Emma Jean Lazarus Fell in Love [Hardcover]

Lauren Tarshis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 14, 2009 | Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

Emma-Jean is experiencing something new and unsettling, but not entirely unpleasant. It?s a fluttering in her heart when she imagines herself asking Will to the seventh-grade dance. Her best friend Colleen is worried that Will might laugh if Emma-Jean invites him. After all, Emma-Jean is a different kind of girl?certainly different from queen-bee Laura, who has always made it clear that Will is hers. Maybe Colleen can distract Emma- Jean from this risky plan by recruiting her for a top-secret investigation. You see, Colleen has an anonymous admirer, and if Emma-Jean can help her figure out who he is, then Colleen could ask him to the dance. Even more endearing and genuine than its predecessor, this companion to the award-winning Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree steals your heart and inspires a smile that lasts as long as the novel itself. . . and longer.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-7–The Spring Fling is just around the corner and love is in the air at William Gladstone Middle School. Academically gifted Emma-Jean is back, still logical to a fault and just beginning to get a glimmer of the emotional side of life that has often been a mystery to her. This story takes place a few weeks after the conclusion of Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree (Dial, 2007), and once again she tries to solve a problem for a classmate and also feels the need to compose another letter to ensure that her mother's romance progresses satisfactorily. She also experiences her first crush, an odd feeling to be sure, but made more understandable by her loving and sympathetic mom. Emma-Jean's recently acquired friends are all included, but Colleen is the character whom readers get to know better. While the events of the first book are summarized adequately, the best audience will be those who have already met Emma-Jean and company. This story lacks the originality of its predecessor, but Tarshis's use of language and depiction of middle school society are good fun.–Faith Brautigam, Gail Borden Public Library, Elgin, IL
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Review

Tarshis proves she "gets" adolescent female friendships (not to mention seventh grade) in this funny and empathetic follow-up to Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree...[Emma-Jean's] blossoming appreciation for emotions that logic can't explain, sympathetic supporting characters and an uplifting finale will warm hearts. ---Publishers Weekly, starred review

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Dial; 1 edition (May 14, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803733216
• ISBN-13: 978-0803733213
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #983,455 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lauren Tarshis often wonders how she came to spend most of her waking moments thinking about disasters, as the author of the children's historical fiction series "I Survived." Each book takes readers into the heart of history's most thrilling and terrifying events, including the sinking of the Titanic, the Shark Attacks of 1916, Hurricane Katrina, the bombing of Pearl Harbor and (coming soon) the San Francisco earthquake. Writing these books often makes her feel very nervous, as though at any moment a volcano could erupt right outside her window. Then again, she has learned a thing or two about avoiding being eaten by a shark.
Lauren is also the author of the the award-winning Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree and its sequel, Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell in Love. She lives in Connecticut with her family. For more information, go to her website: www.LaurenTarshis.com

And check out the I Survived Website:
www.Scholastic.com/ISurvived

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Such Thoughtful Writing, May 18, 2009

By 

S. Beaudoin - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Emma Jean Lazarus Fell in Love (Hardcover)

I really like this book. Actually, I've been crazy about Emma Jean since the first one and was honestly a bit scared there would be no sequel. Of course Emma Jean falls in love. But is it reciprocated? These are really two of the best books to come into middlegrade in the last ten years. Miss Tarshis once again nails all the elementary worries, enthusiasms, and pratfalls that come with being way too smart for your own good.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Breath of Fresh Air in a World in which Girls Grow Up Way Too Fast, June 9, 2009

By 

KidsReads (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Emma Jean Lazarus Fell in Love (Hardcover)

Emma-Jean Lazarus fell out of a tree in the last book of this continuing series, but this time her fall is much harder. For a girl who seemingly has everything in her world under control, the uncertainty and fluttering butterfly stomach that comes with falling in love is very disconcerting. But the things that our heroine learns when she falls in love are far more intense than her initial stirrings of first love.

Emma-Jean is smart and rational, the type of person who expresses her thoughts in full sentences and without a hint of sarcasm. She works and plays hard, and takes her friendships very seriously. Her core group of pals is tight --- although Colleen, Kaitlin, Valerie and Michele are much more girly than she is. At first it is explained that she was overwhelmed by their "flowery and fruity smells, their bright and colorful clothing" and their squealing responses to everything, but their kindness and friendship eventually works its charm on Emma-Jean. She has found a real home with them, so when the specter of the Spring Fling arrives, she is surprised to find herself a willing participant in the dealings that set into motion a dramatic and energetic whirling dervish of emotions and activities.

Each of the girls admits to a crush on various unruly and rambunctious boys in their seventh-grade class. At first they are all surprised by their choices, but none more so than Emma-Jean's crush on Will, a cute ringleader of a certain band of popular boys. They all support each other as the escapades move into confrontations and twisted associations.

When their friend Colleen doesn't seem to have what the girls reason is her fair share of attention from the opposite sex, someone in their group starts sending her love notes, hoping she will think they are from some boy admirer. When this escapade comes to light, and all is admitted and forgiven, Emma-Jean finds out what true friendship is really made of --- commitment and caring far beyond what the satisfaction and excitement of a first crush could bring. The girls rally around each other in a very satisfying and innocent way, acknowledging the fun of a romantic pursuit but understanding that what really matters is their friendships. And when Emma-Jean makes a great sacrifice for the sake of Colleen, the book's surprising ending celebrates the friendships instead of the hookups.

Lauren Tarshis writes from the perspective of a tween with the right amount of innocence and wonderment, and she captures the sense that children of that age exhibit when the demands of a more adult social world is thrust upon them. It is wonderful that the girls aren't into "bling" and don't wander around wearing inappropriate clothing or mocking anyone who isn't in their circle of friends. It's a world where school is important and girls' friendships are valued more than the boys who invade their social life.

EMMA-JEAN LAZARUS FELL IN LOVE is a breath of fresh air in a world in which girls grow up way too fast. Thanks to Lauren Tarshis, they can enjoy the innocent fun of growing up without falling prey to the fast world the media tries to sell all kids this age.

--- Reviewed by Jana Siciliano

5.0 out of 5 stars Falling in love is such fun!, November 12, 2010

By 

Lori Katz "Librarylady" (CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Emma Jean Lazarus Fell in Love (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful sequel to "Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree." The honest and loving relationship between Emma-Jean and her mom is heartwarming. Emma-Jean is unsure why her heart beats fast or she gets all nervous near Will until her mom explains about crushes. Strong friendships, a small mystery and a lot of love makes this a fine read especially for elementary aged girls looking for romances.