Today’s pick: Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen
Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2001
Summary:
Julianna Baker begins crushing on Bryce Loski from the first time they meet, in grade 2, and is convinced for years that he will be her first kiss. The problem is, Bryce doesn’t see it that way. He finds Juli annoying. As the two of them grow up through middle school, the author shows their two different and sometimes humorous points of view about a destroyed sycamore tree, Juli's homegrown chickens and their eggs, and a variety of family problems. By the end of the book, their feelings are flipped: Bryce really likes Juli and Juli has gotten over her crush.
My Take:
This is definitely a book to show you how to write different points of view. I loved the way the author took the same story event and showed it through the eyes of the two different characters, emphasizing what each character would notice. I also loved the layers the author created in this story, by going beyond the surface to include family issues, while still keeping the story firmly from a middle grader’s point of view. Although I’ve seen this novel referred to as “teen” or “YA”, to me, it definitely has a middle grade feel. Other Info:
This book is a stand alone. It has been made into a movie, Flipped, 2010, directed by Rob Reiner.Other books by this author:
The Running DreamSammy Keyes mystery series:
Sammy Keyes and the Cold Hard Cash
Sammy Keyes and the Dead Giveaway
The Gecko & Sticky series
The Gecko & Sticky: The Power Potion
The Gecko & Sticky: Sinister Substitute
Shredderman series
For more info, visit Wendelin Van Draanen’s website.
