Thirteen Plus One (The Winnie Years) - Hardcover

Lauren Myracle is theauthor of many popular books for teens and tweens,including New York Times bestsellers ttyl and ttfn(Abrams). She lives with her family in Fort Collins,Colorado.

Grade 5–8—At the end of eighth grade, Winnie has a lot going on in her life. She is both excited and apprehensive about starting high school and she realizes how little time she and her sister have together before Sandra leaves for college. Her birthday is all but forgotten by everyone, including her parents, and to top it off, her boyfriend gives her a crummy present. When Lars announces he's going to Germany for the summer, Winnie and her two friends sign up for an eco-camp at a beach in South Carolina. There the girls discover that they have different talents and make some new friends, including some new boyfriends, and Winnie must deal with an unhappy Lars who didn't go to Germany after all. The characters have authentic voices, and the girls mature in each of the books in this series that began with Eleven (2004) and continued in Twelve (2007) and Thirteen (2008, all Dutton). The girls are now typical teens who are trying desperately to figure out who they really are and to be independent while still needing their parents. They are great friends, but also hurt one another without meaning to. They are, no surprise, completely preoccupied with boys. There are references to current fashions, technology, slang, etc., that will date the book, but it is a great choice for middle school girls.—Nancy P. Reeder, Heathwood Hall Episcopal School, Columbia, SC
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