SOLVED. YA book - published by Seventeen magazine?? [s]

[Amber]

When I was in high school from 1976 - 1980 I read this book, for some reason I want to say it was published by a girl's magazine, maybe Seventeen. It featured a high school girl who was, of course, in love with the popular boy, and she had a funny, dorky guy friend. Somehow a carousel pony figured into the whole thing. Anyway, at the end, she finally went out with the popular boy, but then he turned out to be a jerk and tried to assault her. The guy friend saves the day, and at some point in the story he was blowing a trumpet, lol??! That's all I remember...

[Michele]

I don't recall a carousel horse, but maybe Jean and Johnny? Jean has a crush on Johnny, the dorky friend is named Hubert or Hank or Harold or something and he plays the trumpet in the school band.

Another possibility: The New Lucinda - Cindy has a crush on Mac (I think) who is the big guy on campus. The editor of the school paper (Peter?) also likes her and asks her out a couple of times but she's all about wanting the popular guy. He finally takes her out but gets all mad when she doesn't want to make out.

[Tammy]

This is definitely A Book of Directions by Kate MacNair, which was a book of short stories. The stories were loosely connected -- each about a different girl from the same high school. You are conflating 2 of the stories into one. The girl who went out with the popular guy who tried to assault her and whose neighborhood friend (and his trumpet) saved the day was one of the earlier stories. The last story in the book was the one that featured a carousel pony. Here is a link to the GoodReads entry:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

[Rainbowheart]

A Book of Directions for the link.

[Amber]

Tammy wrote: "This is definitely A Book of Directions by Kate MacNair, which was a book of short stories. The stories were loosely connected -- each about a different girl from the same high school. You are conf..."

Yes, thank you!!

[Rainbowheart]

Amber, I think we have a solution for you on this thread too!

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...