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

Moses, Kate. Cakewalk

Moses, Kate Cakewalk
Dial see Random 2010 351p 26.00
978-0-385-34298-8 hs/adult VG


Moses’ memoir depicts a childhood in a dysfunctional family that was a recipe for disaster. However, at the end of each chapter she includes a sweet recipe culled from the bright spots in her life. A fascinating tale of heartbreak and cravings that attests to the strength of the human soul.
Her mother, a fun person when the children (two younger brothers) were young becomes neglectful as they get older; her father is straight laced and increasingly verbally abusive. Her family moves across the country from California to Pennsylvania and then to Alaska. Moses gets through the worst times that includes lack of friends, loss of parental care, and lack of self esteem, via her love of junk food that eventually expands to encompass learning to bake gourmet fare as she matures. When Moses leaves home to attend college in California, she comes to learn that she loves literature and is a gifted writer. Her view of herself changes as she goes out into the world, away from her family and sees that she is a valuable being. She continues to struggle when her new husband abandons her and the new baby but the strength she gained through her past tribulations allows her to heal and love her family. At the end of each chapter, Moses includes a sugary recipe culled from the bright spots in her life. This is a fascinating tale of heartbreak and sweet cravings that attests to the strength of the human soul. Funny, literate, honest, and very delicious. Recommended for high school libraries. Weinraub, Tina