11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass

If you've been a reader of this blog for any time you already know I'm a huge fan of Wendy Mass. Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life is on my top 10 favs of all time list (and that was a hard list to create... how do you pick just 10???) So, when I saw that her new book 11 Birthdays was out, I couldn't wait to pick it up.

I read this with my 7-year-old son (which meant we only got through a couple of chapters a night) and this was torture because I could have read this straight through in one sitting. It's the story of two kids, Amanda and Leo, who were born on the same day, in the same hospital, and who have celebrated their birthdays together every year... up until their 11th. That's because something happened on their 10th birthday that caused a rift in their friendship, and they haven't spoken since.

It's been a rough year on Amanda, and it's all she can do to get through this 11th birthday -- her whole day is a flop, including her party. She can't wait to have the whole day behind her. Unfortunately, when she wakes up the next morning, it's still her birthday. And the day keeps repeating over and over, day after day.

Grownups will remember the Bill Murray movie "Groundhog Day" which had a similar premise of a repeating day, but with 11 Birthdays, this story isn't just about getting the day right, but the background story of why it started happening in the first place.

Amanda and Leo are both likable characters, wonderfully drawn in Mass' engaging voice. As with all her books, the story tugs on the heartstrings and demonstrates the true importance (and magic) of a truly special friendship.

My sons laughed out loud more than a few times, and we looked forward to the time spent together within the page of this story.

Mass says there's a companion book to this somewhere in the future and I look forward to seeing where the story goes. 4 1/2 bookmarks -- put this one on your shelf.

Every Soul a Star by Wendy Mass

Witnessing a total solar eclipse is something that not many people can claim to do. But the three main characters in the latest book from Wendy Mass (Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life and A Mango Shaped Space) do just that... and they learn a little about themselves in the bargain. 

Told from the perspective of three kids: model wanna-be Bree, slightly overweight loner Jack and homeschooled astronomer in the making Ally, Every Soul A Star explores the wonders of space, Earth and how everybody has to find their own place on it.

Ally has grown up in the boonies, her parents built Moon Shadow campground out in the wilderness as a place for stargazers to pilgrimage to, and this particular summer, they'll be coming in droves as the camp is in the direct path of a total solar eclipse. She loves living under a blanket of stars, and has looked forward to this summer pretty much her whole life. But there's a catch. After the eclipse her family is going to be moving to the city for the first time ever. 

City girl Bree has just found out her family is moving to Moon Shadow to take over for Ally's family, and she's none too happy about being away from her cell phone and friend network. She's more concerned about her toenail polish than which constellations are which, and has no problem letting Ally know that she's getting the raw deal.

Jack finds himself in Moon Shadow as a way to make up for a failing science grade, and summer school. Not exactly one of Bree's popular crowd, Jack just wants to get through the summer and enjoy the outdoors while doing it.

Mass weaves these three stories together masterfully, all told in first person POV yet retaining unique voices for each. Even the snobby Bree comes off as sympathetic and likable.

I'm a huge fan of Jeremy Fink and Mango Shaped Space, and have looked forward to Mass's latest dip into a fascinating subject. She demonstrates why astronomy is so fascinating and young readers will enjoy the celestial tidbits of info they'll pick up along the way. 4 bookmarks -- would make a great holiday gift!!

(NOTE:

I'm hoping to have an interview with the author in the near future, so if you've read Every Soul a Star and have a question for Wendy Mass, post them in the comments section and I'll try to include them in the interview.)

Guest Review -- Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass

Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life.

A pre-teen boy goes on a breath-taking adventure to find the meaning of life. With a few twists and an amazing ending, Jeremy Fink is a great book.

-- HG, age 9