Twelve

It’s not often that a student recommends a book to me, so when Janique handed me Lauren Myracle’s novel Twelve, I was excited. Apparently, Janique knows exactly what I like.

The novel follows Myracle’s heroine, Winnie, through her twelfth year, with all the tribulations of growing up. Winnie encounters former best friends, crushes, first periods, training bras, and makeovers with a genuinely sweet attitude. She is a truly likable protagonist who (eventually) does what she knows is right, even if it makes her seem dorky.

There was a lot to love about this novel. It reminded me a lot of the books that I enjoyed when I was young, hoping for some tips on how to be cool and enter into the world of adulthood. There are also some laugh-out-loud moments. In a world of Gossip Girl and Luxe, it is fun to read about a normal, nerdy girl who is just trying to grow up as peacefully as possible.

I plan on stocking up on Eleven and Thirteen as well. These are great novels for the more innocent seventh graders at our school.