Author: Olivia Bennett
Illustrator: Georgia Rucker
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Publication Date: September 1, 2010
Source: Publisher for review
A great read for the tween (and older) crowd, The Allegra Biscotti Collection finds
the perfect balance of believable contemporary fiction with a dash of what if.
Eighth grader, Emma Rose loves fashion and creating amazing
outfits. She even has her own “studio” tucked away in a corner of her father’s
wholesale lace business. That studio is where an influential fashionista finds
some of Emma’s designs. A few photos and a blog post later and Emma has the
opportunity of a lifetime; a feature in her favorite fashion magazine. Instead
of owning up to the designs, thinking that no one would believe they were
created by a fourteen year old, Emma creates Allegra Biscotti - her secret
designing identity.
Emma Rose is one of those characters you want to root for. As I was reading, I wanted good things to happen for her.
Emma is passionate about fashion and designing, but she’s also a typical eighth
grader worried about friends, a secret crush and getting all of her homework
done. All of that makes her very relatable. Plus she sounds like a teen; the
snappy, smart dialogue is very believable.
Overall,
The Allegra Biscotti Collection was a fun book that will be a hit with tween
readers.
The secondary characters shine as well. Emma’s friend
Charlie, the only one who knows the truth about her secret identity, is the
perfect sidekick. He’s supportive, comes up with crazy ideas, and is willing to
help in any way possible. The Ivana-bees - we can all remember girls like these
at our own middle or high schools - rather than make them all clones, Ms
Bennett has given each of them their own distinct personalities and how they
play off each other and Emma adds another layer to the story. And as an adult
reader, I love that Emma’s parents were very present in her life.
I want to mention the format of the book as well. The illustrations
that appear on almost every page are spot on. They look exactly like they are
straight from Emma’s sketch books.
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