11 Birthdays
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- £3.49
Publisher Description
Welcome to Willow Falls, where everything's possible with a little birthday magic!
On their first birthday, they learned to walk. On their fifth, they planted seeds in handmade pots. On their tenth, they learned there are some words you can never take back.
Amanda's eleventh birthday should be a happy occasion. Instead she'd dressed in an itchy costume her mother picked out for her boring Hollywood-themed party. Meanwhile, across town, her ex-best friend Leo is celebrating their joint birthday with a huge bash including a hypnotist, a football star, a giant iguana, and a band. SO not fair!
Amanda can't wait for the day AFTER her birthday so she can stop thinking about the fight that led her and Leo to have separate parties for the first time in their lives. There's just one problem. The next day is her birthday all over again.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Like a Groundhog Day for middle grade readers, Mass's (Every Soul a Star) winning story features a girl seemingly trapped in her 11th birthday. Amanda seems doomed to relive her failed try-out for the gymnastics team, her mother being fired from her job and, worst of all, the party that even her best friend leaves early to go to the party hosted by her former friend, Leo. The two have celebrated every previous birthday together (they were born on the same day), but a misunderstanding on their 10th has gone unresolved. After several repeats of the day, Amanda and Leo realize they are in this mess together and must work as a team. Girls will relate to Amanda's insecurities, and the confidence and insights she gains will resonate with them. Mass's expertise with pacing keeps the story moving at a lively clip, and her understanding of this age group is as finely honed as ever. Ages 9 12.
