Who Moved My Cheese? for Teens
by Spencer Johnson
Published 2002 by Putnam Publishing Group

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 0399240071

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Jacket Notes:

Written with a hip, teen-friendly design, this adaptation of the business bestseller "Who Moved My Cheese?" helps adolescents deal with changes in their lives. Line drawings.

REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly 09/30/2002

Spencer Johnson, M.D., adapts his bestselling adult title for a teenage audience, in Who Moved My Cheese? for Teens. Here a teenage student presents the parable (identical to that featured in the adult version) in the high school cafeteria: two mice and two "Littlepeople" (Hem and Haw) who search for cheese in a maze and react to change in distinctly different ways ("The Cheese stands for whatever's important to you like getting on a team, having a boyfriend or girlfriend, getting into college..."). In a concluding discussion, the friends apply the parable to specific situations in their lives. The author's message about the importance of anticipating, accepting and using change to improve one's life can surely benefit this audience. (Oct.)

01/01/2003 REVIEW: School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-This version of the author's adult title contains the basic parable, but in a much simpler format, almost bordering on a chapter book. In this version, several teens have heard that their school is changing to a three-semester program because of overcrowding, and they react to the news in a variety of ways. Unconcerned, Chris laughs, which prompts his friends to find out why he is so upbeat. He relates a story about two mice, Sniff and Scurry, and two "Littlepeople," Hem and Haw, who search a maze every day for what they need. When the "Cheese" is gone, the mice go in search of more, but the others react differently. There are full-page inserts of one-sentence homilies such as, "The Quicker You Let Go of Old Cheese, The Sooner You Find New Cheese," and spot illustrations of the characters. While the message about the importance of adapting to change is inherent in this book, the almost childlike approach may turn off teens.-Jana R. Fine, Clearwater Public Library System, FL

Publisher's Marketing Text:

Spencer Johnson's Johnson's Who Moved My Cheese? has helped millions of people around the world adapt and succeed in changing times. Now Dr. Johnson introduces his simple parable to teen readers--an audience whose lives are chock full of change--and provides a teen discussion section to address the unique problems that teenagers face every day. A group of friends are discussing a difficult change in their class schedule. To help them out, Chris tells the story of Who Moved My Cheese?, where four characters--Hem, Haw, Sniff, and Scurry--search through a maze for Cheese, a metaphor for what you want to have in life. As they find and lose the Cheese, some of the characters learn to move with the Cheese and discover how to deal with change. After Chris finishes the story, the friends discuss how it applies to the changes they all face, such as doing well at school, divorce, relationships or just feeling good about one's self, and how they might react more positively in the future. Using simple language and engaging characters to which any teen can relate, Who Moved My Cheese? for Teens offers a wonderful and entertaining way to get teens talking about the changes in their lives and provides insight that will last a lifetime.

Best Foot Forward
by Joan Bauer
Published 2005 by Putnam Publishing Group

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 0399234748

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Jacket Notes:

The Newbery Honor author pens this companion to her "New York Times" bestseller, "Rules of the Road." Here she tells a funny and poignant story about honesty, self-esteem, the demands of loyalty, and the redemptive power of "sole."

REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly 05/30/2005

Lots of teenage girls go crazy for shoes, but 16-year-old Jenna Boller is gaga for the shoe business--especially as it's run by her employer and role model Madeline Gladstone, matriarch of Gladstone Shoes. In this fittingly kicky companion to Rules of the Road, readers accompany Jenna on a personal and professional journey that leaves her standing taller than ever in her Rolling Walkers. The road to a job well done is littered with detours, however. Bauer takes Jenna emotionally deeper here, as the heroine struggles in her home life--she is trying to accept her now-absent alcoholic father and be supportive of her mother and younger sister--and these challenges are always on her mind, even as things get especially chaotic at work. Gladstone's recent merger with a larger company is fraught with problems and Jenna finds herself helping to untangle an unpleasant web of corporate corruption. She must also micromanage (at Mrs. Gladstone's insistence) a new hire who once shoplifted shoes from the store. That leaves little time for having fun or for exploring a budding romance with Charlie from the local doughnut shop. But in Bauer's sure hand, Jenna's compassion and burgeoning confidence bubble up when she needs them most and slowly harden into a solid, likeable core. The teen's efforts to put her best foot forward pay off in ways she couldn't imagine. And via vivid characterizations, crisp, believable dialogue and some exciting scenarios, Bauer keeps her fans hooked for an entertaining ride. Ages 12-up. (June)

