The Year Of Secret Assignments (Ashbury/Brookfield Books)

The Year Of Secret Assignments (Ashbury/Brookfield Books)
by Jaclyn Moriarty

The Year Of Secret Assignments (Ashbury/Brookfield Books)
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Book Summary Information

Author: Jaclyn Moriarty
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-04-01
ISBN: 0439498821
Number of pages: 340
Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks

Book Reviews of The Year Of Secret Assignments (Ashbury/Brookfield Books)

Book Review: One of my all time favorites
Summary: 5 Stars

Ashbury High English teach Mr. Botherit is seriously mistaken if he thinks that the Ashbury-Brookfield pen pal program will bring together the two rival schools with the "Joy of the Envelope." Best friends Lydia, Emily, and Cassie don't plan on participating, but do so anyway for different reasons. Emily wants to get a good grade, Lydia is just messing around, and Cassie, well, is trying to get over her father's death. But getting letters back from Sebastian, Charlie, and Matthew is the start of a new kind of exchange which leads to secret missions, Dates with a Girl, false alarms, fake identities, and quite possibly a war between the schools. Can a group of pranksters get their act together in time to help one of their own and save themselves from a world of trouble? You bet they can.

The Year of Secret Assignments is in all probability one of my most favorite books of all time. Why? Well, what's not to like? Firstly, Moriarty hands readers a handful of clever, smart, and hilarious troublemakers. Lydia, Emily, and Cassie in particular are immensely likable in their thoughts, emotions and fears. And their exploits and lives are just so exciting. Yes, they have to deal with ordinary things such as school and families, but they make everything more interesting by doing random things like experimenting with cooking, Secret Assignments, and sneaking out of class to go to the movies (not that I'd recommend this last one). To top that off, this story is told through a series of letters, journal entries, and emails. Moriarty is certainly a bit unconventional, but it works out fabulously. Readers will be so caught up in the excitement, laughter, and yes, danger of Ashbury High that they will never want to leave.

The Year of Secrets Assignments will be enjoyed by fans of The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie, also by Jaclyn Moriarty, and The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart.

Summary of The Year Of Secret Assignments (Ashbury/Brookfield Books)

Three girls. Three boys. Two rival schools.
This could get messy.

The Ashbury-Brookfield pen pal program is designed to bring together the two rival schools in a spirit of harmony and "the Joy of the Envelope." But when Cassie, Lydia, and Emily send their first letters to Matthew, Charlie, and Sebastian, things don't go quite as planned. What starts out as a simple letter exchange soon leads to secret missions, false alarms, lock picking, mistaken identities, and an all-out war between the schools--not to mention some really excellent kissing.

Popular Aussie writer Jaclyn Moriarty, author of the smash debut, Feeling Sorry for Celia avoids the notorious sophomore slump with this bouncy epistolary follow-up that is brimming with self-confidence and charm. In The Year of Secret Assignments, a tenth grade English teacher attempts to unite feuding schools by launching a pen-pal project. Best friends Cassie, Emily and Lydia initiate the correspondence, and are answered by Matthew, Charlie and Seb. Emily and Lydia are more than pleased with their matches, but quiet Cassie has a frightening experience with Matthew. When Lydia and Emily discover that Matthew has threatened their fragile friend, the Ashbury girls close ranks, declaring an all-out war on the Brookfield boys. Soon, the couples are caught up in everything from car-jacking and lock-picking, to undercover spying and identity theft.

Moriarty?s captivating comedy of manners reads like a breezy 21st century version of Jane Austen--with no end of ridiculous misunderstandings, angst-ridden speeches, and heartfelt make-ups. Female teen fans of Ann Brasheres' The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and Megan McCafferty's Sloppy Firsts will waste no time swapping copies of The Year of Secret Assignments, with all their best buds. (Ages 12 and up) --Jennifer Hubert

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