Book Review: Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell in Love by Lauren Tarshis

Book: Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell in Love
Author: Lauren Tarshis
Published: 2009
Source: swapped

Who I Told I’d Read It: the little girl at work who checked out the first Emma Jean book. Okay, that's a stretch. The truth is, I really felt like reading a quick book I was sure to enjoy.
Time: 0:38:51

It's spring at William Gladstone Middle School, and everyone is showing the effects. With the school dance coming up, nobody can discuss any topic but who is going with whom. Colleen Pomerantz even has a secret admirer, and she's called on super-logical Emma-Jean Lazarus to figure out who it is.

While she is most pleased to assist her friend, Emma-Jean has problems of her own. Every time she sees Will Keeler, her heart has taken to fluttering in the most distracting and puzzling way. Is it possible that Emma-Jean is--gulp--in love?

This is another book that I'd love to read aloud. Emma-Jean's detached and quizzical way of looking at the world, specifically the world of WGMS, just begs to be repeated. ("A chickpea fell off Emma-Jean's fork, as though Vikram's suggestion had caused it to faint." That one almost made me snort chili out my nose, which is exactly as pleasant as it sounds.) But Tarshis is just as adept at capturing the ups and downs of a middle-school girl's life in Colleen's narration, as her secret admirer lends her courage and confidence in the daunting face of seventh grade.

Hilarious, sweet, and quirky, Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell in Love is a worthy successor to Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree. Here's hoping Lauren Tarshis keeps supplying us with more Emma-Jean for quite some time.