11 Birthdays (Willow Falls Series #1)

by Wendy Mass

Overview

This hilarious novel from award-winning author Wendy Mass is now available on audio.

NARRATOR: Kathleen McInerney

FORMAT: 4 CDs, Unabridged

It's Amanda's 11th birthday and she is super excited—-after all, 11 is so different from 10. But from the start, everything goes wrong. The worst part of it all is that she and her best friend, Leo, with whom she's shared every birthday, are on the outs and this will be the first birthday they have spent apart. When Amanda turns in for the night, glad to have her birthday behind her, she wakes up happy for a new day. Or is it? Her birthday seems to be repeating iself. What is going on?! And how can she fix it? Only time, friendship, and a little luck will tell. . . .

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545202749
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	09/01/2011
Series:	Willow Falls Series , #1
Edition description:	Unabridged
Product dimensions:	5.11(w) x 5.81(h) x 1.07(d)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Wendy Mass is the author of the award-winning books for readers A MANGO-SHAPED SPACE, LEAP DAY, JEREMY FINK AND THE MEANING OF LIFE, HEAVEN LOOKS A LOT LIKE THE MALL, EVERY SOUL A STAR, THE CANDYMAKERS, 11 BIRTHDAYS, FINALLY, and the Twice Upon a Time series. She tells people her hobbies are photography and hiking, but they're really collecting candy bar wrappers and searching for buried treasure with her metal detector. Wendy lives with her family in New Jersey. Visit her at www.wendymass.com.

Editorial Reviews

Like a Groundhog Day for middle grade readers, Mass's (Every Soul a Star) winning story features a girl seemingly trapped in her 11th birthday. Amanda seems doomed to relive her failed try-out for the gymnastics team, her mother being fired from her job and, worst of all, the party that even her best friend leaves early-to go to the party hosted by her former friend, Leo. The two have celebrated every previous birthday together (they were born on the same day), but a misunderstanding on their 10th has gone unresolved. After several repeats of the day, Amanda and Leo realize they are in this mess together and must work as a team. Girls will relate to Amanda's insecurities, and the confidence and insights she gains will resonate with them. Mass's expertise with pacing keeps the story moving at a lively clip, and her understanding of this age group is as finely honed as ever. Ages 9-12. (Jan.)

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Publishers Weekly

In this slow-paced middle-school friendship saga, mildly spiced with a bit of fantasy, readers meet Amanda and Leo, best friends who have spent every birthday together since day one. That is, until their tenth birthday party, at which Amanda happens to overhear Leo talking her down to some classmates. In an extreme overreaction, she flees the party and cuts Leo out of her life. Implausibly, Amanda's grudge endures for an entire year, and she finds herself, stubborn and miserable, celebrating her 11th birthday alone. She muddles through a rotten day only to discover that she has to relive it, literally, over and over. When Amanda learns that Leo is likewise stuck, the former friends join forces, learning that dramatic consequences result from their smallest actions and discovering, in a somewhat contrived conclusion, what an old feud, an enchantment and the apple grove long since replaced by the town mall have to do with their extraordinary friendship. The commendable focus on a boy/girl friendship is somewhat offset by the flatness of the individual characters, particularly Leo. (Fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews

In the small town of Willow Falls, anything can happen, especially if you are Amanda Ellery and Leo Fitzpatrick. Amanda and Leo have been linked since birth. When they were born a mysterious woman told their parents that they would grow up to be best friends and that they should always celebrate their birthdays together. Unfortunately for the two friends, on their tenth birthday they had a falling out and did not speak to each other for over a year. When their eleventh birthday had finally arrived, the day proved disastrous. A curse had revealed itself and they were destined to repeat their birthday over and over. Can these two put their anger aside and figure out how to break the curse or will they be doomed to relive their birthday? Author Wendy Mass has created a story that is fun and witty. Young readers will laugh out loud as they read and wait for the story to unfold. Parents, librarians, and teachers will approve of this clean and fun read for kids. Reviewer: Kristi Bernard; Ages 7 to 12.

Children's Literature - Kristi Bernard