Holly's First Love (Holly's Heart, Book No. 1) [Paperback]

Beverly Lewis (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Series: Holly's Heart, Book No. 1

Long ago Holly and Andie drew up Loyalty Papers and traded teddy bears to seal their friendship. Now someone has come between them: Jared Wilkins, the new boy at school. And the Loyalty Papers state that if one of them likes a boy, the other has to back off. A fun novel for junior high girls, ages 11-14.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6-Two realistic yet innocent romances. In the first book, Holly Meredith, almost 13, and her best friend, Andie, both like the new boy in town, resulting in a strain on their relationship. After various typical puppy love ups and downs, the girls realize that Jared is two-timing them, and their friendship is restored. Holly is also dealing the fact that her divorced father wants to reenter her and her sister's lives after not seeing them for four years. In Secret Summer, Holly worries that her relationship with Danny Myers will not last through her long-awaited visit to her father in California. A subplot involves her acceptance of her mother's relationship with a new man, and the discovery that his son has cancer. In both books, Lewis's upbeat, credible characters exhibit strong values and face concerns consistent with today's youth. A fair amount of references are made to church involvement and coping with problems through prayer support. Public libraries and Christian schools especially will want to consider these first two titles in a new series.
Cheryl Cufari, N.A. Walbran Elementary School, Oriskany, NY
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (April 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310380510
• ISBN-13: 978-0310380511
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,971,439 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I've had my nose in a book, for as long as I remember. When I was about 9 years old, I started writing my own stories. By sixth grade, I'd hand-written a 66-page semi-autobiographical book titled, "She Shall Have Music."

After I was married and our three children were in middle school, I began submitting articles and short fiction to various magazines.

My first book (Holly's First Love) was published in May 1993, the start of a 14-book series for pre-teen girls. Soon after, my first chapter book was published for 7-10-year-old readers ("Big Bad Beans") which later became part of my 24-book series, The Cul-de-Sac Kids. I wrote another long-running series for girls, titled "SummerHill Secrets," which was set very close to Neffsville, PA, where I grew up--near the heart of Amish country.

But it was the story of my grandmother Ada Buchwalter's shunning by her ultra-strict father and subsequently her old order Mennonite community that nudged me toward writing adult fiction. THE SHUNNING was published in 1997 by Bethany House Publishers, and along with its sequels, has touched a nerve in millions of readers intrigued by the Plain culture of Lancaster County, PA. The Hallmark Channel will air the movie, "Beverly Lewis's The Shunning" on April 16, 2011 at 9 EDT/8 Central.

My passion for Amish-related stories continues to keep me up at night, and I'm presently writing the third book in my new series: The Rose Trilogy, due out September '11.

When I'm between writing deadlines, I enjoy hiking in the Rocky Mountains with my husband. Cooking from scratch, playing Mozart at the piano, and making family memory albums, as well as traveling to meet my devoted readers during book tours, are some of my very favorite things. I also adore reading biographies and memoirs, as well as classic literature.

Book Two of my present series: THE JUDGMENT, will be released on April 5, 2011.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for any 13 year old, November 17, 2005

By 

Deborah Dieleman "Jen D" (Ca.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Holly's First Love (Holly's Heart, Book No. 1) (Paperback)

I read This Holly book and fell in love with the series. It is a little bit confusing that there are two different titles but it is just because one was published later so they had to have a new cover. I loved that this book talked about the real things that go on in a young girls life. I remember fighting with my best friend over a guy to. Every 12-14 year old girl will love and relate to these books.

5.0 out of 5 stars Holly's First Love / Best Friend, Worst Enemy, September 11, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Holly's First Love (Holly's Heart, Book No. 1) (Paperback)

I got this book from the library, and I really liked it, but it looked a lot different than on the computer, and anyway, it's called Best Friend, Worst Enemy, not Holly's First Love. The one at the library is, anyway. It's the same book they talk about on here, not a different book in the series. Other series I've read, like The Baby-Sitters Club, have had two different versions of each book, but all they changed on those was the covers, and not the title. They shouldn't sell the same book with two different titles, you just end up with two of the same book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Holly's Mixed Up Heart, July 23, 2001

By 

"sillyfilly" (Chattanooga, OK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Holly's First Love (Holly's Heart, Book No. 1) (Paperback)

Holly Meredith, 12 going on 13, and her "best friend", Andrea (Andie) Martinez, have been best friends forever. When they were little, they drew up The Loyalty Papers, swore to keep their promise to it, and sealed the deal by trading their dear teddie bears. That was untill they found Jared Wilkins the cool new kid. Holly was desprate to find out exactly what had gon on behind stage when she passed out while singing, on stage, in front of the WHOLE SCHOOL!! But only three people know about what happened. Her "best friend" Andie, her crush Jared, and the worm Tom Sly and all she knows is that someone had or atempted to KISS her! Meanwhile Andie is just soo annoying. Holly knows that Jared likes her and Andie just won't face it. Her fight with Andie and the fight to keep Jared only gets worse. A youth group at church is going to hold auditions to have someone new in the group. Andie has already been promised to get in and is going to accompany Jared's singing on the piano! But Tom Sly fixes Jared up good trying to get in good with the unexpecting Holly Meredith by telling the school principal that Jared and a few other boys where smoking and when that didn't work,he got dirty and didn't catch Jared as he fell off the tampoline and onto the ground breaking his leg. Holly finds out that her most favorite aunt no her dad's side has cancer that eventually kills her. Everything was happening so fast! And after all these years of her divorsed dad's no letters thing she gets one out of the blue inviting her to go and spend the spring break with him and his family. She says yes after not making the group as an attempt to get away from this mess. Everthing seemed hopeless and at lest she get away at her dad's house in California right by the beach.Then she discovers something about Jared. He's been cheating on her and Andie! Her getting in trouble for him didn't seem so worth it right now. So at her birthday, on Valentine's Day, she plots against him at the party which was meant to show Andie that he was such a big cheater. Well, her plan back fires even with her fiends', Billy Hill and Marcia Greene, help. Now Andie is even more mad at her. The only good thing that happens is when a girl from her town Dressel Hills, CO drops out of the youth group and gives her the spot in the group but now she has to tell her dad she see him this spring break because of the trip their going on then. At the trip her dad comes making the night complete. She still can't seem to muster up the courage though to ask The Question about why he left her mom, her sister Carrie, and of course HER! You know when some comes and shows you the way back on the path to God when yo get lost, it feels very good. Her person was the very christion Danny Myers. After quoting a few verses and praying she made it through the rest of the musical. After the play was over they would go on to Disney World. There she got Andie's friendship back when at last she saw Jared with her own eyes, playing footsie with the cutest girl in their class. After telling him off they walked together through the park riding the rides they both wanted to ride on. Holly's nickname was returned to her. Instead of being called Holly-Heartless, her old nickname was back to Holly-Heart. I just love this book!! I really was able to relate to it. I sing, I have a crush, I'm thirteen, and I have had lots of bad experiences with friends. I hope everyone enjoys this book as much as I did.