at the Homeschool Review Crew's weekly post!
could be an interesting series.
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