Author: Cecily Von Ziegesar ISBN:978-0316026611
Publication Information: Poppy
Plot Summary:B, S, D, N, V and J are back in the second book of the Gossip Girl series. This time Blair has her share of troubles, her mom is marrying someone Blair does not approve of, on her birthday! And she is forcing Blair to make up with Serena, just so Serena can be a bridesmaid at the wedding. Life can be so unfair. Meanwhile, Blair's boyfriend Nate is spending a little too much time for comfort with Jenny, a freshman with a new, impressive chest region, Dan is creeping Serena out with his obsessive poetry, and Vanessa is still trying to win Dan's affection. Just your average day on the Upper East Side.
Critical Evaluation:Slightly better than the first novel, but just slightly. Because Von Ziegasar did not have to spend a large chunk of the book introducing characters, both the characters and the plot in the sequel are slightly more developed. The series sticks to what it knows, a gross display of luxury and wealth, with sex, drugs and alcohol prevalent throughout the novel. Despite all of this, the series remains popular, probably partially because the novel provides the same kind of celebrity lifestyle that has become popularized in the media, through tabloids, and blogs. But this series may also remain popular because at the heart of the book, the character deals with the basic life lessons that many teens can relate to. Their crushes like someone else, the pressures of getting into the right college, or their family lives changing through divorce or remarriage. This series may not win any literary prizes, but if they are getting reluctant teens to read, they can't be all bad.
Reader's Annotation:The St. Jude and Constance Billard students are at it again. Will the drama on the Upper East Side ever die down? Hopefully not, and gossip girl will always be there to give you all the dirty details. xoxo.
Author Information: Cecily Von Ziegesar grew up much like the cast of the books, living in Manhattan and attending a small private school on the Upper East Side. She still lives in New York (in Brooklyn), with her husband, two children, and cats. Gossip Girl was her first book, and there currently has 13 titles in the series, as well as four books in her other series, The Carlyles. Gossip Girl has been turned into a television series that is currently in its third season, and has been renewed for a fourth. (Information taken from the author's website http://www.gossipgirl.net/author/).
Curricular Ties:N/A
Genre:Contemporary Life
Book talking ideas:
- Why is Blair so angry that her mother is marrying Cyrus Rose?
- If Dan was sending you poetry, would you be uncomfortable, like Serena is? Why or why not?
- Why does the group continue to put up with Chuck's pervy and disgusting antics?
Challenge issues: Sex, Drugs, Underage Drinking
- Familiarize yourself with the book and its contents.
- Check the library for specific policies on challenged books.
- Check the ALA website for advice on how to respond and react when a book has been challenged. (http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/challengeslibrarymaterials/index.cfm)
- Find positive reviews from reputable websites.
- Ask the challenger for their specific objections and try to address them using information from the above research.
Interest Age: Grades 10 and up
Why I selected this piece: These books are the ultimate guilty pleasure, and are really popular with a lot of teens. I wanted to read a few of them so that I could discuss them with others who enjoyed the books.
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