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The Sweetheart of Prosper County
This year, Austin Gray is going to wave to the crowd from the hood of a shiny pickup truck in the annual No-Jesus Christmas Parade, and finally show the town bully that she’s got what it takes to be the Sweetheart of Prosper County! Austin will do almost anything to become Sweetheart, including joining the Future Farmers of America and raising an animal—a rooster with an a...more
Paperback, 240 pages
Published
August 31st 2010
by Square Fish
(first published September 1st 2009)
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3.5***
Austin Gray is nearly 15 years old, and tired of just watching the parade; she wants to be one of the “hood ornaments” who ride in the parade, perched atop a shiny new pick-up truck and waving to her adoring public. She figures if she’s crowned next year’s Sweetheart, the town bully will finally have to stop targeting her. With the support of her best friend, Maribel, she decides to join the Future Farmers of America and vie for the title. The first step is to convince her mom to give her...more
Austin Gray is nearly 15 years old, and tired of just watching the parade; she wants to be one of the “hood ornaments” who ride in the parade, perched atop a shiny new pick-up truck and waving to her adoring public. She figures if she’s crowned next year’s Sweetheart, the town bully will finally have to stop targeting her. With the support of her best friend, Maribel, she decides to join the Future Farmers of America and vie for the title. The first step is to convince her mom to give her...more
The Sweetheart of Prosper County, by Jill S. Alexander, is a light, warm, eye-opening book. Set in a small Texas town, Austin Gray narrates her transformation into confidence. The positive, skinny, curious girl wants nothing more than to stand up to the county bully and get her mother to open up about her father, who passed away in a tragic accident a few years earlier.
The book opens up highlighting the key points of the story: Dean Ottmer attacking Austin with insults, and Austin admiring Sundi...more
The book opens up highlighting the key points of the story: Dean Ottmer attacking Austin with insults, and Austin admiring Sundi...more
Alexander's breezy book is narrated by Austin, a freshman who decides that the best way to protect herself from the school and town bully is to become the Future Farmer's of America's (FFA) Sweetheart in the "No-Jesus Christmas Parade." She creates a plan to become The Sweetheart of Prosper County.
Austin's life is overshadowed by the death of her father when she was in the third grade. Her mother refuses to celebrate Christmas and is overprotective of Austin. But, her mother isn't a wilting flow...more
Austin's life is overshadowed by the death of her father when she was in the third grade. Her mother refuses to celebrate Christmas and is overprotective of Austin. But, her mother isn't a wilting flow...more
Dec 20, 2011
Jules
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Girls who live vicariously through their love of chickens
Recommended to Jules by:
My Psychology teacher
I don't normally choose to read things like this, in fact, I avoid them at all costs. If it doesn't have any of the three M's (murder, mystery, or magic) then no thank you! But this was given to me by my psychology teacher. Maybe she's trying to tell me to be more girly? (Feh, yea right!)
This book was whiny, sappy, corny, b*tchy, pointless, and just plain stupid. I read until chapter 10, got incredibly bored of the storyline, and skipped to the end to see how it played out. Needless to say, the...more
This book was whiny, sappy, corny, b*tchy, pointless, and just plain stupid. I read until chapter 10, got incredibly bored of the storyline, and skipped to the end to see how it played out. Needless to say, the...more
1 like · like · see review
The Sweetheart of Prosper County was such a lighthearted and heartfelt novel. I know lately I've been using cooking metaphors for my reviews but this reminded me of homemade cookies. With each ingredient being important and made special. The author put so much of her experience into the novel. I learned so much, like, I had no idea what grappling was until this novel. And I didn't know having a rooster as a pet could be so cool.
The characters in this novel were unforgettable. At the core of this...more
The characters in this novel were unforgettable. At the core of this...more
Mar 12, 2010
Meg
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-in-2010,
young-adult
Sweet story, but I expected to feel a little bit more.
The Sweetheart Of Prosper County is a glimpse of life for one teenage girl struggling with the grief she feels over losing her father years before and her desire to become something more than what she is: a quiet, almost-friendless loner who spends her time working at her mother’s hardware shop or hanging out with Maribel, her best friend. Her rooster, a gift from a local Creole man named Mr. Bourdreaux, adds a new dimension to her otherwise...more
The Sweetheart Of Prosper County is a glimpse of life for one teenage girl struggling with the grief she feels over losing her father years before and her desire to become something more than what she is: a quiet, almost-friendless loner who spends her time working at her mother’s hardware shop or hanging out with Maribel, her best friend. Her rooster, a gift from a local Creole man named Mr. Bourdreaux, adds a new dimension to her otherwise...more
This book taught me alot about being yourselve and never giving up on what you believe in. When I read this book I related to it so much and not just because I;m country but because I get made fun of alot and my country accent sticks out lke a sore thumb giving kids someone to tease. Most of the time I don't let it bother me because i know that this is who I am and they just make fun of me cause they might be jealous. I love talking the way i talk cause it reminds me of my family and where I com...more
1 like · like · see review
Jan 15, 2012
Mrs. ReaderPants
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
texas-authors,
read-in-2012
More reviews at http://readerpants.blogspot.com. For full review of this including content notes and status in my library, please visit my blog.
