My Head Is Full of Books: Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Cohn and Levithan

"Outside a dog a book is man's best friend, inside a dog it is too dark to read!" -Groucho Marx========="The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid." -Jane Austen========="I don’t believe in the kind of magic in my books. But I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book."-JK Rowling========"I spend a lot of time reading." -Bill Gates=========“Ahhh. Bed, book, kitten, sandwich. All one needed in life, really.” -Jacqueline Kelly=========

Friday, December 31, 2010

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Cohn and Levithan

“I’ve left some clues for you. If you want them, turn the page. If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.” So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the New York Times bestselling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist, Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York?-from Goodreads

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares is a sweet and thoughtful story of two teens who find themselves alone at Christmas, both ripe for adventure and romance. The chapters alternate between Dash and Lily. My favorite parts of the story were the things that both of the teens wrote in the red moleskin journal about their thoughts and dreams. Both are lovers of the written word, as am I, and they articulate their thoughts well. Parts of the story seem too easy/silly/far-fetched/unrealistic but I did appreciate that the kids each recognized that a romance started this way may not flourish and, at the same time, had family and other friends that needed tending.

I think that this book will resonate with other teens and I hope that they will want to read it at other times of the year than just during the holidays. I know I will be recommending it to my library patrons the minute I get back from break.