If you liked Emma-Jean when she fell out of a tree, you will like her in this sequel by Lauren Tarshis.  Emma-Jean is the same analytical, deliberate kid she was in the first book.  (See my review.)    However Tarshis gave Emma-Jean a new set of problems related to boys and first ‘love’in this second novel.  Only once did Emma-Jean revert to manipulative letter writing, and Tarshis could have, should have left it out.

Emma-Jean and her sweet and paranoid friend, Colleen, are actually equal main characters in both narratives; chapters again alternate between Emma-Jean’s voice and Colleens.  The strength of this second novel by Tarshis is that without being didactic, she has managed to provide a great deal of emotional counseling aimed at middle school girls.  The crushes, cat fights, queen bees, and quarrels with friends in the narrative are all too real and as Emma-Jean and Colleen navigate those waters in their distinct manners, the reader will benefit, I believe.

My concerns with both novels, however, are that the storyline and action are most appropriate for younger middle school students.  But Emma-Jean’s large vocabulary will leave some readers of that age struggling.  This is not necessarily a bad thing – we tend to not stretch our students in the United States enough.  But it is a factor which should be considered when recommending the novel.

Emma-Jean and Colleen are both good hearted girls who stretch and grow in self confidence as the narrative unfolds.  Don’t over-think the deceptively simple plot and I believe you will fall in love with Emma-Jean.  Or at least develop a crush.