Follow the Blue Book

Life isn't neat and tidy. It's like a whole lot of balls of brightly colored wool thrown in a basket, with stray beginnings and endings and possibilities everywhere. Let's follow the blue.

Fifteen-year-old Bec has always been the good girl. Growing up with an eccentric celebrity chef mother and a father who suffers from depression, Bec is used to taking care of her two younger siblings and being labeled "the sensible one." But when Bec's parents decide to take a six-week tour of the U.S., she decides that she is sick of being responsible and is ready for some adventures of her own. She meets a new friend named Jaz, dyes her hair, wins money, throws her first party, and then there's the boy thing...

In this intoxicating novel by award-winning author and poet Brigid Lowry, Bec realizes that maybe she isn't so ordinary after all—and that sometimes it doesn't hurt to, as her mother would say, "lighten up and enjoy the ride."

Amie Rose Rotruck - Children's Literature

When your mom is a celebrity chef and your father suffers from severe depression, sometimes a teenager has to be the sensible one. When Bec's parents leave for an extended vacation in the United States, Bec begins to blossom in ways she never expected. Winning the lottery and meeting not just one, but two cute guys is only the beginning of her adventures. The woman hired to stay with Bec and her siblings turns out to be a help rather than a hindrance to Bec's new adventures, especially once she is rushed to the hospital, leaving the children to fend for themselves. This charming narrative is peppered with Bec's observations and notes, such as recipes for her party. The plot fortunately never crosses the line into the absurd and outrageous, as so many "parents out of town" stories do, but always remains interesting and realistic. Bec's numerous facets shine through at various times in the book, but all are entertaining and sympathetic to readers. 2001, St. Martin's Griffin, Ages 12 up.