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17th out of 59 books
—
176 voters
Jersey Tomatoes are the Best
by
Maria Padian
This is a hilarious and heartbreaking story of two teen girls and the summer when everything changes for them. Both Henry and Eva are New Jersey natives and excellent athletes: Henry's a master on the tennis court and Eva is a graceful ballerina. When opportunity knocks for both of them the summer before their junior year in high school they throw open the door: Henry sees...more
Hardcover, 352 pages
Published
March 8th 2011
by Knopf Books for Young Readers
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Compelling story of two BFF's from joisey. Henry (short for Henriette, which she hates) is an avid tennis player, who wins tournaments with her trash-talking (and psycho dad coach), and Eva is a ballerina who has both anorexia and a helicopter mom. Could have been trite, but the back and forth chapters between the two girls are fitting and fresh. The anorexia part felt a little over-done to me, but it fit well enough with the whole that it didn't stop me from wanting to read more, and I suppose...more
Eva and Henry are best friends and they both have a crazy parent. For Eva it’s her mom, Rhonda who drives crazy and always brags about how amazing Eva is as a ballerina. Henry on the other hand, it’s her father, Mark. He hardly gives Henry a break from tennis, and has total control of what she does. But this summer is a little different because Eva goes to a prestigious dance school is New York City and Henry goes to Chadwick Academy in Florida for tennis. At dance school, the teacher who is mea...more
Jersey Tomatoes Are the Best, by Maria Padian, is a feel-good novel about two best friends who are going their separate ways for the summer. Eva is going to a ballet summer program in New York City, while Henry (short for Henriette) is off to a prestigious tennis camp in Florida. It’s the first time both girls have been apart for an extended period of time. While Jersey Tomatoes is a lighter read, it does deal with some serious issues. Each girl has an overbearing parent who seems to want nothin...more
Henriette, a.k.a. Henry, and Eva are Jersey born girls who have the world by the tail. Henry is a promising, up and coming tennis player and Eva is a graceful, masterful ballerina with lofty goals. The two have been best friends since they were six, sharing their hopes, dreams, ambitions, and, obnoxious parents. They call themselves "the Jersey tomatoes," an homage to their garden state. The summer before their junior year they both earn their way into gateway summer programs that will help them...more
I wasn't expecting much from this book and maybe that's why I liked it so much. Two girls from New Jersey are best friends and obsessive athletes -- one a ballerina and the other a tennis player. This gives us a glimpse into the world of intense training and competition to become a world class athlete. Opportunity knocks for both of them when Henry, the tennis champ, gets a scholarship to attend an exclusive tennis camp in Florida and Eva, the graceful ballerina, auditions and is accepted into a...more
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A very good book on friendship- giving The Sisterhood a run for it's money. However the book was not coming of age, and it definetely was not corny. At the same time the high-pressure worlds of Eva and Henry are becoming increasingly common today, so it isn't hard to relate to these characters at all.
Eva's storyline was darker and more fleshed out then Henry's, probably because the author had more riding on her if she didn't do it right. While I enjoyed Henry's storyline, it was written a little...more
Eva's storyline was darker and more fleshed out then Henry's, probably because the author had more riding on her if she didn't do it right. While I enjoyed Henry's storyline, it was written a little...more
Jul 18, 2012
Vicki
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
junior high girls
Recommended to Vicki by:
advance reading copy
A coming of age book that covered some good points. Best friends at the top of their chosen sports: tennis and ballet. The tennis star learns how to win fairly, without resorting to head games, name calling or nastiness. (A challenge when your father is a pro at it and encourages bad behavior.) The ballerina ends up with anorexia--I know, a subject that has been covered many times--but the author's treatment of it has a different take. She actually puts you inside the ballerina's head, where you...more
With an awesome title like this, I had high hopes for this book...however, what I got was some stereotypes (bennies say joisey, not people from new jersey!) and a book that was probably not well suited for today's times. While I did enjoy the story of gorgeous tennis star Henry with her intense game, budding relationship and introduction to Cuban culture, Eva was a stereotype from the past..the anorexic ballet dancer who refuses to eat because even at 70 pounds she thinks she's fat. It's 2012......more
JERSEY TOMATOES ARE THE BEST is a deceptively light contemporary story that delves into the darker side of sports without getting preachy. Whether you’re an athlete or not, girl or not, you’ll find something to enjoy in this moving yet fun novel.
