Reviews for Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell in Love

The average rating for Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell in Love based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2009-06-21 00:00:00 Kazuaki Yamada Kicked off my 48 Hour Book Challenge. Both Emma-Jean books are cozy little meditations on what it takes to be a good friend, how to build your self-confidence, and how to pay attention to the world around you. I really like that Emma-Jean could be read as a person on the autism spectrum, or she could just be a girl with a different kind of mind, but Tarshis doesn't force a diagnosis on the character and make the book A. Very Important Book. About Autism. The books are full of moments like this: "And from way up there, the world around her looked huge, and her school looked so small, and she got this idea-a whispery, feathery idea-that one day she wouldn't be in middle school, and maybe then she wouldn't be so worried every single minute." (In fact, I like Colleen, the character who thinks that, and the absolutely ordinary foil to Emma-Jean's quirkiness, the best. She's a remarkably well-drawn picture of quotidian anxiety.) And I love the quote from Poincare that is a perfect grace note to both books: "It is by logic that we prove, but it is in the heart that we discover life's possibilities."

Review # 2 was written on 2009-04-29 00:00:00 Randy Scaggs If you were as charmed by the first Emma-Jean Lazarus book as I was, then you want to make sure to pick up this second novel. Remembering what went wrong when she tried to help Colleen before, Emma-Jean is amazed when Colleen comes to her and asks for help again. Emma-Jean now has a little group of friends in her 7th-grade class but she is much more comfortable observing them from afar than being in their midst. When shown the unsigned love note that Colleen found in her locker, Emma-Jean is immediately drawn into solving the mystery. But Emma-Jean is distracted by this strange fluttery feeling whenever Will Keeler walks by. What could be wrong with her? And will she be able to concentrate long enough to figure out this puzzle? I adore Emma-Jean. She is quirky, wildly intelligent, and entirely herself. Even better, she doesn't really understand or care that others find her odd. She does know that she isn't like the other girls who smell of daisies and bubble gum. But at the same time, she is not filled with a yearning to be anything but true to herself. Very refreshing in a heroine this age! Tarshis' writing is filled with sensory touches. We know what things smell like, sound like, feel like. This draws readers deeper into the story and offers surprising insight into characters and situations. The writing is deft, interesting and never dull. An ideal novel for those who enjoyed the first, this book is strong enough to stand on its own. Tweens ages 10-13 will enjoy both novels and both are ideal for classroom readalouds and ripe with things to discuss.