Gurevich, Margaret. All or Nothing.

Gurevich, Margaret.  All or Nothing.  (Series: Chloe By Design.)  Capstone Publishers  2017  96p  $24.65          978-1-4965-3263-3     ms   Realistic fiction  VG                        

Middle-school students who enjoy fashion will appreciate this new title in the Chloe By Design series.  Written in an easy-to-comprehend manner, the book introduces students to Chloe, a senior in high school who loves fashion.  From accessories to clothes to the styling and design of everything, Chloe’s world revolves around her love of fashion.  Chloe’s diary entry sets the scene for readers.  As she prepares college applications and gets her fashion portfolio ready, she’s been spending time with Nina, her former rival.  Students will cheer for Chloe as she maneuvers her way around the entire process, from organizing college tours to creating various designs for her portfolio.  Alex, Chloe’s best friend, is becoming increasingly jealous of the time she spends with Nina.   Worried about their friendship, Chloe continues to tour colleges in both New York and Los Angeles, but she thinks about Alex.  Inspired after a chat with a fashion designer about her future and college choice, Chloe feels empowered to make the best decision for her future.

The author includes colorful illustrations displaying fashion portfolio pages and biographical information on herself and the illustrator.  As of this review, thirteen titles have been published in this new series, all featuring sixteen-year-old Chloe, who loves fashion.  Titles feature clothes, accessories, styling, and designing.  When a new reality television series for aspiring teenage designers is holding auditions in her town, she's desperate to win a spot on the show. Chloe will need to survive the competition and shine like a star.  The book would make a good addition to a middle-school collection for casual reading.                                                 

Summary: “Chloe and Nina have always been rivals, but now, as they create fashion portfolios for their college applications, they have come to respect and like each other, and working together is proving beneficial--but her best friend Alex is jealous of the amount of time the two are spending together.”     

Fashion-Fiction, Best friends-Fiction                                                 --Charleen Forba-MacCain

Gurevich, Margaret. Measuring Up. (Chloe by Design.)

Gurevich, Margaret.  Measuring Up.  (Chloe by Design.)          Capstone Publishers            2016    9378p  $18.49  ISBN 978-1-62370-727-9  ms/hs  Realistic fiction        VG-BN

Compiling four of the shorter Chloe By Design books into one, this title will appeal to older readers because of its length.  Chloe has returned from a successful summer internship in New York and feels at odds back in her high school.  Her best friend Alex eggs her on to get started with college applications.  As she looks through the requirements, Chloe chooses her concepts.  Designing gowns for classmates for the Winter Formal is one idea.  As the designs emerge, she cooperates with Nina, her old nemesis, so they can bounce ideas off each other.  Unsure which school she wants to attend, Chloe accompanies her mother to visit the three design schools she is considering.  At the close of this compilation, all applications have been mailed and Chloe has been accepted at all three.  Now she must decide.

The illustrations make this story.  For the non-fashion elite, the illustrations flesh out the text.  The reader can see the designs that have been described. This longer compilation edition may look daunting to younger readers and would appeal mainly to grades 7-10.  It includes the original four volumes of the Chloe by Design series:  Final Cut, Back to Basics, All or Nothing, and Made to Measure .

Summary: This volume represents a compilation of books 9-12 of the series Chloe by Design.  Chloe returns from her summer internship, begins college applications, designs gowns for classmates, visits campuses, and cooperates with Nina (her nemesis). Grades 5-8 and into high school.            

Fashion-Fiction, Careers in fashion-Fiction                                                                           --Joan Theal

Tales From My Closet.

Moses, Jennifer Anne.  Tales From My Closet.  Scholastic Press  2014  298p    $17.99  ISBN 978-0-545-51608-2  jr/sr      Conflict  VG

Oh, the drama of being a sophomore in high school, but without drugs, alcohol or sex.  Five girls have a love of fashion, each with a different sense of fashion style, from jeans/T-shirt outfits to vintage to haute couture.  The differences among the girls do not stop there, but are reflected in their families, ranging from poor to wealthy, academically driven to abusive.  Each girl struggles with family issues caused by mothers, fathers or siblings.  And each lacks self-confidence about something having to do with either body image or academic success.  Each chapter is written from the point of view of one girl; thus, getting to know all the girls takes a long time, as many chapters are more than ten pages in length.  As their family and school lives grow more troubled, a major fashion blog sets in motion the climactic scene that leads to the “frenemies” becoming true friends.  The novel is slightly predictable regarding the romantic crushes that develop and dissolve.  For This book will appeal to girls who love to read about fashion. It will be an eye opener for girls who think they know their parents.  Girls who are struggling through their sophomore year will see that words have meaning and that a perfect facade can hide many problems. This would be a good beach read.

Summary: Five sophomore girls have very different clothing styles and lives.  Can they ever be friends?  The drama of family relationships, romantic crushes and growing up surrounds each of the chapters written from a specific girl’s perspective. Grades 7-11.                       

Fashion-Fiction, Friendship-Fiction             --Lois McNicol

Rudnick, Paul. Gorgeous.

Rudnick, Paul.  Gorgeous.  Scholastic Press     2013  326p  ISBN 978-0-545-46426-0 jr/sr  Hardback    E-BN  Fantasy

Before Becky’s mother dies, she tells Becky to call Tom Kelly and take his offer to provide her with three dresses that will change her world.  This is Becky’s first step to a whirlwind tour of the high-fashion world.  She finds that she has the world in her hands when she lands on the front cover of Vogue.  It seems each new dress adds more to her attractiveness.  Eventually, Rebecca meets the prince of England and falls in love.  Her last dress is her wedding dress.  Will she accept it and marry the prince?

This is a story that demonstrates that everything is not what one thinks. A person needs to be thoroughly grounded in who and what she is before being able to really understand herself.  In this story, Rebecca can’t marry the prince until he can accept her for who she really is within the glitzy, glamorous front presented to the world by high fashion.

This is a very well-written book that will appeal to many young readers.  It is recommended as a basic book for any middle/high school library.  It would make an excellent selection for a basic books list for school libraries.   

Summary: Rebecca Randle lives in a trailer in a small midwestern town.  She meets a top designer who offers to make her the most beautiful woman who ever lived.  But first, Becky must learn who she is before her fantasy falls apart. 

Fashion-Fiction, Beauty-Fiction                                   --Linda McNeil