Forget Me Not (Life of Willa Havisham Series #1)

by Coleen Murtagh Paratore

Overview

Willa returns in this new stand-alone novel in the WEDDING PLANNER'S DAUGHTER series.

Willa returns in this new adventure for the tween set! It is summer on Cape Cod, where Willa Havisham and Joey Kennelly are enjoying their status as most compatible couple. What does the summer hold? New friends, more books, lazy afternoons, and of course Willa will be busy planning more weddings with her mother, Stella Havisham, the Cape's most famous wedding planner to date!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545094016
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	05/01/2009
Series:	Life of Willa Havisham Series , #1
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.80(d)
Lexile:	HL670L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Coleen Murtagh Paratore is the author of the popular THE WEDDING PLANNER'S DAUGHTER series, which includes most recently, FORGET ME NOT, WISH I MIGHT, and FROM WILLA, WITH LOVE. She is also the author of SUNNY HOLIDAY and SWEET AND SUNNY. The mother of three teenage sons, she lives in upstate New York and on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Visit Coleen online at www.coleenparatore.com.

Editorial Reviews

This nicely written installment in the ongoing life of Willa Havisham addresses Willa's learning about trust and loyalty, not to mention how to plan a wedding and make her mother and stepfather's inn and wedding destination facility more eco-friendly. Her best friend, Tina Belle, is spending more time with Ruby Sivler, a snooty rich girl. Willa is jealous of this, but at the same time, she is getting to know and like Mariel Sanchez better. Willa also is adopted by a golden retriever who swims in from the sea. Willa's mom likes things to be extra neat and tidy, so the idea of a dog does not appeal to her. Willa plans her stepfather's sister's wedding to take place the same day as a huge wedding her mother is organizing, but when the sister, Aunt Ruthie, comes with her fiance, Spruce, things turn a bit sour. Ruthie berates Willa's mom for driving an SUV and Sam for using plastic bags to carry the groceries home. Willa's boyfriend, Joseph, takes her sailing, only to discover that she is terrified of being out on the ocean. He gets angry with her for not trusting him enough to tell him about her fears. There is no shortage of action in this book, making for many changes in Willa and a surprise in the end; which will of course lead to the next installment. I liked the inclusion of all the books Willa reads during the course of the story and the quotes from Ralph Waldo Emerson. One noticeable mistake for me is Willa's continued reference to "stupid baseball" because Joseph is going to Miami, Florida, for a month to work at the Miami Dolphins' training camp. The Miami Dolphins are a football team. Reviewer: Sarah Maury Swan

Children's Literature - Sarah Maury Swan

Gr 6-8

In this latest installment in the life of a wedding planner's daughter, Willa is enjoying summer break on Cape Cod. She has a great boyfriend, a budding new friendship, and her mother is even letting her plan her aunt Ruthie's upcoming wedding. But things are not all perfect. Her best friend, Tina, has become friends with wealthy and popular Ruby. Her boyfriend is leaving for Florida for a month, and the citizens of Bramble are fighting with the Audubon Society over whether their beach should be reserved for an endangered bird habitat or for residents' enjoyment. The story has a few too many subplots, allowing very little room for actual development of any of them, and the author takes on too many issues, many of which are not resolved by the end of the story. Nevertheless, this is a wholesome summer read with a lot of conscience. Each chapter begins with a meaningful quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson, and readers may enjoy exploring books from "Willa's Summer Skinny-Punch Pix List." Although secondary characters and previous situations are loosely explained, this story does not stand alone, and there is a whopping cliff-hanger at the end. Purchase where the other books in the series are popular.-Jessica Marie, Renton Public Library, WA

School Library Journal