WHAT I LIKED: The characters depicted in this diverse, small town community remind me a little of Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts. For unique voice, setting, and character development, I give Jill Alexander major props. Reading Sweetheart makes me want to move from my big Texas city to a small Texas town. The people in the town are certainly interesti...more
WHAT I LIKED: The characters depicted in this diverse, small town community remind me a little of Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts. For unique voice, setting, and character development, I give Jill Alexander major props. Reading Sweetheart makes me want to move from my big Texas city to a small Texas town. The people in the town are certainly interesti...more
Oct 20, 2010
Karen Keyte
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
tween,
teen-girls-realistic
This sweet story of learning to live with the tough parts of life centers on Austin Gray, a girl who has known more than her share of heartache. Austin’s Daddy died when she was only eight and her Momma has never really gotten over him. Austin would like to talk about Daddy, but it’s one subject Momma will not discuss. Making Austin’s life a hundred times more difficult is her bully of a neighbor, Dean Otmer. Austin has been a favorite target of Dean’s cruel jokes since fourth grade and it’s not...more
This is my pink/purple girly realistic fluffy regional book for booktalks in a month or two. Just over 200 pages, strong cover, nice structure, great depictions of hispanic culture. I wrote the booktalk (which feels really solid) when I was only a few chapters in.
Austin has grown up in a small town in Texas. Targeted by a bully, she decides to try to become the "Sweetheart" for the Future Farmers of America chapter at her high school for the Christmas parade. This is supposed to make him no lon...more
Austin has grown up in a small town in Texas. Targeted by a bully, she decides to try to become the "Sweetheart" for the Future Farmers of America chapter at her high school for the Christmas parade. This is supposed to make him no lon...more
The Sweetheart of Prosper County
by Jill S. Alexander
Austin wants nothing more than to be a hood ornament in the town Christmas parade; or, as they say in Prosper, the no-Jesus parade, since apparently Jesus has been temporarily banned from Prosper's Christmas festival (huh?). At any rate, Austin just knows that Dean Ottmer will stop poking fun at her flat chest and toothpick legs if she gets to be the FFA Sweetheart. But before she can be voted Sweetheart, she has to raise a blue-ribbon creatur...more
by Jill S. Alexander
Austin wants nothing more than to be a hood ornament in the town Christmas parade; or, as they say in Prosper, the no-Jesus parade, since apparently Jesus has been temporarily banned from Prosper's Christmas festival (huh?). At any rate, Austin just knows that Dean Ottmer will stop poking fun at her flat chest and toothpick legs if she gets to be the FFA Sweetheart. But before she can be voted Sweetheart, she has to raise a blue-ribbon creatur...more
Austin Gray is tired of watching the "No-Jesus Christmas Parade" go by every year with her standing on the sidelines. She decides that next year will be her year to ride on the hood of a car as a sweetheart. Her goal is to join FFA and show a prize winning rooster. She does all of this but can't kick a bully out of her view of winning sweetheart. Soon Austin learns that being the most popular girl in school isn't what life is all about. Through support of her friends and Mama she learns somethin...more
This has got to be one of the darn cutest, wholesome books I've read in awhile. I'm not sure if I've read anything like it! It just worked for me! I really don't have any complaints! It really has all that you could ask for, family, friends, a stupid bully, a touch of romance, eccentric town folks, and a rooster named Charles Dickens! I wish I could have visited this town!
I loved Austin Gray, she loves her momma, misses her daddy and just wants to get through high school without being picked on...more
I loved Austin Gray, she loves her momma, misses her daddy and just wants to get through high school without being picked on...more
1 like · like · see review
Sep 30, 2009
Karin
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-needs-tags,
borrowed-from-the-library
15 year old Austin Gray is convinced that her life will be different once she’s chosen as the FFA’s (Future Farmers of America) Sweetheart and gets to ride on the float in the No-Jesus Christmas parade – Dean Ottmer, all-round jerk and son of the richest man in town, will finally show her the respect she deserves. The first step is raising up a cocky Bantam rooster and winning a blue ribbon at the fair, then she’s got to be nominated by the other FFA members, and she’s got some steep competition...more
When almost fourteen year old Austin Gray was in the third grade, her father died in an auto accident. Her overprotective mother doesn’t talk about him, but his death hangs between the two of them.
