13 Little Blue Envelopes
by Maureen Johnson
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Book Summary Information
Author: Maureen JohnsonEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Published)
Format: Bargain Price
Published: 2006-10-01
ISBN: N/A
Number of pages: 352
Publisher: HarperTeen
Book Reviews of 13 Little Blue Envelopes
Book Review: from missprint.wordpress.com
Summary: 4 Stars
Rule #1: You may bring only what fits in your backpack. Don't try to fake it with a purse or a carry-on.
Rule #2: You may not bring guidebooks, phrase books, or any kind of foreign language aid. And no journals.
Rule #3: You cannot bring extra money or credit/debit cards, traveler's checks, etc.
Rule #4: No electronic crutches. This means no laptop, no cell phone, no music, and no camera. You can't call home or communicate with people in the U.S. by Internet or telephone. Postcards and letters are acceptable and encouraged.
The rules were straightforward, sent to Ginny Blackstone in the first of thirteen letters from her eccentric Aunt Peg. Ginny is used to her aunt's whims and willing to play along because Aunt Peg is the only person in the world who can make Ginny seem interesting--even if it is just by association.
The letters will take Ginny to England and across Europe on an adventure that starts in the hope of understanding her wayward aunt. Along the way she'll get a behind-the-scenes tour of Harrod's from one of the store's employees, meet artist/sometimes-thief Keith Dobson, and encounter youth hostels of various ilks. She will also karaoke. At the end of the summer, Ginny might discover she's more interesting than she thought--all because of those 13 Little Blue Envelopes (2005) by Maureen Johnson.
Broken into chapters and separate headings for each envelope, this is a fast read that still has a lot of depth. The cover, along with some of Johnson's other covers, is sometimes slammed for having a semi-headless, midriff-bearing girl on the cover. All the same, I love it. Not so much because it's indicative of the story but of the novel's overall vibe.
Equal parts travelogue, comedy, and Bildungsroman 13 Little Blue Envelopes is jam-packed with excitement and appeal. It's also a book about an ordinary girl discovering that sometimes just being herself can be extraordinary enough. Ginny is a persistent, resilient narrator that readers will be cheering for throughout this (sometimes) madcap novel.
Johnson is also working on a sequel called The Last Little Blue Envelope with a projected publication date in 2011.
Possible Pairings: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, Howard's End by E. M. Forster, North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley, Kitty Kitty by Michele Jaffe, Jungle Crossing by Sydney Salter
Summary of 13 Little Blue Envelopes
Inside little blue envelope 1 are $1,000 and instructions to buy a plane ticket.
In envelope 2 are directions to a specific London flat.
The note in envelope 3 tells Ginny: Find a starving artist.
Because of envelope 4, Ginny and a playwright/thief/ bloke?about?town called Keith go to Scotland together, with somewhat disastrous?though utterly romantic?results. But will she ever see him again?
Everything about Ginny will change this summer, and it's all because of the 13 little blue envelopes.
Ages 12+
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