13 little blue envelopes

Format:

Book

Title:

13 little blue envelopes

Other title(s):

Thirteen little blue envelopes

Author:

Johnson, Maureen, 1973- author.

ISBN:

9780060541415

9780060541422

9780060541439

9780007319909

Edition:

First edition.

Publication:

New York : HarperCollins, [2005]

Physical Description:

317 pages ; 22 cm

Series title(s):

13 little blue envelopes ;

Number in series:

BK. 1.

Summary:

When a deceased aunt leaves 17-year old Ginny thirteen little blue envelopes along with instructions (and the funds) to buy a plane ticket to London, she knows something exciting is going to happen. What Ginny doesn't know is that she will have the adventure of her life and it will change her in more ways than one. Life and love are waiting for her across the Atlantic, and the thirteen little blue envelopes are the key to finding them.

Program Information:

Accelerated Reader Grades 9-12 5 9 Quiz 101453 English fiction.

Accelerated Reader AR UG 5.0 9.0 101453.

Reading Counts RC High School 4.8 15 Quiz: 38603 Guided reading level: NR.

Subject(s):

Voyages and travels -- Juvenile fiction.

Letters -- Juvenile fiction.

Aunts -- Juvenile fiction.

Artists -- Juvenile fiction.

Grief in adolescence -- Juvenile fiction.

Life change events -- Juvenile fiction.

Self-actualization (Psychology) in adolescence -- Juvenile fiction.

Voyages and travels -- Fiction.

Europe -- Juvenile fiction.

Europe -- Fiction.

Geographic Term:

Europe -- Juvenile fiction.

Genre:

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Stayton Public Library	TEEN JOHNSON	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Library	YA FIC JOH	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Salem Main Library	TEEN FICTION Johnson, M.	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Salem Main Library	TEEN Johnson, M.	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

When Ginny receives thirteen little blue envelopes and instructions to buy a plane ticket to London, she knows something exciting is going to happen. What Ginny doesn't know is that she will have the adventure of her life and it will change her in more ways than one. Life and love are waiting for her across the Atlantic, and the thirteen little blue envelopes are the key to finding them in this funny, romantic, heartbreaking novel.

Author Notes

Maureen Johnson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on February 16, 1973. She received an undergraduate degree in writing from the University of Delaware and a MFA in writing from Columbia University School of the Arts. After college and before graduate school, she was the literary manager of a Philadelphia theater company. Her first book, The Key to the Golden Firebird, was published in 2004. Her other works include 13 Little Blue Envelopes, Devilish, Suite Scarlett, The Last Little Blue Envelope, and the Shades of London series.

(Bowker Author Biography)

Reviews (5)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 8-10-This whirlwind adventure begins as Ginny, 17, reads a letter from her free-spirited, unpredictable Aunt Peg, who has recently passed away. She is given several destinations, four rules, and the instruction to open one envelope upon her arrival at each place. Thus begins a rapid tour of Europe as the teen struggles to accomplish the tasks established by her aunt. The motivation: Ginny wants to understand the woman's wanderlust and, possibly, she just wants a connection to her beloved relative. Throughout her adventures in Rome, Paris, Greece, England, and the Netherlands, the teen collects pieces of Peg's past and learns more about her rapid departure. She also learns much about herself. The reason Ginny is sent to meet certain people is not always clear; sometimes she (and readers) wonder about the point of the exercise. Overall, though, the novel drives home the importance of family, love, and the value of connections that you make with people. It is a quick read that will interest high school girls.-Emily Garrett, Naaman Forest High School, Garland, TX (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publisher's Weekly Review

Following the instructions in 13 sealed envelopes provided by her recently deceased aunt, a 17-year-old sets off for the experience of a lifetime. "Equal parts poignant, funny and inspiring, this tale is sure to spark wanderlust," said PW in a starred review. Ages 12-up. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Horn Book Review

When she receives a package of thirteen envelopes from her late aunt, timid seventeen-year-old Ginny heads off on her own to London and is sent on a scavenger hunt throughout Europe. Though it seems unlikely that someone as shy as Ginny would ever take this trip, her travels are entertaining, edifying, and an emotional roller coaster. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

Kirkus Review

Aunt Peg was full of wonder, and 17-year-old Ginny always felt more interesting around her. When Ginny receives a letter from Aunt Peg containing $1,000 and instructions for a mysterious journey, she is propelled into a series of experiences that will change her life. She receives a package containing 13 little blue envelopes, to be opened one at a time and only when she's completed the task in each letter. She goes to London, Scotland, Italy, Rome, Paris and elsewhere, ultimately realizing that she can be interesting by herself; she doesn't have to be with Peg to feel interesting. The envelopes draw Ginny around the world and the reader along with her, the letters providing a nice change of pace to the third-person narrative. Johnson's writing is sophisticated and humorous, her characterizations pitch perfect. Aunt Peg seems as real as Ginny, though we find early on that she has died and exists for Ginny only through her letters and memory. A sure hit with fans of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. (Fiction. 12+) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

Gr. 8-11. Seventeen-year-old Ginny had always admired her aunt Peg, a free-spirited artist who often disappeared for months, most recently to Europe. Now Aunt Peg has died of brain cancer, and in a characteristically cryptic gesture made before her death, she arranged for her niece to receive a plane ticket to London, where Ginny will begin a series of adventures. Guided by Peg's friends and the instructions in each of 13 letters her aunt wrote, Ginny sets off across Europe. Staying with Peg's contacts or in hostels, Ginny begins to peel away some of the mythic layers surrounding her aunt, even as she falls into thrilling escapades and a blossoming romance. Johnson's plot stretches plausibility. Would Ginny's practical mother really have agreed to such a solo, undefined journey? But readers will probably overlook any improbabilities and willingly accompany Ginny through her sensitive, authentically portrayed experiences--uncomfortable, lonely, giddy, and life changing--as she pieces together family mysteries and discovers herself. --Gillian Engberg Copyright 2005 Booklist