this one room
is no longer the
Dogwood Junior High cafeteria,
not at all.
It's the Stardust Dance.
You're invited."
The eighth-grade Stardust Dance at Dogwood Junior High School is the place where dreams, with the help of a few paper moons and a whole lot of glitter, just might come true. Tawny is hoping that her borrowed shoes with the red rhinestone bows will somehow turn her into Cinderella. Mary Sarah dares for the first time in her life to tie a colored ribbon in her hair and apply forbidden lipstick. Russ wonders if he'll ever get over his first love, the unforgettable Annie P. Peggy Lee is enchanted by the magic of her childhood beau Tennessee's kisses. And Cub Tanner hides from the whole affair on the school roof as he nurses a surprising secret crush.
Kissing Tennessee, Kathi Appelt's first book for older readers, is a nice mix of frothiness and substance. Appelt humorously and accurately describes the making and breaking of the eighth-grade heart, while still tackling weighty issues like date rape, same-sex crushes, and family violence. Best of all, the entire short novel can be devoured in one study-hall period. This is a great choice for reluctant readers. (Ages 12 and older) --Jennifer Hubert