Review: Kissing Tennessee by Kathi Appelt

5 sweet chocolate chip cookies.

Cover Love:  It's alright.  The color is what caught my eye.  That and the author's name.

Why I Wanted to Read This:

I was doing inventory i my library and started with the short story books.  When I saw this one was written by Kathi Appelt I immediately started reading.  She is amazing.  Here is the synopsis from GoodReads:

Mason and Carrie Marie can't get up the courage to ask each other to dance. Russ's girlfriend has died, and now he's just trying to live without her. Peggy Lee has grown up with Tennessee--how can she ever think of him as more than a friend?
In these moving tales and others, Kathi Appelt captures the sometimes amusing, sometimes touching missteps of some unforgettable students, who come together one last time for the most memorable night of their young lives.

I Kept Reading Because:
The stories were short and the reading was quick.  And sweet.  And emotional.

Romance?:  Yes!  All kinds.

What I Liked (& Didn't):

In the very first story there is a a boy just wanting to make the walk across the gym and ask a girl to dance.  It is such a pretty story and it just takes you back to those first crushes.  There is a line that Ms. Appelt writes: "She takes up all the space inside me."  Isn't that a perfect description of romance and first love and crushes?

Also, Kathi Appelt needs to write a romance.  Maybe even a YA romance.  Soon.

And the stories just pick up from there.  There is first kisses, girls learning to be independent, a couple heart breaking romances, a boy struggling with his feelings for another boy, an assault, all of it.  It's all packed into this little book of stories and they are written so well.  I always feel like I am reading a song when I read Kathi Appelt.

This is a rare book where I teared up smiling and teared up because it broke my heart.  And I grinned because I can remember feeling those feelings. This is an awesome middle grade-on the cusp of adulthood book!

To Sum Up:  I am going to be adding this one to the book I booktalk.  I hope it finds someone who recognizes how special it is!

Book from my library.