Heidi R. Kling's Blog: Witch's Brew (Spellspinners 1) Launched!, page 43

Borrowed this off my music festival pal (and fellow UCSC Banana...

Borrowed this off my music festival pal (and fellow UCSC Banana Slug!) Jody Tim's Facebook. 

Readers! Unique opportunity to help child refugees in Darfur

Readers! Unique opportunity to help child refugees in Darfur

Lunching with the greater San Francisco YA authoresses at Greens...

Lunching with the greater San Francisco YA authoresses at Greens Restaurant! The hostess sat us in a lovely, private room overlooking sailboats in the marina as well as a misty view of the Golden Gate Bridge. Needless to say, we felt a bit fancy.

Perhaps next time we shall wear hats to match?

From left to right my friends: Malinda Lo (ASH, HUNTRESS); Cheryl Herbsman (BREATHING), Moi, Cyn Jay Omololu (DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS); Jandy Nelson (THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE); Daisy Whitney (THE MOCKINGBIRDS)

Arthur comes to Hicklebee's! Taking the boy to see one of...

Arthur comes to Hicklebee's!

Taking the boy to see one of our all-time favorite author/illustrators today, Marc Brown, creator of the fabulous family series Arthur. 

In celebration of Earth Day he's signing his new book Arthur Turns Green.

Our whole family adores his funny and insightful PBS cartoon, and hope it is around forever and always!

My favorite sequence from one of my favorite classic films,...

My favorite sequence from one of my favorite classic films, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid."Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My head" is the song I gave our editor Liz Miles for my "Headgear Girl" playlist.

Their dynamic is so damn sweet in this scene, so much is said with so little dialog.

And is Cher right about Young Paul Newman or what?

Warning: Headgear Girl by Heidi R. Kling could cause intense...

Warning: Headgear Girl by Heidi R. Kling could cause intense mouth pain…

Truth & Dare, edited by Liz Miles

Read it…if you dare.

This sweet film is a recent fave. Not just because it takes...

This sweet film is a recent fave. Not just because it takes place in two of my favorite cities—New York and San Francisco—but because it's genuinely entertaining, has a super cool, smart, funny, yet very real female lead character in Drew Barrymore, who, in lesser hands, would have turned her 31 year old journalism intern into one of those whimsical ding-dong girls who bumbles through life in mix-matched clothes until finally, someone who understands her comes along.

This is not that movie. Drew's character has made past mistakes with dudes, and is independently putting her life back on track. Falling in love with Garrett is problematic, not life-saving, as she struggles to fit him into her life.

. Going the Distance is peppered with 80's references and stars like Christina Applegate who gives new life to the terms statue and another one, which…you'll just have to see for yourself.

 The earnest and endearing Jason Long isn't bad on the ears, eyes or the heart either and their relationship remains realistic yet romantic and true.

Eclectic soundtrack a bonus.

What are you waiting for? Go rent it now. Or upload it or stream it or whatever you modern people do. 

Headgear Girl compared to Lucas! Love this review.

Bewitched Bookworms reviews "Headgear Girl" and makes me all nostalgic for the good old movie days (and all choked up that she liked my story so much)! Check it out:

Others, like "Headgear Girl" by one of my favorite authors, Heidi R. Kling, tell of horrors more mundane and how even amidst humiliations that seem to pile one upon another unending (a.k.a. the average sophomore experience or as the author herself chooses, 80's movie classic"Sixteen Candles") a girl can gain power by "owning" the very things that moments before made her want to crawl into her book bag. And when Heidi's character Cher finishes her monologue in this story, I wanted to stand and give her a slow-clap standing ovation à la another 80's teen classic, Lucas:

You'll have to clink on her link for the You Tube clip of awesome.

Thanks for the lovely review!

The cast of Lucas —how sad to look at these smiley young faces in retrospect, but the movie is a heart-strings tugging gem.

I was in 6th grade living in the O.C. (Orange County, a valley...

I was in 6th grade living in the O.C. (Orange County, a valley girl suburb of Los Angeles for those of you living overseas-or sans cable) when I was introduced to the "perfect size 6" Sweet Valley twins Jessica and Elizabeth. Jessica was the wild one, because she wore make-up & *gasp*  kept her flowing blonde locks loose instead of pulling them back into a tight pony tail like her more studious and uptight sister Elizabeth. I was warned about the dangers of dating selfish bad boys like 1 Bruce 1 & how never to do drugs. You'll be killed on the first try as this review of the new novel in the New York Times reminded me.

NYT Review of Sweet Valley High Confidential

Dear God. Did Sweet Valley shape my early life? Is this why I always feel better with a tan? Why I've always searched for a best friend named Enid?

Fast forward 100 books and, er, a couple decades later, and St. Martin's is unleashing another book. But now the girls are adults! And have sex! And drink!

Because they are 27.

27?

Wait a minute. If I was twelve when they were sixteen and I'm %$^^& now..wouldn't our Golden Girls look more like this?

Enid! Elizabeth! Jessica!

Best Friends Forever…and rehab roomies to boot!

All kidding aside, y'all know I'm off to get my very own copy now. 

Thanks, Wakefields and Francine Pascal for making middle school so much more bearable. ;)

Just as funny the second time.More comedy for kids (and...

Just as funny the second time.

More comedy for kids (and desperate parents) please!

We all need it so.