Sunday, February 1, 2009

Book Review: 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

Rule #1: You may bring only what fits in your backpack. Don't try to fake it with a purse or carry-on.
Rule #2: You may not bring guidebooks, phrase books, or any kind of foregin language aid. And no journals.
Rule #3: You cannot bring extra money or credit/debit cards, travelers' checks, etc. I'll take care of all of that.
Rule #4: No electronic crutches. This means no laptop, no cell phone, no music, and no camera. You can't call home or communicate with people in the U.S. by Internet or telephone. Postcards and letters are acceptable and encouraged.

Seventeen year-old Ginny Blackstone leads a fairly ordinary life up until the day she receives an envelope from her free-spirited, artistic (and recently deceased) Aunt Peg. The envelope, which is the first of 13 total, contains detailed instructions for Ginny, including picking up a package from a Chinese restaurant in New York and then taking a plane to London. She is to follow the strict instructions left in each envelope very closely. The envelopes are to be opened one at a time, and she can only proceed to the next one when she has successfully completed the task in the previous one. Sometimes the letters are very clear, but other times they are clouded in mystery, requiring Ginny to figure things out for herself.

For a shy, un-worldly girl, each of the 13 envelopes hold for her a challenge. As a result, Ginny slowly begins to discover how much adventure she is capable of withstanding and at the same time she discovers the true identity of the aunt she thought she knew all these years.

This is a fabulous story of adventure, self-discovery, romance and summer-time travel across Europe.

0 comments:

Enter your email address to receive updates about new blog posts:

Delivered by FeedBurner