Got Milk?
“If there ever was a show called People Who Are Crazy and Need To Have Their Heads Examined, I’d be the very first guest.” - DJ Schwenk
Dairy Queen
Catherine Murdock
Format: Hardcover
Price: $16.00
ISBN: 0618683070
D.J. Schwenk, farm gal to the bone, has been raised under the silence treatment. Simply put: To avoid conflict, don’t discuss it. Having recently taken up milking and haying duties without fuss, DJ is bewildered by her partner-in-farming Brian’s lackadaisical attitude. And Brian, doesn’t know what to make of DJ’s cocooned emotions. After a playing a couple of rounds of my brother does this or my mother does that, the two rivals start a friendship on common ground, football. DJ’s connections allow her to begin coaching Brian for a most intense opening game. Aside from a few underdeveloped twists and bizarre cow analogies, Catherine Murdock’s first novel gracefully contributes to the unfilled tween niche.
Genre: Stubbornness/Football/Farming/Light_Romance
Read-alikes: Judy Blume; Ann Brashares; Meg Cabot; Carolyn Mackler; Prom/Laurie H. Anderson; Three Clams and a Oyster/Randy Powell
Web Goodies: Check out Catherine’s website here.
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Hey, I read this a little while ago and I thought it was great too. I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts on why you call it a tween book, since I think of it more as regular teen or even older teen.
Maureen
Tween vs. Teen:
I promoted this title as befitting a tween due to the nature of the main character DJ. She is at the cusp of adolescence and remains determined, good-hearted, and innocent. While lacking those qualities most ready in a wiley-horomonal teen, DJ does begin to question authority and sameness but with mild actions. I’m not saying that her feelings are any less heated, only that her concern for others keeps her attitude from becoming destructive. Like Ashley in Anderson’s “Prom”, DJ’s personality offers the ya field a healthy dose of normalness.
Thanks Maureen for your interest. There are a few other reasons I had for suggesting this novel as tween rather than teen and I’d be happy to expand if prompted.