Now that she’s in high school, Austin is having trouble with the high school bully. Austin says:
"I just couldn’t get out from under Dean Ottmer’s smothering insults and constant harassment. I didn’t need for him to like me; I just needed for him to shut up. Chestless, Stork, AustiNK. What other people...more
Now that she’s in high school, Austin is having trouble with the high school bully. Austin says:
"I just couldn’t get out from under Dean Ottmer’s smothering insults and constant harassment. I didn’t need for him to like me; I just needed for him to shut up. Chestless, Stork, AustiNK. What other people...more
Mar 17, 2011
Bridget R. Wilson
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
ya-fiction,
ya-contemporary
Tired of being the butt of bully Dean Ottmer's jokes, Austin Gray has a goal. By next Christmas, she will be a hood ornament in the annual parade.. To achieve her goal, she joins the FFA and gets a chicken for Christmas (a Bantam rooster she names Charles Dickens). Austin makes new friends and finally comes to terms with herself.
What I thought: Sorry to be puny, but this is a sweetheart of a book. Austin is a great character that I think many readers will relate to. Her journey from almost socia...more
What I thought: Sorry to be puny, but this is a sweetheart of a book. Austin is a great character that I think many readers will relate to. Her journey from almost socia...more
I really enjoyed this sweet and heartwarming book story; Austin is a great character who definitely tugs at the reader's heartstrings. Her quest to find acceptance through her town's annual Christmas parade leads her on a journey of discovery that ultimately helps move her life forward in wonderful and unexpected ways. I thought the relationship between Austin and her mother was compelling, especially given the loss of her father in a freak accident years ago; Austin's attempts to become more po...more
Oct 02, 2010
Rachel
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
teen-character-appeal,
teen-fiction
This is a great little book that was a lot of fun. Austin Gray is 15 years old and tired of being teased by the school bully. She decides she needs some confidence and sets out to become the Sweetheart during her towns annual Christmas parade. During the process she joins the Future Farmers of America, raises a chicken, makes some new friends, and starts to come to terms with the death of her dad. For reader's advisory purposes, this is a very clean book and would be great for tweens too. There...more
My Thoughts: This was a cute fun story! We meet Austin who is an ordinary girl like you and me. She has hopes and dreams. She just wants to be normal. She lost her daddy when she was young and thinks that if she had a daddy people would leave her alone. She is sick of being picked on by Dean and she figures the only way for that to happen is to become the Sweetheart in the parade. We've all had our Dean's in our life. You know, those annoying boys who liked to pick on us, who made fun of everyth...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Meh. I was intrigued by the initial premise of the book, but I didn't like the speed of events at all. It was hard for me to tell when certain events were going on, and the action seemed a little bit all over the place. It felt like the author was trying to cover every issue possible, ranging from fitting in to racism to the dangers of alchohol and drugs.
The characters' unpredictability was extremely irritating, and their reactions to what was happening around them seemed completely out of chara...more
The characters' unpredictability was extremely irritating, and their reactions to what was happening around them seemed completely out of chara...more
I’m always on the lookout for books featuring farm, rural, small-town, or Southern fresh-faced girls, but THE SWEETHEART OF PROSPER COUNTY blows the competition right out of the water. The people of this quirky small town in Prosper County are funny, charming, and absolutely unforgettable.
The characters steal the show for this super sweet book. Austin is a relatable protagonist, with her desires to not be made fun of, to step out of the crowd and be a winner for once. Her actions may cause us to...more
The characters steal the show for this super sweet book. Austin is a relatable protagonist, with her desires to not be made fun of, to step out of the crowd and be a winner for once. Her actions may cause us to...more
Nov 06, 2009
Lisa
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Lisa by:
CapCa 10-14
A cute story about Austin Gray who longs to be a "hood ornament" in the town's Christmas parade, partly to show her tormentor, Dean Ottmer, that she's more than just the butt of his jokes. She joins the Future Farmers of America and adopts a Black Rosecomb Bantam which she names Charles Dickens. Austin's plan is to win a ribbon at the fair and become the FAA Sweetheart so she can ride in the parade. Austin's overprotective mom runs the hardware store and has never recovered from her husband's dr...more
Austin, a 14 year-old girl living in Texas has decided the best way to make the school bully leave her alone is to become the Prosper County Sweetheart and ride in the "no-Jesus Christmas Parade." To become the sweetheart though she needs to enter a farm animal in the Future Farmers of America's annual livestock competition and win. Austin sets out to convince her mother she needs a chicken for her Christmas present and prove to everybody she's sweetheart material. Alexander gives a fun though f...more
Jul 17, 2012
Kasey
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audiobook,
library-book
I listened to this book over the course of an 8 hour road trip. I could not stop listening to it and it really did make the trip go faster.
