AboutMiss Elaine Expertise What book do you recommend? Is this age appropriate? Give me a topic, and I can usually recommend a great book. Want to start a book club? I can help. Behind in reading? I can recommend books that are age appropriate but easier reading level so you don't get frustrated.
Experience I am an Elementary School Librarian, have been for 6 years. I love to read and introduce young people to the love of a good book. I have hosted many book clubs some with young people and some with young people and their parents.
Organizations Friends of the Library Advisory Board,
ALA, Moms with Magic Wands
Question Can't remember the title of a teen book I read in the '80's & it's driving me crazy, can anyone help?
In the book the main character is a city girl who lives with her mother. The mother gets a job transfer & they have to move to a small town. I think the towns name was Suffington. I recall the girl writing a poem called "Suffering in Suffington". Initially she dreads going to school with small town people but she becomes very popular because of her fashion sense & being the new girl. I remember her having an edgy haircut, three piercings in her ears and wore lipgloss and make up that the girls all loved. She made friends with some girls but ended up not hanging out with them much when she became the girlfriend of the star football player ( I think his name was Eddie). This made her extremely popular. Also in the book she live next door to a spooky house that all of the towns kids were afraid to go to. They told spook tales about the lady that lived there for no one had ever seen her. The main character feels someone watching her through her bedroom window from the lady's house everytime she tries to see who it is the curtain closes. She tells her mother and her mother says that its probably just the little old lady curious about the new neighbors and encourages her to go over and introduce herself. The girl eventually does even though she is afraid. It turned out that the lady was very nice just afraid to come out because of the town changing and the ways of the new generation of kids. The two become great friends and even develop a special knock to allow the old lady to know its the girl at the door. I think the old lady's name was Mrs. Suffington. The girl is riding high on being the most popular, best dressed girl in town & the boyfriend enjoys showing her off. That is until another new city girl moves to town & everyone starts to flock to her. She is well dressed, has three piercings in each ear and an edgy hair cut. I think her name may have been Mimi. The main characters boyfriend breaks up with her and takes his letterman jacket back and starts dating the new girl. The main character is in the restroom crying when she overhears the girls she thought was her friends talking about her. That she got what she deserved because she thought she was more than everybody else because she came from the city and had nice clothes. They were sick of hearing about her missing where she was from and that they were only hanging out with her because the football player was their friend. Sometime at the end of the book the girls wins a writing contest at the school and shows up with her mom and the little old lady. Everyone is surprised to see the little old lady and curious to know about her. She turns out to be the oldest living resident of the town. She and the main character continue being friends and the little old lady starts to allow herself back in to society. The main character although not as popular as she once was regains some of her friends.
I think the cover of the book has the main character & the football boyfriend on it. The girl has short sandy blonde hair, mini skirt, etc... I think the guy has on a green and white letterman jacket. He has dark hair and blue eyes.
I kept this book for many years but somehow it eventually got lost in the shuffle. I would love to repurchase it for a new generation to read it.
Please help me remember the title of this book. It’s not Elena’s Song. It has been driving me absolutely insane. If there is anyone who remembers please answer I would be most grateful.
Answer Ashley,
I have asked several people that were teens in the 80's and none of us can remember a book like you describe. I would like to know what book it is myself, if it made such an impression on you. Good Luck finding this book, and sorry I couldn't help you out.
