Time To Shine by Lisa Clark

Time To Shine by Lisa Clark
Buy Time To Shine by Lisa Clark at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Confident Readers
Reviewer: Keith Dudhnath
Summary: Lola Love keeps doing her thing: thinking pink, being herself, and being a great role model for tweens and teens without ever being preachy. In this fun addition to the series, she tries out for the school play.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 144	Date: May 2009
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
External links: Author's website
ISBN: 978-0007280704
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Bookbag loved Lola Love's first foray into fiction, and enjoyed interviewing Lisa Clark. The series has continued, and here Lola is trying out for a role in the school play. She's still hanging out with her best friends, the Pink Ladies, and trying not to fall foul of Evil Eva Satine and the Negative Ninas. She's also got a bit of a crush on Eva's boyfriend Jake, and has made a new friend in Oscar.

Lola Love is a great role model for tweens and teens. She suffers from all the usual frets and doubts, but she's well-grounded, supportive and understanding of her friends, knows what she likes, and isn't afraid to be herself. She's cool, but never gets anywhere near being preachy. Her interest in the opposite sex is developing more and more, but she's not boy-crazy at the expense of all else. I was rather moved by her burgeoning relationship with Oscar (even if he did say "so I am" just once or twice too often, to remind us that he's Irish). The two of them are sweet together, and she sets a good example for young girls, even if they may not be ready for boys themselves.

Trying out for the school play is fairly well-worn territory in books, TV programmes and films, but Lola brings her own unique take to it all. There are interesting subplots like her mother getting more serious with her new boyfriend and the home-schooled Bella feeling awkward when Lola mentions things happening at school. To Lisa Clark's credit, these just make up the general tapestry of Lola's life, rather than being things that have to all be wrapped up neatly.

New readers to the Lola Love series wouldn't feel left out if they started with Time To Shine, but they would be well served by starting with the first book in the series, as they'll really get to grips with what makes Lola tick. My thanks to the publishers for sending it to Bookbag.

Ruby Parker: Hollywood Star by Rowan Coleman looks at a young girl, who happens to be a megastar, and is lots of fun too. Give Me A Sign by Shanta Everington is a weightier look at a first love that really moved Bookbag.

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You can read more book reviews or buy Time To Shine by Lisa Clark at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
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