I found this book intriguing because a huge part of my life growing up was FFA and the county fair. I enjoyed all of the references to FFA and fair life and I think this is why I was easily sucked in to this book.
There was one plot point that really bugged, me, however. In high school, I devoted a huge chunk of my life to FFA and the idea that the main charac...more
I found this book intriguing because a huge part of my life growing up was FFA and the county fair. I enjoyed all of the references to FFA and fair life and I think this is why I was easily sucked in to this book.
There was one plot point that really bugged, me, however. In high school, I devoted a huge chunk of my life to FFA and the idea that the main charac...more
I first heard about THE SWEETHEART OF PROSPER COUNTY from the 2010-2011 Texas Lone Star Reading List. After reading the description, I couldn't help but put it towards the top of my TBR. A couple of things caught my eye: (1.) It's set in small town Texas. (2.) It features a girl involved with FFA.
Austin Gray's goal for the next year is to be the FFA (Future Farmers of America) Sweetheart and ride of the hood of a pickup in next year's Christmas parade. Austin sets out gung-ho to reach her goal...more
Austin Gray's goal for the next year is to be the FFA (Future Farmers of America) Sweetheart and ride of the hood of a pickup in next year's Christmas parade. Austin sets out gung-ho to reach her goal...more
Again when I got this book I thought that it would be kind of lame but I could NOT PUT IT DOWN!!! The Sweetheart of Prosper County is about almost 15 year old Austin Gray who wants to be in the Prosper County Parade with the FFA kids (the kids who have been in the parade and some have been sweetheart of Prosper County) and wants to be Prosper County`s sweetheart. In order to be in the parade and be Prosper`s sweetheart Austin must buy a chicken and raise that animal in the Prosper Count Fair and...more
I picked up this book solely because of the cover. I have spent many a summer competing and working at the county fair - although you would never catch me in the poultry area. I was more comfortable around the goats and sheep. This book charmed me from the very first line. The town, the school, the people - it all felt so much like the area in which I grew up. It's all about FFA kids. If you went to a high school where the FFA Kid was a "type," just like the "jock" or the "band geek," then you w...more
This book is all about an early teen's struggle to fit in and be accepted. Austin, the main character, has been tourmented by kids in the neighborhood to the point of no return. Dean, the town bully, has kept a watchful eye on Austin, wiating for her to mess up so he has more material for his amateur stand up act for his friends. It is for this reason Austin is determined to become the Future Farmers of America (FFA) sweetheart in the annual no-Jesus Christmas parade. She believes becoming the s...more
Title: The Sweetheart of Prosper County
Square Fish, 2009, 240 pp., $8.99
Author: Jill S. Alexander
ISBN: 978-0-312-54857-5
Mothers are always protective of their child. They are even more protective of their daughters without a father. They are so protective because they already lost their husband, they do not want their child to be harmed or run away from them.
Austin Gray has a very protective mother and she does not want her mother to worry about her. However, she also wants her freedom and...more
Square Fish, 2009, 240 pp., $8.99
Author: Jill S. Alexander
ISBN: 978-0-312-54857-5
Mothers are always protective of their child. They are even more protective of their daughters without a father. They are so protective because they already lost their husband, they do not want their child to be harmed or run away from them.
Austin Gray has a very protective mother and she does not want her mother to worry about her. However, she also wants her freedom and...more
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An interest in novels came late for me in my rural East Texas hometown. With no public library and few books, save one full set of encyclopedias, I learned poetry from church hymnals and storytelling from eccentric relatives. Captivated by country music's story-songs coming across my grandfather's AM radio after the morning farm report, I began writing out the lyrics and creating my own as early a...more
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“All I'm saying is, you've never alone, and God made everyone unique with different gifts. Now that's not to say it doesn't sting a little when someone points yours out.”
—
6 people liked it
“To me, sympathy was like alcohol on a scraped knee. It didn't really heal anything; it just made the injury sting.”
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Dec 21, 2011 01:38pm