Book Review: Luv Ya Bunches by Lauren Myracle

Genre:
Realistic Fiction, Multiple Perspectives

Interest Level:
Ages 10 and up

Reading Level:
Lexile 710, Grades 3 to 7

Book Theme:
Friendship, peer pressure, bullying, fitting in

Books with Similar Themes:  
The Boys Start the War by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, The Girls Get Even by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Bibliographic Information:
Myracle, M. (2009). Luv Ya Bunches. New York: Amulet Books.

About the Author:
http://www.abramsbooks.com/flowerpowerbooks/bio.html

Plot:  
Luv Ya Bunches is the story of four fifth graders, all name after flowers, who are trying to fit in, make friends, and make sense of their crazy fifth grade lives. Yasamean, a young Muslim girl, longs to make friends. Katie-Rose, a know-it-all half Asian and half white girl longs to be friends with Milla, who was her friend at camp but has now gone back to the popular crowd. Milla longs to get away from bossy popular girls Modessa and Quin. And Violet, the new African American girl, longs find her place in her new school, and finds herself joining the popular clique. The story takes place over the course of a week starting on the first day of school. All sorts of crazy things happen, like Katie-Rose and Yasamean becoming friends, Violet's feeling guilty for stealing Milla's good luck wooden turtle and trying to get in back to her, and Milla's mad hunt for the turtle. Meanwhile, Modessa and Quin are becoming unbearable, which brings the four girls together for a daring plan to give a girls a taste of their own medicine!

Review:  
Luv Ya Bunches is a hilarious and fun story with unique and unforgettable characters all dealing with the ups and downs of school life. All of them long for acceptance and friendships, something tweens will definitely understand. Tweens will love the funny moments in the story, such as Katie-Rose discovering what the word dingleberry means, Katie-Rose catching their classmate on tape picking her nose, and several of the girls hearing a classmate accidentally giving an X-rated report in front of the entire class. Tweens will love the technological references to things like IMing, Facebook, and cellphones. Tweens will also cheer when the four girls get even with the popular ones.  It's a great book for reluctant readers or tweens who want to read a different format from the books they typically read in school. Luv Ya Bunches is modern, witty, and just all-around enjoyable, and book that tweens will love!