Padian’s straightforward narration makes it very easy to relate to these Henry and Eva’s situations. Few of us may be on Henry and Eva’s level in terms of athletics, but it was still eye-opening to read about all the pressure they faced, the difficult ch...more
Padian’s straightforward narration makes it very easy to relate to these Henry and Eva’s situations. Few of us may be on Henry and Eva’s level in terms of athletics, but it was still eye-opening to read about all the pressure they faced, the difficult ch...more
Sporty girls? I suggest you own this book. You can "own" a library book if you borrow it and read it and love it and spread the love. And then return it, please. :)
So, the contents of This Wonderful Book:
Funny, but also tough. Sexy, but also sweet--And always, always real. These are real girls doing what they love. It's hard not to get into that.
Read this book to learn how to tell a great story. I have aboslutely no complaints. I can almost never say that about a book.
Of course, I have this...more
So, the contents of This Wonderful Book:
Funny, but also tough. Sexy, but also sweet--And always, always real. These are real girls doing what they love. It's hard not to get into that.
Read this book to learn how to tell a great story. I have aboslutely no complaints. I can almost never say that about a book.
Of course, I have this...more
I really liked this one! Odd title - but once you've read the book it makes more sense. Eva (a ballerina) and Henry (a tennis player) are both stars in their respective sports. Best friends, they are each others major supporters too. Then the summer they are 15 and 16, Eva is accepted into a prestigious ballet program and Henry to a fancy tennis academy. Apart for the first time they can remember, they call and text and e-mail, but it's not enough to prevent Eva from dieting down to a point wher...more
Maria Padian’s Young Adult novel JERSEY TOMATOES ARE THE BEST gives readers an inside look at the training of two high-level female, best-friend, teen athletes. Henry (Henriette) is a tennis champ and Eva is a ballerina.
The book is told in alternating first person chapters with spot-on dialogue and voice unique to each character. Padian keeps the story moving forward, a difficult task with two narrators. She also captures the nuances of... more of this review on my blog.
http://annajboll.wordpres...more
The book is told in alternating first person chapters with spot-on dialogue and voice unique to each character. Padian keeps the story moving forward, a difficult task with two narrators. She also captures the nuances of... more of this review on my blog.
http://annajboll.wordpres...more
Wanted to love this but somehow I can't. The writing's too uneven--at times I believed in the characters, at other times I just couldn't hear their voices. Henry's father and Eva's mother are especially less than believable--their 11th hour metamorphoses from dysfunctional control freaks to supportive parents just don't ring true.
I am giving this the third star for one brief paragraph where Eva describes what it is like to dance and to have a sudden moment where it all comes together in your hea...more
I am giving this the third star for one brief paragraph where Eva describes what it is like to dance and to have a sudden moment where it all comes together in your hea...more
Jersey Tomatoes are the Best deserves way more recognition than it has been receiving. It's a great story with two real girls who make strong choices.
Eva and Henry are both incredibly talented. Eva's a ballerina and Henry is a tennis player. They are both on the path to success which is actually pretty hard. They both have overbearing parents but they also have each other and are best friends. That kind of friendship is so sweet. It's refreshing to read of friends who are actually friends and no...more
Eva and Henry are both incredibly talented. Eva's a ballerina and Henry is a tennis player. They are both on the path to success which is actually pretty hard. They both have overbearing parents but they also have each other and are best friends. That kind of friendship is so sweet. It's refreshing to read of friends who are actually friends and no...more
I had seen this book in a publisher catalog towards the beginning of the year and it finally showed up at the library so I was really excited to see it. My boyfriend lives in New Jersey and I have to say the title caught my attention because of that. I was pretty sure that the book was not about New Jersey and that the girls were from New Jersey but I was not expecting such a heartfelt and emotional book. Do not let the title and cover fool you. I looked at Maria Padian's website where she answe...more
Henry and Eva are as different as two girls get. Henry is a fierce tennis player, excelling in tournaments while her aggressive father watches and belittles her opponents. On the other side, Eva is a talented ballerina who loves to dance and has a mother who lives through her. Despite their differences, the two are best friends, or at least until both of them get opportunities to expand their abilities - Henry to an exclusive tennis camp and Eva to a prestigious ballet summer program. Their frie...more
Besides the best efforts of the cover to deter me from this book, I actually really enjoyed Jersey Tomatoes, it may have not been hilarious as described in the summary but it definitely has me more than interested in the world of tennis and those who devote their lives to the sport.
