A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl by Tanya Lee Stone

ISBN: 978-0-385-74702-8
Wendy Lamb Books, NY
2006
228 pages

Plot Summary

Josie, Nicolette and Aviva all go out with the same boy, a jock and one of the "popular" crowd. He leads all three girls on by telling them how much he likes them when really he's just after one thing.
Josie was so hurt that she went to the school library and wrote in the back of the school's copy of Forever by Judy Blume. She warned other girls to stay away from him. Other girls add to her notes and pretty soon the whole book is covered with warnings about this one boy!

Critical Evaluation

I loved how this book, written in verse from the points-of-view of the three jilted girls, never even names this cad of a boy. And it was great that the girls all regained a measure of their pride by channeling their hurt feelings into warning others.

Reader's Annotation

Josie, Nicolette and Aviva have all dated and been jilted by the same cute, popular jock. They get back at him by warning others that he only has one thing on his mind.

Author's Info

Tanya Lee Stone edited other people's writings as an editor of children's books for thirteen years. She graduated with a degree in English from Oberlin College and received her Master's in Education from Southern Connecticut State University. She has traveled world-wide and now lives in Vermont. She has written children's books but A Bad Boy Can Be Good For A Girl is her first YA novel. Her next novel will be in prose.

Genre

YA novel written in verse

Curriculum Ties

A good book to use in Life Skills discussions on how girls and boys may be looking for different things when dating.

Booktalking Ideas

1. Why does Josie choose Forever as the book to write in?

2. What does the guilty boy do when he walks by where the three girls are talking?

Reading / Interest Level

High School

Challenge Issues and Defense

sexual situations

The point of the book is to help girls deal with dating and the pressure to have sex. Good book for parents (maybe moms) and daughters to read together.

Library's collection development policy
Starred Reviews in SLJ and Kliatt; SLJ Book of the Month and an ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers are some of the awards.


Why I Included This Book

Raises important dating issues, wanting to be popular, etc.
Starred reviews in professional library journals.