If We Kiss
Grade 7-9&ndash;High school freshman Charlie is ready for her first kiss. The big day arrives when Kevin Lazarus chooses her, taking her by the hand and leading her outside. Charlie, who before the kiss doesn't particularly like him, finds herself both intrigued and grossed out by the germs to which she's been exposed. She is not sure if it really happened and she tells no one, not even her best friend, Tess. Her confusion is further compounded when Tess sets her eyes on Kevin and wins his affections, her mother becomes romantically involved with Kevin's father, and Charlie becomes increasingly more obsessed with the teen. Over Christmas break, she and her mother go on a skiing vacation with the Lazarus family, and Mr. Lazarus and Charlie's mom become engaged. Charlie is once again kissed by Kevin; from here on the plot focuses on Charlie obsessing over kissing Kevin again and her feelings of guilt about her lack of honesty toward her best friend. Unfortunately, other conflicts in the story aren't as fully developed. However, Charlie tells her story in a fresh voice and begins to realize that there is a difference between being obsessed and truly caring about someone. While Charlie and Tess are typical teenagers navigating their way through high school angst, Kevin remains one-dimensional and readers learn little about him besides his habit of kissing girls. A light read for fans of Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's "Alice" series (S &amp; S).&ndash;Angela M. Boccuzzi-Reichert, Merton Williams' Middle School, Hilton, NYCopyright &copy; Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.