Thirteen (The Winnie Years) - Hardcover

Lauren Myracle is theauthor of many popular books for teens and tweens,including New York Times bestsellers ttyl and ttfn(Abrams). She lives with her family in Fort Collins,Colorado.

Winnie, the endearing heroine of Eleven (2004) and Twelve (2007), has finally turned magic number thirteen. As in the previous titles, each chapter in this latest installment represents one month of Winnie’s life between birthdays. This year, she experiences her first kiss, grows her hair for charity, and learns to stand up for herself when her boyfriend, Lars, pays too much attention to sophisticated “Nose-Ring Girl.” The year ends happily with a heartfelt apology from Lars and the birth of her little sister, Magnolia. Fans of Judy Blume’s and Paula Danziger’s characters will find Winnie’s growing self-awareness and adolescent insecurity comfortingly familiar. Myracle’s secondary characters are exceptionally well drawn, especially Winnie’s siblings and her beleaguered mom, who hasn’t “had a moment to herself in centuries and . . . no longer owns a pair of underwear where the elastic hasn’t popped out of the leg.” This satisfying third chapter in Winnie’s adolescent journey is an essential purchase for any library serving middle-school girls. Grades 6-9. --Jennifer Hubert