Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that there is discussion of girls being lesbians, underage drinking, and dealing with a disability. There is also some teen kissing and romance.
Families can talk about the importance of being a leader and a true friend. What personal strengths did each character portray? What weakness did they show? What strengths or weaknesses do you identify with or see in yourself?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Terreece Clarke
In this follow-up to the popular Dairy Queen, Catherine Murdock really captures the essence of what it means to be a teen girl. A 6' tall girl linebacker, D.J's pretty unusual alright, but she is also honest, funny, hardworking, loyal, and so personable that every girl can find a little bit of themselves in her. The characters are a lovable bunch and readers will quickly fall in love with the whole Schwenk family.
Murdock's storytelling ability brings something really fresh and cool to the teen school genre. There's angst, but there is also strength that transcends many of the difficult situations.
From The Book
Every Labor Day, the Jorgensens--they own Jorgensens' Ice Cream--set up a little ice cream stand right in their yard, which means you can spend the entire Labor Day picnic making yourself ice cream sundaes if that's what you want to do, and for years when I wasn't playing softball or chasing the Jorgensen kids or trying to keep up with my brothers, I'd sit myself at that little booth making one sundae after another until it was time to head home for evening milking, and then a couple miles into the drive I'd bring that whole sundae experience back up, right there on the side of whatever road we happened to make it to. Lately, though, I have a little more self-control. Now I only eat three or four, without marshmallows because I finally figured out they shouldn't really be part of the whole sundae thing, while I'm hanging out at the pig roast watching guys poke at the fire because apparently it's a law that if you're a guy you have to spend a bunch of time doing that. Then maybe I'll grab one more between innings when I'm not pitching.
Plot Summary:
D.J. Schwenk started off having a pretty good year. She and her best friend Amber were talking again, she was spending more quality time with Brian, and she was playing some great football for Red Bend High School's varsity squad. When a heap of trouble heads her way D.J. finds strength and courage to face some of the toughest things she and her family have ever gone through.
Related Books:
Other Books by the Author:
Dairy Queen
Princess Ben
More Sporty Girls:
Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham
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Sexual ContentA teen couple makes out; a lesbian couple is caught in bed, but were only actually sleeping. A mother is upset her daughter "can't keep her hands off" her boyfriend and fears she will get pregnant. A teen couple is accused of fooling around when one stays out all night. |
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ViolenceA football player is injured after taking a hit during a game. |
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Social BehaviorSituations that test friendships, social standing, and a family are portrayed with honesty and integrity. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoTeens and adults drink alcohol. |
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