Diva Series

Girls Stuff/Girls at Sea

by Sue Lawson

black dog books. Australian, Children’s. Paperback RRP $7.99

Reviewed by Barbara Brown

Girls Stuff and Girls at Sea are the fifth and sixth books in the Diva Series originally printed in 2007 and rereleased this year with new eye catching, silver foil jackets.

The Diva Series follows the adventures of teenager Micky Farrell as she pursues her dream to become a singing star. Each book is a complete story on its own and can be enjoyed independent of reading the complete series.

Within the first few paragraphs of Girls Stuff, the reader learns Mickey was previously in the finals of the Diva singing competition and now is embarking on a new job working as the co-host of a television show called “Girls Stuff TV”.

In Girls at Sea Mickey completes her first real assignment for Girls Stuff TV. Mickey and her co-hosts go to the ocean to whale watch and interview people and along the way she learns about keeping secrets and looking out for your friends.

Both books contain unexpected twists and turns to keep the reader intrigued. There are simple, unpatronising life messages for young girls about friendships and trust. At the end of each book is a quick quiz which is fun. You can find out if you are a good friend or a worry wart.

Diva books are a particularly suited to girls aged 8 to 12 years.

The Reading Stack has reviewed Sue Lawson’s Finding Darcy in Issue 9, August 2008, After in September 2009 and Dare You in October 2010.

http://www.suelawson.com.au/

Dare You

by Sue Lawson

black dog books. Australian, Young Adult. Paperback, rrp $18.99

Guest Reviewer Jo Burnell

Friends Forever: that’s what the ‘happily-ever-after’ stories say. That nothing will change.

Dare You defies the fairy tales. Those who are tired of feel-good stories will be drawn into a very different world. People do change as they grow: especially teenagers.

Ruby, Kaden and Sas have been inseparable since early school years, but in the middle of secondary school things start to change. For a start, Kaden can’t stop thinking about Sas; her hair, her body, the way she moves. Will he dare to explore? What would this mean for Ruby? Can you have a trio when two share things that three can’t?

Everyone wants to stick together and stay the same, but that can hurt more than moving on. Dare You portrays the pain of friendships tearing. Can a dare keep friends from falling apart or does it push them further away? Why do we stay friends? Is it just because? Does there need to be a better reason?

Dare You is not for the faint hearted. Some 15 and 16 years olds might find the dilemmas portrayed uncomfortably close to the truth. Some danger can’t be avoided when it lives in your house, but risky decisions lead to irreversible outcomes. There is little light relief between the pages of Dare You, but life can be like that.
Dare You is a perfect read for 11 to 14 year olds who are on the cusp of their own life changes.

http://www.suelawson.com.au/