Girls' YA Fiction

[Daisy Pusher]

stargirl said:

Yeah, I remember those Beverly Cleary teen novels quite well. One thing I like(d) about them is that they *actually* were quite realistic, unlike lots of other teen novels. A year or so ago, I reread Sister of the Bride and was surprised by how funny it was, which I definitely missed when I originally read it.

Also, don't forget The Luckiest Girl, which actually is based pretty closely on Cleary's own experiences in her first year of junior college in CA in the late 1930's (though for the purpose of the book she placed the main character in high school and in the 1950's).

Good grief, I forgot all about that one. The Oregon girl who spends a year in California! Smudge pots and biology hell. I didn't know it was based on Cleary's own experiences. You learn something new every day. Thanks!

[satellite]

Did anyone read "The Language of Goldfish" By Zibby Oneal?
From allreaders.com

Thirteen year old Carrie is a gifted young artist, and strong math student, struggling with a foreboding sense of anxiousness regarding becoming a teenager. The pressure to grow up begins to overwhelm Carrie, culminating in an attempted suicide.

In the aftermath of her suicide attempt, this book chronicles Carrie's therapy, the effect of her suicide attempt on her family, her social development and the development of her art – a window into her psyche.

Jennifer Selk, Resident Scholar

I loved that book, but thinking back on it, it was some pretty heavy stuff. I wish I could find a photo of the cover I had instead of the "artsy" one. It had a girl with feathered hair and 80s clothes looking poignantly at the reader. It was definitely appealing to the YA market.

[emersende]

stargirl said:

This thread reminds me of Barthe DeClements books: Nothing's Fair in Fifth Grade, How do you Lose those Ninth Grade Blues, and Seventeen and In Between. Those books were good, but a little sad. Not those cheesy type of books Dwannolloh was referring to!

I remember reading some of those! With Elsie, who is fat in the first book and then loses weight and becomes a knockout, but never feels pretty because her mother doesn't seem to like her . . . those books were pretty realistic. I loved how all the characters kept showing up and changing from book to book.

Dwanollah, I've looked around your site before, but not at those parts. I recognized some of those book covers! I used to collect book covers with themes (chearleader girl, gothic covers featuring architecture, doctors and nurses ca. 1960, etc. Maybe I still have them somewhere), and I had at least one of the books you put up. My personal favorite is still this one book that, the first time I saw it, I thought was a gay teen romance from the 1950s. It wasn't, of course- the girl just looked incredibly boyish. I must still have it around here somewhere!

I also had the Barbie dream house.

God, I've just got to find that gay 1950s teen romance book cover! I've always thought I should write a story about that . . .

[lallybroch]

kokopelli said:

Sister of the Bride? Sensible Barbara's flighty big sister Rosemary gets married! And buys a Paul Klee print! Oooh, how bohemian!

I remember reading this one when I was 10-11 and really thinking it was so romantic and sophisticated, even if I couldn't exactly relate to all of the fashion and cultural references. I don't know, I just had wedding fever then and even Barbara was in high school and it used to seem so grown up. Another book I loved from roughly the same era was The Boy Next Door by Betty Cavanna. Smart but average-looking Jane rejects the advances of Ken, likable football star, car enthusiast, neighbor, and best friend since childhood, the summer before her junior year of high school. Ken quickly moves on with Jane's younger, prettier sister when September rolls around and Jane has to cope with her bouts of jealousy and insecurity about that situation, along with her worries about school, popularity and her post-secondary future. The story could have easily been written as a cheap love triangle, but it's just as much of a coming of age story as a romance.

[dwanollah]

Yes! Find the Gay 1950s one, emersende! ;D

Also, don't forget The Luckiest Girl, which actually is based pretty closely on Cleary's own experiences in her first year of junior college in CA in the late 1930's (though for the purpose of the book she placed the main character in high school and in the 1950's).

That book was also where I first discovered the beauty of grilled peanut butter sandwiches. Mmmm....

[Deleted]

kokopelli said:

stargirl said:

Yeah, I remember those Beverly Cleary teen novels quite well. One thing I like(d) about them is that they *actually* were quite realistic, unlike lots of other teen novels. A year or so ago, I reread Sister of the Bride and was surprised by how funny it was, which I definitely missed when I originally read it.

Also, don't forget The Luckiest Girl, which actually is based pretty closely on Cleary's own experiences in her first year of junior college in CA in the late 1930's (though for the purpose of the book she placed the main character in high school and in the 1950's).

Good grief, I forgot all about that one. The Oregon girl who spends a year in California! Smudge pots and biology hell. I didn't know it was based on Cleary's own experiences. You learn something new every day. Thanks!

If you're interested, you can find out more in Cleary's excellent memoirs: A Girl From Yamhill and My Own Two Feet.

[carrier76]

Barthe DeClements (I think) also wrote "Sixth Grade Can Really Kill You," about "bad Helen." That was a good book; I reread it many times.

[Deleted]

Hey ladies! I made a boo boo and posted this one in the wrong thread! Oops A nice soul directed me here, and I'm glad Love reading up on all of your faves...I'm reposting this here, so those who may be interested get the info!

Hey all Anyone heard of Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's "Alice" series for kids? I don't know much about it, but I know they have gotten pretty popular. When I was young we were all about the Babysitters' Club, LOL! Anyway, saw that Build A Bear is having a contest where your daughter can be an extra in the movie they're making out of the book series. I'm so sad I'm not in the 8 to 12 age range Check it out here if you're interested. Thought I'd spread the word since my cousins are too young and I am too old - someone may as well have the chance to get lucky and be a celeb for a day!

[Cinchona]

isabella19 said:

Hey all Anyone heard of Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's "Alice" series for kids?

Yes! I loved these books so much when I was younger. I even played sick one day in fourth grade so that I could stay home and finish reading Alice in Rapture, Sort Of. I had no idea the series was still continuing.

[sleepy]

This thread brings up so many memories. So many of these books got me through the tween years. I have tons of fond memories of getting myself lost in the world of books. This was one genre they really did well. I miss my YA books -- my mom gave nearly all of them away when I moved out. Guess I'll have to build my library of them back up again!