Chicks with Sticks (It's a Purl Thing) [Mass Market Paperback]

Elizabeth Lenhard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 7, 2006

Scottie’s life is changing, and not for the better. She feels like she’s losing her best friend, Amanda, and her mom has morphed into the new It girl of Chicago’s art world. It feels just like the bottom is about to drop out of her world completely, and then she’s thrown a cashmerino lifeline when she discovers KnitWit, her local yarn store. There she and Amanda meet new friends Bella and Tay, and soon all four girls are bound together by their yen for yarn and their hunger for friendship. Soon the stitches and the friendships become so intertwined, it’s hard to remember which came first—the girls or the purls.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7–10—Scottie, Tay, Amanda, and Bella are reunited in this second installment in the series. Scottie, wearing her frumpy lilac sweatpants, runs into a gorgeous hunk in her apartment building. She and Beck begin dating, and the world of the chicks is never the same. As Scottie watches Tay and Amanda struggle with their relationships, she wonders how to balance her friends and Beck-and how much a part of his life she really is. (Bella has sworn off men, for the time being.) As they knit their way through their problems, the teens deal with loyalty to friends when a new boy enters the picture. While each of the four girls is a "type," the deftly explored issues mirror what adolescents have been experiencing for decades. This book deals more with the emotional side of relationships than with the physical, and, although the ending is convenient, the feelings are real. For "crafty" readers or those who enjoy serial teen drama, this is a good choice.—Lynn Evarts, Sauk Prairie High School, Prairie du Sac, WI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Scottie and her friends, last seen in Chicks with Sticks: It's a Purl Thing (2005), are still knitting, though now the stitching takes a backseat to boy-girl interactions. Scottie's relationship with a new guy is the main plot, and although this makes for some fun, light romance, it moves the story in predictable ways, canceling some of the freshness of the first book. The incessant hip chatter will also quickly date the story. The strong link between the girls is the thread that keeps things together, and several patterns will inspire readers attracted by the knitting theme. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Speak (September 7, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0142406953
• ISBN-13: 978-0142406953
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,440,137 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Knitting Itch, September 30, 2005

By 

Camille "at the BookMoot!" (Texas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Chicks with Sticks (It's a Purl Thing) (Hardcover)

This book is sort of a "sisterhood of the traveling yarn" and a very enjoyable read.

Scottie cannot sleep. She has lost her beloved aunt and is grieving deeply. At the funeral a relative hands her a pair of knitting needles and teaches her to knit. Scottie is initially put off by the idea but soon finds the yarn calls to her. She finds a wonderful little knitting shop run by a remarkable woman who has a gift for matching up yarn and people. By the end of the evening three other girls from her high school have arrived at the shop and a circle of friends, "Chicks with Sticks" is born.

The girls come from very different backgrounds and are trying to find their place in high school. Both of Scottie's parents are consumed by her mother's art career and seemingly oblivious to their daughter. Amanda is the homecoming queen type but suffers from learning disabilities which undermine her confidence and her academics. The other two have their own problems and issues but they all find help and support through their knitting friendships. Despite their resolve it takes great courage for them to pull out their knitting at lunch time in the school cafeteria.

Lenhard obviously knows her knitting. She lovingly describes beautiful yarns including the colors, textures and even the smell. The girls struggle with dropped stitches and projects that go horribly wrong but their fingers have the knitting itch.

Lenhard has included knitting patterns at the end of the book. By the time you finish you will be yearning to pick up some knitting or learn how to knit.

This book sent my daughter and me to the store yesterday. We bought knitting needles and squeezed yarn balls until we found the ones that "called" to us. We have big plans.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Loved this book, October 12, 2005

By 

Michelle in Maryland "michelleinmd" (Silver Spring, MD USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Chicks with Sticks (It's a Purl Thing) (Hardcover)

At 41, I am hardly the target audience for this book. I loved it. I got the galley copy and can't bring myself to give it away. It treads that thin line between life's reality and the fantasies we have of high school being "fun."

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Kid/Knitter's Review, December 4, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Chicks with Sticks (It's a Purl Thing) (Hardcover)

I got this book yesterday and could not put it down until I was done. It is so true to knitting and friendship issues! I loved it!