1. Girls Don't Fly by Kristen Chandler

Ok, here we are, my first book!

Girls Don't Fly by Kristen Chandler
Published November 2011, Penguin
From the publisher:

Myra is used to keeping her feet firmly on the ground. She's got four younger brothers, overworked parents, and a pregnant older sister, and if Myra wasn't there to take care of everyone, they'd probably fall apart. But when her boyfriend unceremoniously dumps her, Myra feels like she's lost her footing. Suddenly she's doing things she never would have a few months earlier: jumping around in a chicken suit for a part-time job, competing against her ex-boyfriend for a scholarship to study birds in the Galápagos, and falling for a guy who's encouraging her to leap from her old life . . .and fly.

This is the first book by Kristen Chandler that I had read, and I enjoyed it enough that I will go out and find her first novel Wolves, Boys, and Other Things That Might Kill Me.


Myra is one of six children and her life is not easy.  She spends her time at school, studying, working and looking after her 4 younger brothers. It might be quite eye opening for any teenager readers who think their life is hard when they have to load the dish washer AND put the rubbish out.  While it sounds like it could be quite a depressing book, it's not.  Myra takes all of the challenges she faces in her stride, and while she wishes she didn't have so much responsibility, it's her family who needs her, and she would (and does) anything for them.  This book has a bit of everything, family life, school life, work life...and boys (both nice and not very nice).

Who will like this book: Girls 14+.
Read it if you like: Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti