Kissing Brendan Callahan

Kissing Brendan Callahan

Like many girls who read, Sarah wants to be a writer -- a best-selling author of romances. Her plan is to enter a local teen writing contest to be judged by romance writer Antonia DeMarco (author of Enraptured Thorns in My Heart) and win first place by dazzling Antonia with her passionate and soulful writing. What could go wrong? Mom won't let Sarah enter the contest, that's what. Then along comes Brendan Callahan, a rule-breaking boy she has never liked. Will Sarah let Brendan teach her to stand up for herself? From School Library Journal Grade 5-8-It's summer on Staten Island, NY, and Sarah is adjusting to having a new baby brother. The soon-to-be seventh grader is a passionate, budding romance writer who wants to be free of her journalist mother's overbearing, closed-minded, fact-based way of thinking. Sarah wants to model her work after Antonia DeMarco, her favorite author and judge of a local writing contest. She is certain that when Antonia reads her play, she will recognize her talent. Unfortunately, Sarah isn't allowed to participate because her mom is in charge of the competition. Enter Brendan, her pesky but cute neighbor, who is determined to become a comedian. He encourages Sarah to stand up for herself and enter the contest under a pseudonym. The plot takes many twists and turns as the protagonist struggles with her budding independence and her emerging interest in Brendan. With the help of her brother's new nanny, Sarah learns that people aren't always what they seem. She discovers that Antonia is a selfish fraud, that Brendan isn't the immature creep she thought him to be, and that her mother understands her better than she thought. The insecurities and emotions of adolescents come through loud and clear in this innocent yet candid coming-of-age novel.-Julie Webb, Shelby County High School, Shelbyville, KY Copyright ? Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From Booklist Gr. 4-6. Twelve-year-old Sarah is overjoyed to learn that the romance writer she idolizes, Antonia DeMarco, will be judging a local teen- writing contest. After volunteering to become the flamboyant author's personal assistant for the project, Sarah is at first charmed by her heroine. Soon, though, DeMarco's antics infuriate Sarah, who finds herself in an increasingly awkward and difficult situation. Meanwhile, she realizes that Brendan, the boy she has known all her life and recently disdained as immature, is turning out to be not just helpful but eminently kissable. Readers who are edging into adolescence will understand Sarah's dilemma as she tries to find a workable path between her own strong urge for independence and her mother's stalwart expectation of dutiful obedience. Well-rounded characters people this inviting story that reassuringly chronicles the ups and downs of Sarah's life. Carolyn PhelanCopyright ? American Library Association. All rights reserved About the Author Susan Amesse grew up on Staten Island, where she still lives with her husband, Tom. When not writing, she likes to pursue her creativity in dance, travel, gardening, decorating, planning special events, and thinking about someday learning how to play the dulcimer. This is her first book.