Maria Padian's second stab at YA takes us into the lives of Henry and Eva who have been best friends for years and are both attending intensive sports camps for the summer, in tennis and ballet respectively. One happe...more
Maria Padian's second stab at YA takes us into the lives of Henry and Eva who have been best friends for years and are both attending intensive sports camps for the summer, in tennis and ballet respectively. One happe...more
I thought the difficulties--particularly Eva's eating disorder were well-played out. I also liked that Padian gave each girl problems; it really rounded out the book. I had a few complaints: 1) I felt the parents and the circumstances were a bit over-dramatic. 2) I did not care for Henry's love interest; it bothered me that their interest was purely based on physical appearance alone and that she was willing to try again romantically, even though it did not seem like they really clicked. Overall...more
I almost abandoned this book, but I'm glad I stuck with it. At first I thought it was going to be about two spoiled girls, then the conflicts began. The girls' problems felt real and I ended up really wanting to know how the author was going to resolve them. I like the character's voices. The issues brought up in this book are relevant to my students, and I liked how the author dealt with them.
Pretty good. A really quick read, fluffy in parts, mediocre writing but with some good overall messages. I'm always a bit skeptical of books about ballet, but the author seemed to do her research for this. I'd recommend this to anyone (well, sports-loving teenage girls are probably the target audience) in search of a quick read with a bit more substance than your average YA chick-lit.
This book was about two best friends who part ways for each of their summer camps. One girl goes to Florida for a tennis camp and becomes the best player there, moving into professional matches. The other goes to New York City to dance at Joffery over the summer and suffers from the danger of anorexia. She ends up in the hospital and isn't able to dance for a long time while she recovers in rehab. Both friends grow in a really big way and learn the dangers of becoming so serious in a sport. I le...more
May 11, 2011
Lisa
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommended to Lisa by:
CapCh 14+
Shelves:
abuse,
ballet,
capch-14-and-up,
eating-issues,
families,
friendship,
identity,
mental-illness,
romance,
values,
tennis
Henry is such a wonderful character: a great friend and a girlfriend with integrity who knows where to draw the line. It's so refreshing to meet a teen character who's in love, but who tells her boyfriend she's not ready for sex! I really like how Henry supported Eva, and her nuanced relationship with David.
if you can get past the first two chapters (which is why it was a 4 for me and not 5), you will be sad when the book ends. I think it was well-written and it would be a good book for any girl with an eating disorder or an athlete who understands the demands of her sport and the rush of the play.
I disagree--Indiana tomatoes are best!! But I digress. I really liked this young adult novel, even though I know next to nothing about the worlds if ballet and tennis. Very engaging characters and written in alternating viewpoints; once I started reading, it was hard to stop. Highly recommended.
Jersey tomatoes ARE the best. The alternating chapters allow you to see how two very different best friends handle the challenges of trying to be the best (Henry at tennis & Eva at ballet). These girls have real voices and I was rooting for them throughout the novel. Great summer read for teens.
This. Was. Cute. i liked how it wasn't another cute gabbing about boys and school blah blah friend crap. there was some REAL story to this. a struggle with a dancer's mind/body. and a cute relationship(omfg i want a David!!!!!!) but. i like how this ISNT a series. i think it would have ruined this book if it was.
It's not always easy to find a sports novel that will appeal to girls, and this is a good one. I was thrilled to buy this one for my library, and look forward to recommending it. Whether the reader is looking for a sports book, or a book about real girls and solid friendship, this book fits the bill.
Full review at Reading Everywhere.
Full review at Reading Everywhere.
If you live in NJ, you will love this book. Two teens are the best of friends, one is a tennis player, the other a ballerina. One is succeeding while the other is declining. How will they cope with the major changes in their lives? A great YA novel!
The story of two athletic Jersey girls and the life changing summer they spent apart - one at a tennis camp in Florida and the other in ballet program in New York. A moving teen tale that will linger in your thoughts for days afterwards!
-Lindsey D.-
-Lindsey D.-
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Jul 26, 2012 11:05am