Tuesday, May 17, 2005

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

Author: Ann Brashares

Publication: New York: Laurel Leaf Books

Publication Date: 2001

ISBN: 0-440-22970-7

Pages: 294

Summary: Four girls who have been friends since birth are about to embark on their first summer seperate from each other. One of them finds a pair of jeans in a second-hand store that seem to have magical powers, because it fits each of the girls' different figures perfectly. They decide that the Pants should spend a few days with each of them while they are on their respective vacations and then reunite at the end of the summer to talk about the adventures they had. Along the way the girls learn valuable lessons about life and death, love and rejection, family relationships, and being yourself.

Major Characters: Carmen, Tibby, Lena and Bridget

Comments: By now, almost every teenage girl and youth services librarian in North America knows about this book and its two sequels. When the movie is released later this summer, even more people will learn about it. Carmen, Tibby, Lena and Bridget have a huge following, and it is easy to see why. Once you start reading the book you're hooked. The four girls seem so human; anyone could identify with them. While the book teaches a lot of lessons, it doesn't come over as preachy. It makes no judgements about the decisions the girls make, but just seems to follow along as the girls work things out on their own. I would recommend this book more for older readers, because there are some hints of sexuality, but nothing is described explicitly. I laughed out loud at several parts of this book and can't wait to read the other novels in the series.

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Level: 15+

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