Just Another Girl by Melody Carlson

ISBN: 978-0-8007-3257-8; Price $12.99, Pages 224, Publication Date: January 9, 2009,
Published by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, Fiction, Paperback

Award-winning author Melody Carlson has written over two hundred books mostly for
teens. She has a strong teen following with her Diary of a Teenage Girl series, the
TrueColors series, and the Carter House Girls series. Just Another Girl is a funny and
heartfelt look at three sisters, especially one who feels stuck in the middle, named Aster.

Aster is 17 and longs for a normal life. Rose is her sister, who is 2 years older, and is a
self-centered girl who seemingly has it all. Lily was born two years after Aster and has
mental disabilities. Mom and dad divorced when the children were very young. Mom
was forced to work long hours to support the family and the children had to take over
many of the household duties including care of Lily.

One day around Aster’s 10th birthday, mom decided that since Lily liked Aster so much,
Aster would be her sister’s caretaker. The challenges and struggles this young girl faced
were quite remarkable in caring for Lily who is now 15 and has the mind of a 5 year old.
The knowledge, love, and devotion given Lily seem far beyond a 17 year old’s ability.

Aster prays for help from God to guide her mom and dad to act like adults in caring for
Lily. Aster wants a life of her own and to be a normal teenager. She devises a scheme
to get her parents more involved in Lily’s life. The story then becomes very interesting
with difficulties affecting the whole family. Teens will enjoy the many obstacles Aster
encounters, like hanging out with friends, dating, and still taking care of her sister.
Melody Carlson shows how dealing with family problems and a disabled loved one can
be emotionally and physically draining. Working together and trusting in God brings
positive results for this family. This lighthearted story packs a big punch and encourages
teens to do the right thing, even though life seems complicated. This is a great book that
shows teens a smart way to overcome life’s adversities. Many cannot wait for Melody’s
next book!

= 30 =

Publisher Weekly Best Selling Books:

Week of December 22, 2008

Fiction

1 Scarpetta. Cornwell, Patricia;

Putnam, $27.95. ISBN 9780399155161.
2 The Christmas Sweater. Glenn Beck;
Threshold Books, $19.99. ISBN 9781416594857.
3 Cross Country. James Patterson;
Little, Brown, $27.99. ISBN 9780316018722.
4 The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. David Wroblewski;
Ecco, $25.95. ISBN 9780061374227.
5 The Host. Stephenie Meyer;
Little, Brown, $25.99. ISBN 9780316068048.

Non-Fiction

1 The Last Lecture. Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow;

Hyperion, $21.95. ISBN 9781401323257.
2 Dewey. Vicki Myron with Bret Witter;
Grand Central, $19.99. ISBN 9780446407410.
3 Outliers. Malcolm Gladwell;
Little, Brown, $27.99. ISBN 9780316017923.
4 American Lion. Meacham, Jon;
Random House, $30. ISBN 9781400063253.
5 The Purpose of Christmas. Rick Warren;
Howard Books, $17.95. ISBN 9781416559009.

Are there any books you would like reviewed? This column will find those which are
of special interest for your reading pleasure. Visit Clark Isaacs at
http://clarkisaacs.ning.com and tell him what you would like to have him write about.
Do you want a copy of “Just Another Girl? Visit Clark Isaacs’s website and enter
the random drawing for the book that was reviewed.

http://clarkisaacs.ning.com

Send an email at the website and ask for the book or to clarkisaacs@dishmail.net.

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dberon@BakerPublishingGroup.com