The ABC's of Kissing Boys [Paperback]

Tina Ferraro (Author)

Book Description

Release date: January 13, 2009

Parker Stanhope has played soccer practically since she could walk. And now that she’s a high school junior, everything she’s worked for is finally coming together. She’s paid her dues on the field, and as an upperclassman, she’s a shoo-in for the varsity team. But that’s not what happens.

This year, Coach Hartley moved up every JV player but two—and one of those two was Parker. Now, she’s stuck with the freshmen, her friends are cutting her loose, and her love of the game is seriously beginning to fail. But Parker is determined to get her life back. She has to get on the varsity team, and she has the perfect plan. All she needs now is the right kind of coach.

Tina Ferraro lives in southern California. You can visit her online at www.tinaferraro.com.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The life of Parker Stanhope, popular junior relegated to the JV soccer team and scorned by her best buds, reads like a mashup of Bend It Like Beckham, Mean Girls, and Can’t Buy Me Love, and will find a happy audience in fans of the same. To win herself a spot on the varsity team, Parker, her pre-law older brother, and his hot best friend concoct a scheme involving a sweet faculty parking spot for the coach and a knock-’em-dead kiss at the Sports Fair’s kissing booth. All Parker has to do is learn how to kiss. Enter Tristan, the lowly freshman across the street with talents he offers to share with Parker in exchange for help elevating his social standing. The plan predictably spins out of control, and Parker falls for Tristan, all the while trying to avoid the backstabbing ways of her former teammates. The lesson of being true to oneself comes across clearly, and readers will be pulling for Parker in this top-dog-turned-underdog story. Grades 8-10. --Heather Booth --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (January 13, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385735820
• ISBN-13: 978-0385735827
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.6 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #714,181 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #95 in Books > Teens > Sports & Hobbies > Girls in Sports

More About the Author

I am the author of three young adult novels with Random House: Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress, How to Hook a Hottie, and The ABC's of Kissing Boys (AKA Ten Ways to Kiss a Hottie). Recently I released a fourth YA novel, The Starter Boyfriend, available on Kindle.

I've been writing since I learned to hold a pencil, and sold upwards of a hundred short stories to national magazines before turning to novels. I share a home in the L.A. area with my rocket scientist husband, some demanding cats, and whichever of our grown kids is in town. My interests include Facebook Scrabble, the color orange, and chasing coyotes out of the neighborhood.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Cute and oh so glad I bought it! December 19, 2009

By princess bookie

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

My Thoughts: We are introduced to Parker who loves soccer and revolves her life around soccer. She is upset she doesn't make varsity so she hatches a plan to get kissed at the kissing booth by last years most hottest popular guy who is now in college. He is also her brother's best friend. Yes, they both are in on it. We are than introduced to Tristan. He is Parker's next door neighbor and is two years younger gradewise than Parker. He's been to camp and knows how to kiss so he offers his service to Parker. He starts to teach her all the different kisses. She soon realizes there might be more to him than she thought since she originally thought he wasn't cool enough to be in her crowd. FYI: Her crowd is the popular girls. Of course Tristan also uses his new found popularity to meet other girls. He figures he should get something out of his lessons. I really liked this book. I devoured it in one sitting. I loved Parker and Tristan together. I loved the way he was teaching her how to kiss and all the different techniques he knows. I loved the references in this book and I loved the feelings that slowly started to develop between them. I didn't like most of Parker's friends. In reality, they were snobs and I would have liked her to stay away from them and realize from the get go they weren't worth her time. I loved this book. If you want to know what happens to Parker, pick this book up now!

Overall: Loved it! I even love the title of this one! Its a fun quick read that will make you smile and want to learn more about Tristan's kissing techniques!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious May 8, 2009

By Reader Rabbit

Format:Paperback

It's the beginning of her junior year and Parker knows she's destined for great stuff. She's been playing on the Junior Varsity team and it's basically a given that she'll be headed for the Varsity team this year. That is, until it turns out that there's no space for her on the team. And her coach insists that she needs Parker where she is, the JV. With that, Parker's friends start to ditch her and publicly humiliate her based on Parker being stuck with the freshmen, leaving Parker to fend for herself.

Of course, Parker's not going to take her coach's decision sitting down. She, her brother and his friend Luke concoct a plan, a really CRAZY plan, to get her spot and her friends back.

Only, for the plan to work, Parker needs to be able to give Luke a real (and steamy kiss).

The problem? Parker has no idea how.

So she turns to her neighbor who happens to be a freshman, the son of the person her father most despised and...he happens to be a really good kisser.

But when Parker's plan starts to unravel, she finds out who her real friends are and realizes that, maybe, just maybe, it's worth the social suicide to be seen with the freshman.
When I first started reading The ABC's, I found it to be a bit reminiscent of Band Geek Love, all because of the upperclassmen/lowerclassmen romance angle.

However, as I continued reading, the ABCs proved itself to be much different. It's a small, quick read, but it's packed from page to page with laughter, friendship and more.

The characters (besides Parker) are not very well developed. However, this does not detract from the novel at all; The ABC's is about entertainment, not character devlopment. Parker, of course, was pretty developed as she is the main character. She's also a character that is easy to relate with and sympathize with, even if you don't care or know a thing about Soccer.

The plot of the ABC's was not groundbreaking or amazing but it was cute, funny AND entertaining. What more can a girl ask for?

I loved the feud going on between Parker's father and Tristan's father; it was just the perfect added touch. And Parker's scheme to get her spot on the varisty team? It was so random yet perfect for the novel.

What else can I say, really? For what it is, the ABC's of Kissing Boys manages to do exactly what it's meant to do. It's the perfect novel for winding down after a long day. I advise you to pick it up now or order it from Amazon.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Who doesn't like a book about kissing? April 24, 2010

By Smitten With Books

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

The ABC's of Kissing Boys by Tina Ferraro starts out with Parker learning she didn't make the varsity team and is very upset about it and the fact that her friends are now leaving her out. So in order to get back into her friend group and on the Varsity team, she has to do something about it-and that something involves her neighbor. This is a really cute book, and it's about kissing-and who doesn't like a book about kissing?

Each chapter starts out with the name of a kiss (starting with A and ending with Z) and then it states the definition of that kiss. And within that chapter, that kiss happens-which is super cute and I loved how she followed the alphabet.

Will I reread it?
Most defiantly.

This book was just a really light, fun read that I suggest it to every age group including those younger teens and older teens. It was just very enjoyable.