Crazy in Love
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that the book's premise deals with sex, from sexual rumors that the school's queen bee spreads about Mary Jane to Mary Jane's struggle to decide if she should have sex with her boyfriend. Mary Jane's best friend does have sex with her boyfriend in college, and Mary Jane buys lingerie in preparation for the big night with her first love.
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What's the Story?
Mary Jane is crushing on a boy with a queen-bee girlfriend, which leads to some girl drama -- and to some vicious rumors pegging the good girl Mary Jane as a \"slut.\"
\ Even after she wins the boy of her dreams, her life is in turmoil as she tries to decide if she should stay true to her abstinence pledge.
Is It Any Good?
This book has a cute premise: Mary Jane has two voices in her head: a good girl and a, well, not-so-good girl. These voices advise her about her relationship with Jackson, the boy she's fallen for, who is also dating Star, the popular, mean girl at school. The problem is, like the voices, the book is split in two with Mary Jane dealing with rumors Star is spreading about her and trying to decide whether to have sex with Jackson.
There is a good message here about learning to listen to yourself. And there's definitely a bunch of topics that parents will be able to discuss with younger teens. But in the end, readers won't be too interested in Mary Jane's voices, or her love story.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about their young teens' expectations about love and sex. What do you think about abstinence pledges? Also, why is it that girls often become victims of sexual rumors? Why do girls call one another sluts? Have you heard any of these rumors at your school?
Book Details
- Author: Dandi Daley Mackall
- Genre: Coming of Age
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Dutton Children's Books
- Publication date: January 18, 2007
- Number of pages: 240
- Last updated: September 15, 2015
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