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