Sunday, May 22, 2005

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
Their mothers were in the same aeorbic classes when they were pregnant. They've been best friends ever since.

Carmen got the jeans at a thrift shop. They didn’t look all that great: they were worn, dirty, and speckled with bleach. On the night before she and her friends part for the summer, Carmen decides to toss them. But Tibby says they’re great. She'd love to have them. Lena and Bridget also think they’re fabulous. Lena decides that they should all try them on. Whoever they fit best will get them. Nobody knows why, but the pants fit everyone perfectly. Even Carmen (who never thinks she looks good in anything) thinks she looks good in the pants. Over a few bags of cheese puffs, they decide to form a sisterhood and take the vow of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants . . . the next morning, they say good-bye. And then the journey of the pants — and the most memorable summer of their lives — begins.

A fun and real life look at four friends who are as different as they are alike. They bring out the worst and best in each other as they are on their own for the summer. We see the pants travel from one place to another giving each girl the strength and courage to do what they should. I wish I had these pants when I was their age. Perhaps I would have been more bold and brave.

Now it's been made into a movie. I hope it stay true to the book.

Second summer of the sisterhood
Like the summer before, Carmen, Bridget, Tibby, and Lena share their individual adventures with the Pants collective, creating an engaging, kaleidoscopic narrative of four voices. This summer, Tibby attends a film program in Virginia and Bridget (Bee), whose mother has died, impulsively jets off to Alabama to get reacquainted with her estranged grandmother. Lovely Lena tries to protect herself from the heartbreak of loving her long-distance Greek god boyfriend Kostos, and Carmen deals (poorly) with her mother dating again and having the nerve to borrow the Pants!

Fun to be had by all, as we live a 2nd summer of the pants!