By Teen Volunteer Rachel Mullis

Nothing in life matters more than friendship, and friendship is a great thing to read about! The book the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares is about the friendship shared between teenagers Tibby, Carmen, Lena, and Bridgid. Their mothers were best friends who met while they were pregnant at a class they were all taking, and since the moment they were born all four girls were best friends as well. They went through everything together, divorce, death, and heartbreak. They spent every waking moment with each other, even during the summer, but now things are changing. Lena is going to Greece for the summer to visit relatives, Brigid is going to a soccer camp far away, Carmen is going to stay with her dad for the summer, and Tibby is stuck home working a boring job for minimum wage and making documentaries in her spare time. All four girls are upset about being apart for the summer, until something happens.

The girls are shopping in a second hand store when they find a pair of jeans that fits all of them. It might not sound that climactic because all of the girls could be the same size, then that wouldn’t be interesting at all. The thing is, every one of the girls are different sizes. Lena is dainty and small, Brigid is tall and thin, Carmen is shorter and curvy, and Tibby is very average. When the girls find the pants they decide they are lucky, so they make plans to send the pants around the group of friends along with a note to share how their summers are going. While the girls are apart for the summer they begin to grow apart, but they have to find a way to be there for each other when the summer’s over and each girl is left heart broken in their own separate ways.

This book was very moving, and it made me cry more than once. However, this book is not for younger children. It is not always appropriate. I think middle school age would a good age for kids to read this book at because of some of the content. I think it is a good book for kids at that age especially because middle school is hard, and often can be hard in the friend department. This book highlights the importance of being a good friend which is an important skill to have. Also I would suggest reading the book before watching the movie because I always find that books have more detail and are often better than movies. I do however think both things were done well.

This book is a wonderful read for middle school and over that teaches a wonderful message about the importance of friendship. While the book may have some parts that are not appropriate for younger kids, it is a book I think is worth waiting for. I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this book, and I really don’t have any complaints. Those who really enjoy this book are in luck because it is a quadrilogy meaning it is a series of four. This book is amazing and I say it is definitely worth reading.

Join us for a book discussion series provided by the Maine Humanities Council in partnership with the Maine State Library. The series “The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today?” begins on September 18 and will be facilitated by author and historian David Richards.

https://mainehumanities.org/programs/lets-talk/the-gilded-age-a-tale-of-today/

Books to be read and discussed include: “The Devil in the White City” by Erik Larson; “The Gilded Age” by Mark Twain & Charles Dudley Warner; “The Age of Innocence” by Edith Wharton; “The Rise of Silas Lapham” by William Dean Howells; and “Poland Spring: A Tale of the Gilded Age” by David Richards.

Call the library to register at 564-3350. For more information about “Let’s Talk About It” and the Maine Humanities Council, please visit www.mainehumanities.org