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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
The Teashop Girls was okay, it was cute. It wasn't bad, the two star rating is because I didn't really think there was anything particularly great about it, nothing to shout about.
I didn't care for the teashop girls. it started out good, with an interesting premise, but then got annoying. Annie is at times too old for her 13 years and waay too young. and I don't mean fluctuating maturity levels. I mean one moment the author has her thinking and speaking like a grown woman and the next an eight year old. she's also selfish and spoiled treating many of her classmates and friends like crap just because they don't agree with her world view.
the tidbits and illustrations about tea were the only reason this got a two star review. I was very disappointed.
the tidbits and illustrations about tea were the only reason this got a two star review. I was very disappointed.
This was a fun little read. I loved the anti-corporate culture message. The drawings, quotes and "tea artifacts" gave the book a scrapbook-y type feel, which I loved. Great pick for younger girls who enjoyed the "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" series.
The Tea Shop Girls practically made me fall asleep from boredom. It had a basic plot and the characters were extremely mild. I could easily stick a label each one. Beth=annoying older sister, Genna= talented chic, Zoe=organized athlete, Zach=annoying boy who obviously has a crush on Annie. And Annie is just such a simple character. She likes tea, and that's about it.
Now this book did have its ups, too. It was really childish and fun, and the little clips of the end made a great addition. Overall, I would recommend this book to younger kids, 7-9 years old.
Now this book did have its ups, too. It was really childish and fun, and the little clips of the end made a great addition. Overall, I would recommend this book to younger kids, 7-9 years old.
The Teashop Girls (Paula Wiseman Books) by Laura Schaefer (2008)
I enjoyed The Teashop Girls. It's a Tween/Early Teen fiction book (the heroine is thirteen)which can be enjoyed by adults as well. The relationships between Annie and her best friends, her grandmother Louisa, and her family are well-drawn and the characters are likeable. The setting (Madison, WI) made me want to visit there again, and the various recipes and tea-related pages were a fun addition, especially for this tea-lover. There are some subtle touches I appreciated, such as the behavior of the antagonists (or I interpreted them as subtle). There were a few things that threw me out of the story, like the teens sometimes speaking more like adults than some of the adult characters, but, oddly, this lessened as the book went on. Recommended for those who enjoy YA/children's fiction with whimsical charm, spunky heroines, and an emphasis on family and friends.
Earlier this week, I finsihed reading The Teashop Girls b Laura Schaefer. This is just a lovely book in every way. It's perfectly formatted with black-and-white illustrations at the ends of the chapters, the tea-themed quotes at the beginnings. The tidbits concerning the history of tea and the proper way to drink tea, the old advertisements for different tea brands, it's all totally delightful. This book has kind of made me want to pick up one of Laura Childs' teashop mysteries, and I am not heavily invested in tea.
I've never read a cozy mystery, but I imagine this must be the juvenile equivalent--sans mystery. Cozy is exactly the word I'd use to describe it; there are no bad people, no villains (except an imagined one or two), no real danger (except that of a beloved teashop closing), and no deep relationship problems. It's a warm book filled with a lot of love and some good characters.
Annie is 13 years old, in eighth grade, and loves everything about tea. Her grandmother, Louisa, owns a teashop called The Steeping Leaf, and Annie's thrilled when Louisa allows her to become a barista there. Annie quickly discovers that the Leaf is in trouble due to flagging popularity and the arrival of a commercial coffee chain on the street. Annie quickly determines to save the Leaf--and to recruit her two best friends, both of whom formed a club with Annie when they were very young called the Teashop Girls, to help her save the shop. Zoe and Genna each have their own interests, now, though, and Annie sometimes feels like she's not getting any help and as if the Leaf can't be saved.
I don't know what else to say about this book. Read it. It's wonderful. This is a book that someday, I'll want to share with my niece, or with a hypothetical daughter.
I've never read a cozy mystery, but I imagine this must be the juvenile equivalent--sans mystery. Cozy is exactly the word I'd use to describe it; there are no bad people, no villains (except an imagined one or two), no real danger (except that of a beloved teashop closing), and no deep relationship problems. It's a warm book filled with a lot of love and some good characters.
Annie is 13 years old, in eighth grade, and loves everything about tea. Her grandmother, Louisa, owns a teashop called The Steeping Leaf, and Annie's thrilled when Louisa allows her to become a barista there. Annie quickly discovers that the Leaf is in trouble due to flagging popularity and the arrival of a commercial coffee chain on the street. Annie quickly determines to save the Leaf--and to recruit her two best friends, both of whom formed a club with Annie when they were very young called the Teashop Girls, to help her save the shop. Zoe and Genna each have their own interests, now, though, and Annie sometimes feels like she's not getting any help and as if the Leaf can't be saved.
I don't know what else to say about this book. Read it. It's wonderful. This is a book that someday, I'll want to share with my niece, or with a hypothetical daughter.
Well, this was cute and very fluffy.
I was expecting to like this book even more, though: the tea quotes, the recipes and the beautiful illustrations are all perfect and right up my alley.
The story itself is a little dull and very predictable.
Still, the interactions between the teenagers sounded quite real and I really enjoyed all the tea trivia!
I was expecting to like this book even more, though: the tea quotes, the recipes and the beautiful illustrations are all perfect and right up my alley.
The story itself is a little dull and very predictable.
Still, the interactions between the teenagers sounded quite real and I really enjoyed all the tea trivia!