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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
Good pre-teen or teen book. Reminded me of a lighter, shorter version of The Glass Castle.
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
zI really liked this. It was interesting hearing the stuff about the hair in this since it is very outdated now. I liked the main character; she wasn't overly angsty, but she was clearly affected by everything that happened.I think that she did very well overall. I liked that you got to hear what the teacher thought about Tish. The ending made me happy. It actually ended differently than I expected it too, but that is a good thing. Overall, this is really great.
dark
reflective
Tish is a completely average student who doesn't care about school. When her English teacher assigns a journal, but promises not to read any entries marked private, Tish gradually shares more and more, starting almost every entry with "Don't read this, Mrs. Dunphrey." As Tish's life gets more and more out of control, her entries give away more and more secrets. While she wants to keep her family problems private, she gradually starts to wish that someone would read her journal.
Excellent, quick read. I love the diary style and Tish's voice is authentic.
Excellent, quick read. I love the diary style and Tish's voice is authentic.
This book dealt with abuse, mental illness, poverty, and a girl who had to grow up way too fast, yet it never felt forced. Tish, the protagonist, went through so much, and her journal entries all felt real. She was far from perfect, but throughout, all she wanted to do was protect her brother, and I really loved her.
The Author is enough to make you want to pick this book up without question but since you're reading this you need a little convincing.
Don't you Dare read this feature a young girl trying to keep her family from falling apart with no father and a flighty fantasy inclined mother. she struggles to take care of herself and her little brother and keep them from being discovered because if they are then they'll be taken and they'll be separated. So she does her best to keep everything together, recording her thoughts in her class journal with her kind hearted teacher who offers the students a chance to express themselves in private in a journal that they need only to write 'don't read' at the start of if they do not want their private thoughts to be read by Mrs. Dunphrey
Don't you Dare read this feature a young girl trying to keep her family from falling apart with no father and a flighty fantasy inclined mother. she struggles to take care of herself and her little brother and keep them from being discovered because if they are then they'll be taken and they'll be separated. So she does her best to keep everything together, recording her thoughts in her class journal with her kind hearted teacher who offers the students a chance to express themselves in private in a journal that they need only to write 'don't read' at the start of if they do not want their private thoughts to be read by Mrs. Dunphrey
I guess I chose this for cultural literacy; I see this title on all sorts of lists. I had no idea I'd love it, and even though Tish is into the mall and spraying her bangs as high as possible (and doesn't have a cell phone), this is still relevant today. Perfect teen issue book for reluctant teen readers, still.
I wish I had read this book when I was in middle school, it has the potential for being a life changer. If anything, kids who are not experiencing something similar to Tish may learn empathy. I think the clever format worked perfectly here (the entries are written in journal entries as a class assignment). My heart went out to Tish, who is so mature I kept forgetting she was only 16. What she went through would have been hard at any age. Great story, strong characters, good read.