06/01/2005 REVIEW: School Library Journal

Gr 7-10 -Teens who followed Jenna's journey from Chicago to Texas and back again in Rules of the Road (Putnam, 1998) will be thrilled with this sequel. The 17-year-old still likes to be in control (surely she must be a Capricorn), but she's thrown for a loop when her elderly employer, Mrs. Gladstone, hires a young man caught stealing from the shoe store where she works and appoints Jenna as his supervisor. The teen is still dealing with many issues in her own life, including an alcoholic father and a beloved grandmother whose Alzheimer's disease is progressing. Just as it seems that her life is as complicated as she can handle, she discovers that Mrs. Gladstone's son has been secretly utilizing unethical overseas labor tactics to cut costs and downgrade the quality of the shoes. Bauer's strength in characterization is amply evident here. Teens will enjoy Jenna's emotional growth and root for her tentative romance with Charlie, the donut king. For continuity, however, it is necessary to read Rules of the Road first as Best Foot Forward does not stand as surefootedly on its own.-Susan Riley, Mount Kisco Public Library, NY

Guitar Girl
by Sarra Manning
Published 2004 by Dutton Children's Books

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 0525472347

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Jacket Notes:

Seventeen-year-old Molly Montgomery never planned on becoming famous. Starting a band with her best mates was just a way to have some fun. But when the group is joined by a charismatic bad-boy, things start happening.

REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly 03/08/2004

Manning's first novel may be predictable, but Molly Montgomery's compelling voice will pull in readers as she chronicles her quick rise to pop star fame with her British band, The Hormones. Though the premise shares some similarity with this season's Pop Princess by Rachel Cohn, this novel delves into the dynamics of band life. As the book opens, Molly explains that she is "nineteen years old, and... being sued" by her record company, and goes on to recount the deceit, disasters and drama that led her to this point. Inspired by her heroine, Ruby X, Molly and her friends want to be part of a "girl revolution" by starting a band. But when two male musicians bully their way in, they improve and quickly get signed by a manager. At first, Molly, the lead singer and main songwriter, battles with her wary parents and the competitive, "jerky" guitarist Dean. But her problems only intensify with the band's success. Readers won't be surprised when Molly and Dean secretly become a couple, her manager shows his true colors, or party-girl bassist Jane lands in the hospital with an overdose. But the audience will be swept along; as Molly faces embarrassing interviews, competition with her bandmates and grueling bus rides on tour, she finds it "harder and harder to remember the pure intentions I'd had when we started the band." Her sympathetically na ve voice belies the hard exterior she wears like armor. Materials such as magazine articles and reviews are embedded throughout, adding fun diversion as well as authenticity. Ages 12-up. (Apr.)

04/01/2004 REVIEW: School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up-Molly, 17, never planned to reach pop stardom. She just enjoyed writing songs and playing music with her friends, Jane and Tara. When they start a rock band called The Hormones, two slightly older guys, T and Dean, maneuver their way into the group, and there is no looking back. Suddenly famous, Molly takes off on tour with the band, performing in England and eventually in the United States. Despite Dean and Molly's frequent confrontations, they fall in love. They have plenty of tender and passionate sex (protection isn't mentioned), until she learns that his motivation for the relationship hasn't been totally honest. Finally determining that rock-star life is less than idyllic, Molly chooses to call it quits, despite lawsuit threats. The story's carefully developed characters and relationships, driven by tuned-in dialogue, make it realistic and compelling. Molly's first-person voice rings clear and true. Like 16-year-old Wonder in Rachel Cohn's Pop Princess (S & S, 2004), she finds herself on a roller-coaster ride through makeovers, alcohol-laden parties, sensationalist critiques, attempts to manage schoolwork, demands of a pushy manager, losing her virginity, and dealing with parents. Wryly funny, often sincere, and sometimes pressed into banshee-like behavior, Molly is endearing in her attempts to reach maturity, sort out what's important, and decide what needs to be left behind.-Diane P. Tuccillo, City of Mesa Library, AZ

Publisher's Marketing Text:

Seventeen-year-old Molly Montgomery never planned on becoming famous. Starting a band with her best mates, Jane and Tara, was just a way to have some fun. But when the group is joined by charismatic bad-boy Dean, things onstage--and backstage--start happening, "fast. Their hand, The Hormones, is front-page news, and their debut album is rocketing up the charts. Molly is the force behind the band--a superstar diva--but the hazards of fame, first love, screaming fans, and sleazy managers are forcing the newly crowned teen queen of grrrl angst close to the edge. Fame never comes for free, and Molly's about to find out what it costs.