This is a review of the three book "sort of trilogy." Millicent Min, Girl Genius, Stanford Wong Flunks Big Time, and So Totally Emily Ebers

It's a trilogy in a way. The three books go together. But they can be read in any order, and if you read only one or two, you still have complete stories. Each book is told in first person by the title character. The three books take place during the same time frame, the summer before 7th grade for Stanford and Emily. (Millicent is the same age, 12, but she is about to finish high school.) Each character is telling his or her own story, but because the three know each other, there are episodes that overlap in two or three of the books. Then you have the same events being told from a different character's perspective.

All three characters are sympathetic and very likable, though each has their own demons and character weaknesses to conquer.

Millicent is afraid her mother is dying, and her beloved grandmother is planning to leave the country for a while to study feng shui in England. She has never had a friend her own age, because her exceptional intelligence scares people off. She doesn't know how to relate to kids her own age. She needs a friend. During the summer, she becomes friends with Emily Ebers, and if forced against her will to tutor the dim witted (in her opinion) Stanford Wong. Stanford and Emily meanwhile fall head over heels in love with each other.

Stanford is afraid his parents are going to get a divorce, and nothing he does is ever enough to please his dad. He has a huge crush on the new girl in town, Emily Ebers, but he has to pass English in Summer School or he fails 6th grade. Hence, tutoring by Millicent. He is obsessed with basketball, and is a star player. His group of friends includes one jerk, who gets his comeuppance in the end. Stanford's fearsome English teacher turns out to be different than he originally thought as well.

Emily has just moved to town with her newly divorced mother. She is angry with her mother about the divorce, and her story is told in diary entries addressed to her Dad, who is an aging rock musician trying to recapture his glory days, reviving his old band and going on tour during the summer. He never calls, and only occasionally sends her a postcard. Meanwhile she gets a close friend in Millicent, and a crush on Stanford, but she is also longing to join the popular clique, led by frequently obnoxious Julie.

Each of the three learns valuable lessons in non-preachy ways. You will root for them all. (For the young reader audience the Millicent Min book may be slightly less appealing. It's just as good of a book, but most kids will not relate to a 12 year old about to graduate high school as well as a 12 year old coping with divorce and moving or a 12 year old coping with failing school and lack of acceptance by his father.) ( )

Reviewed by Audrey for TeensReadToo.com

SO TOTALLY EMILY EBERS follows the adventures of eleven-year-old Emily, who has to move from Allendale, New Jersey, to Rancho Rosetta, California. Since her parents are divorced, she has to move across the country with her mom, while her dad stays behind in New Jersey.

When she thinks nothing good can come out of the volleyball classes her mom signs her up for, something does. She meets Millicent Min. Millie, as she calls her, also was forced to take the lessons. Emily and Millie never run out of things to say, but when Millie lies to Emily, she starts hanging around with the popular girls. They tell her to go on a diet and give her a makeover, but that isn't the girl her mother (or her friends) knows.

Emily's mom, Alice, just wants to be a part of her daughter's life, but Emily wants to be alone, especially when Alice starts dating the town police officer. She hates her for making her leave her dad. She gets angry when she calls her dad's house and some lady answers. At first, she thinks she must have the wrong number, but suddenly she hears her dad's voice in the background. She quickly hangs up, but is sad that her parents have moved on from each other.

How will she start a new school this fall without her old friends, who called to say they were having a great time without her? Why did Millie have to lie to her? Why can't her parents just get back together? Will Emily's life ever settle down and get back to normal?

SO TOTALLY EMILY EBERS is another great read in Lisa Yee's series, following the release of MILLICENT MIN, GIRL GENIUS and STANFORD WONG FLUNKS BIG-TIME. ( )

Citation:
Yee, Lisa. So Totally Emily Ebers Levine, 2004

Annotation:
This is a story about a twelve year old girl whose parents are getting a divorce and she is moving to a new state with her mother. Emily Ebers decides to keep a daily journal of letters to her father when she moves. She writes daily entries about her move with her mom and how her life is going to be different. Emily learns what its like to make new friends, as well as what it will be like to start a new school. She also comes to terms with her parents divorce and learns that some of the details of the divorce were not what she originally thought, and develops a new perspective on her relationships with her parents.

Age/grade:
I would recommend this book to teenage girls, 12-15 years old who like read stories they can relate to. This book is appropriate for this age group because it deals a lot with realistic issues of friendships, family issues, and what its like to move to a new city. The text in this book is for older and fluent readers, the chapters are longer and the book is all text with no illustrations. This book is also appropriate for girls this age group because it touches on how to deal with peer pressures of fitting in with the “cool” crowd, as well as standing up for what you believe in and standing up for your friends. It also discusses how you know if someone is truly a good friend and what makes someone a good friend.
Description of how to use book:
I would use this book to help a teenage girl deal with adolescent issues. I would give this book to a teenage girl whose family is going through a divorce or if they just move to a new city. Then I would offer myself as someone the child could talk to about what is going on or help them set up counseling in school to help them deal with the issues going on. I think this book is entertaining and realistic in how a teenage girl would deal with these issues, and would be a good example to share with a student that shows other people go through these types of issues.

Description of artwork:
This chapter book did not contain any artwork or illustrations.