i really enjoyed this book. it shows a teenage point of view of boyfriends, family, love and friends.
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
(2003, Fiction - Friendship, Written by Ann Brashares)
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Popular tale of friendship is for teens only.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 14–16
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants was written by Matt Berman
Parents need to know that elements of concern to parents -- some sexual content, language, and poor decision-making -- along with an emotional subtext that won't make much sense to younger readers make this book for teens only.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about friendship. Do you think the friendship among the Sisterhood is realistic? Do you think they would have remained so close over the summer if they weren't sharing the pants? What about 10 years after the book's events -- do you think they'll remain close?
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More on The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Book Summary
Lena, Bridget, Tibby, and Carmen have been best friends since birth. Now, just before they are about to spend their first summer apart, they discover a pair of jeans that miraculously fits all of them, despite their differing physiques. And not just fit -- the Pants make each girl look, and feel, beautiful and confident. They don't know it yet, but they'll need that confidence during a summer that will test them, each in different ways.
That's all the magic, if such it is, that comes from the Pants themselves -- the rest comes from the powerful love these girls share, which travels with the pants. In a solemn midnight ceremony, the kind of solemnity of which perhaps only teenage girls are capable, they make up a compact about the Pants, part of which is that they will send them back and forth among themselves throughout the summer. Thus they will be present during each girl's time of crisis and tie the strands of the story together engagingly, if somewhat artificially.
That's all the magic, if such it is, that comes from the Pants themselves -- the rest comes from the powerful love these girls share, which travels with the pants. In a solemn midnight ceremony, the kind of solemnity of which perhaps only teenage girls are capable, they make up a compact about the Pants, part of which is that they will send them back and forth among themselves throughout the summer. Thus they will be present during each girl's time of crisis and tie the strands of the story together engagingly, if somewhat artificially.
Is It Any Good?
There are few things teens love as much as melodrama, and they'll get plenty of it here: Tibby befriends a 12-year-old with leukemia, Carmen's father has a new family, Lena falls in love in Greece, and Bridget has her first sexual experience, which devastates her. But Ann Brashares is simply a better writer than most authors of this kind of literature and she builds a reservoir of affection for each character that makes the climax of each of their stories effective.
The friendship among the four girls is the kind every teen longs for but never actually experiences: rock solid and dependable, with no rivalries or pettiness to mar it, filled only with kindness, love, and understanding. But if this friendship, along with the girls' openness to the world and their capacity for honest self-appraisal and growth, gives teen readers something to which to aspire, then this book will deserve its popularity.
Publisher’s Details
Publisher: Delacorte Press, Publication date: 3/11/2003
Number of pages: 294, Price: $14.95 (hardcover)
Read Aloud: 14+, Read Alone: 14+
Number of pages: 294, Price: $14.95 (hardcover)
Read Aloud: 14+, Read Alone: 14+
Our Members Say
See 104 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title on for age 14 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
Good for teenagers of 14 older
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I rate this title on for age 13 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
Good for Teens.
This is a good and funny book.
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I rate this title on for age 13 and give it
- My highlights are:
Good book for teenagers
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I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
- My highlights are:
nice
This book is good for mature teens and over. I read this at the age 13 and I really did enjoy it. I thought it was boring in the beginning then i really got intersted in it! Very nice book. Shows that you can still have a friendship even though being far apart from your friends
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Kids ages: 9, 13
I rate this title on for age 13 and give it- My highlights are:
Perfect for well mature tweens and older teens who are able to understand right from wrong
very good book movie is wonderful..
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I rate this title on for age 13 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
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I rate this title on for age 12 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
This book has friendship,love, family problems, and more. it was very well written but could have been better without the sex and stuff. Good book though.
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I rate this title iffy for age 14 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
Perfect for older kids, but not for tweens
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I rate this title on for age 12 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
Uh-MAZE-ing!!!
I LOVE THIS BOOK!!! This is probably my favorite book of all time. I have read it at least 4 times!!! If you love drama, romance, comedy, and friendship, sprint to a book store and BUY IT!!! The whole series is unforgettable!! The movies are just as good, but read the books first, kay?
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I rate this title on for age 12 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Good role models
perfect for anyone 11/12 or older
i love all four books it shows how strong friendship is and tough decions that girls face. if your a girl and dont like to read read this book and it will change your mind. parents dont like to admit it but girls face these issues and most likely wont want to talk to their moms but to their best friends and if you trust them to make the right descion they will.
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I rate this title on for age 12 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Good role models
Fine for tweens
Really good! As I read it, i would think of the characters in my head. Very enjoyableq
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I rate this title on for age 12 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
Great charecters a pageturner. Wonderful!
Tis book was wonderful. This book is about teenagers and having best freinds, and really shows what freindship is about. I LOVED IT!
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Kids ages: 13
I rate this title on for age 11 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
Perfect for tween who are mature and interested in boys and deffinentally for teens and even adults!
I loved it! I dissagree with whoever rated it iffy. They said that the girls behaved badly and at times stupidly and their parents are no better. They must not have teenage daughters because that is all tipical behavior of the avorage teen girl. The parents do not act stupidly at all they make a couple of mistakes but no one is perfect! Over all i give the book five stars!
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I rate this title iffy for age 11 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
- My highlights are:
Contemporary Judy Blume storyline...
Through this extraordinary pair of pants, the story follows a group of girls who are growing up. Somewhat of a contemporary Judy Blume-type novel, this story shows that what seems so immediately vital (boy crushes) (sarcastic views) is not as important as each girls eyes are opened to new life experiences. This story is sweet, gives girls a look into growing up experiences, and is brough to a nice closure as the girls reunite and reflect on their summer.
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I rate this title on for age 13 and give it
for mature 12 year olds, and 13+. awesome book!
I love this book as well as the rest of the series!! There are a few sexual things with one of the characters, but it is still appropriate for a mature preteen, and defiantly a teen. But that is my opinion. Loved the book!!!
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I rate this title on for age 13 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
Great Story with Amazing Characters
I absolutely love this book! I wish I was one of the sisterhood girls. Ann Brashares has created incredible, realistic characters that I would love to be friends with myself. Each individual girls has her own story and issues, together they have a bond that helps them get through their struggles and enjoy their celebrations. It is difficult for me to choose which girl I like the best. I identify the most with Lena, think Tibby is hilarious, would like to have the energy and livelihood that Bridget has, and feel like Carmen and I both are passionate in every relationship we are in
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I rate this title on for age 14 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
No one is prefect,this book shows that no matter what you have done, your friends will be there to pick you up. It isnt a walt disney "happy ending book" it gives events that might happen to your daughter and what teen girls struggle with today. its amazing book, and it will keep your daughter wanting more.
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I rate this title on for age 12 and give it
- My highlights are:
the best book i' ve read
this book made me learn something good.it's a very nice and very inspirational book for everyone to read.
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I rate this title on for age 12 and give it
Perfect for Middle Schoolers, Great Book
I really liked this book, and the rest of the series. I read it at age 13, in 8th grade. The sex isn't really an issue because it is very subtle, and not described. This series is very good, and even though it does have movies for the books, I believe it should have more recognition, because it is practically as good as Twilight, and probably way more well written than Twilight is. I love Twilight, don't get me wrong, but Ann Brashares has a great writing style, and she's just a great writer.
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I rate this title on for age 11 and give it
- My highlights are:
a great book for tweens and teens
I read this when I was about 11 or 12 and loved it. Yeah, there's kissing and some of the girls act stupidly...but doesn't that happen in real life? Yes. I think this IS a good book for tweens and a wonderful story about friendship.
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