Finally

February 1, 2010
Mass revisits Willow Falls (the setting of 11 Birthdays
) for this entertaining treatment of the weeks following Rory Swenson's eagerly anticipated 12th birthday. Upon turning 12, Rory begins working through a list of fervent wishes she's been compiling since she was seven: owning a cellphone, going to the mall without parents, and getting her ears pierced, to name a few. Each wish's fulfillment, however, is predictably accompanied by a minor disaster (an allergic reaction to a gold stud, an unusually aggressive pet bunny). The plot is bolstered by the filming of a movie at Rory's school, starring the “coolest, hottest fourteen-year-old boy in this or any other universe,” with students playing extras. Angelina, the wizened, ageless seer of 11 Birthdays
, appears to Rory early on with a prophetic warning, “You won't get what you want... until you see what you need,” but Rory's wishes are trivial enough to make the final scene of self-discovery fall flat. Though long on page count, the book feels slight, but Rory's chatty, friendly voice and relentless optimism in the face of her many mishaps are heartwarming. Ages 8–12.

Finally, Rory is turning 12, and all the things her parents have been telling her she needs to wait until she's 12 to do are hers to start checking off her list. Kathleen McInerney captures all of Rory's angst and humor as well as the personalities of her overprotective parents, her 3-year-old brother, and her friends. Rory's stream-of-consciousness thoughts when she finally gets to drink coffee and ends up in a caffeine-induced haze are particularly funny. Fortunately for the listener but unfortunately for Rory, accomplishing the rest of the things on her to-do list ends up with similarly disastrous results. Her angst, frustration, humiliation, and excitement will delight both young listeners and their parents. Each voice in the story is distinct and lends a rich fullness to the listening experience. G.G. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine


blossomreader - I got this book for my 12th birthday, and it's amazing! It taught me some lessons. When your the only kid at school without a phone, or a way to chat with friends, you feel left out. When you don't get to go to the mall without your parents or wear makeup or even babysit, you really feel like the odd one out. This is just like Rory Swenson, a girl who can't do any of those things. But that's going to change the very next day, because Rory is turning 12, and her parents promised all of those things for her. They were hoping she would forget about it, but nope! Rory is so excited! But what if turning 12 wasn't the best thing for her? Nothing seems to be going her way, and Rory discovers that there's only one way to fix this: be herself. In this installment in the Willoe Falls series, there is magic, there is excitement, and believe it or not, there is birthdays! I really think you would enjoy this book!