Awards & Mentions
Emily Goldberg Learns to Salsa: NYPL 2007 - Books for the Teen Age Selection
SASS: Westminster Abby: Booklist 2005 - Top Ten Romance Books for Youth Selection
First Kiss (Then Tell): A Teen magazine recommendation
Reviews
Emily Goldberg Learns to Salsa
"Emily's honest,
thoughtful narrative tells this engaging story of family and culture drawn
from the author's own experience."
-- School Library Journal
"Without heavy
messages, Ostow draws on her own half-Jewish, half-Puerto Rican roots
to tell a moving story that has a solid plotline and plenty of family
secrets -- past and present -- as it opens up issues of tradition, feminism,
friendship, and loyalty."
-- Booklist
"Ostow's story
may be light-hearted, but she delves deeply into the feelings of the heroine
and this newfound extended family."
-- Publishers Weekly
"Emily's voice
is authentic and witty, and her thoughts and observations will ring true
with teens."
-- Jewish Book World Magazine
"Five stars!
... A funny, heartwarming story about family and roots, and how learning
about them can teach you about yourself...Ostow writes with an authentic
teenage voice, in clear and uncluttered prose. Her descriptions of a country
unfamiliar to many of her readers will fascinate and intrigue them. Writing
with respect for a culture different from that of the United States isn't
easy, but Ostow pulls it off with style, drawing on her personal experiences.
Recommended for readers looking for a fun and enjoyable read."
-- Teensreadtoo.com
"A pleasure to
read... The story is a good one-about learning who you are and what it
means to be family."
-- Romantic Times Book Club
"Middle-class
teenagers in San Juan who are smart, talented and ambitious -- where have
we read about them before? I don't think I ever have heard their stories,
so I am happy to read about them in this novel."
-- Kliatt
"Emily's... rocky
interactions with her moody cousin, Lucy...provide short bursts of energy
and propel Emily into becoming more proactive... Emily and Lucy [are]
well-defined...[against] the well-drawn Puerto Rican setting."
-- Kirkus Reviews
Gettin' Lucky
"Four
stars . . . Realistic and interesting."
-- Teensreadtoo.com
"Readers
will respect [Cass] . . . [Her] narration sounds like a real teen."
-- School Library Journal
30 Guys in 30 Days
"High school girls will love this cleverly constructed novel."
-- Kliatt
"Adorable!"
-- VOYA on the Simon Pulse Romantic Comedy series
Westminster Abby
"Teenage girls, especially those with a penchant for travel, will find this a light yet flavorful morsel."
-- Publishers Weekly
"Middle and high school girls will relate to the issues of friendship and dating. Readers will enjoy realistic characters interacting with peers in a foreign country."
-- Alan Review
"Readers will
get the vicarious thrill of being in London with Abby-seeing the sights,
making friends, and dealing with a surprise visit from [ex-boyfriend]
James, the cause of her stay in England. Having gained the affection of
two boys, Abby decides finally to favor neither one and to take time to
learn more about herself and what she wants from life . . . This book
will appeal to teens."
-- School Library Journal
"This is as much as a travel book as a romance, and Ostow does a good job of fitting all the sights, sounds, and smells into the story."
-- Booklist
"A good addition
to a 'clean' romance list."
-- VOYA on the Penguin SASS series
First Kiss (Then Tell)
"A good collection
for browsing...The reader will finish this volume and know that whether
a first kiss is anticipated or unexpected, dreamy or forgettable, this
rite of passage provokes a complex mix of fear, excitement, and relief."
-- Booklist
"The bonbon
factor is high in this collection of splendid YA authors writing about
the inexhaustible subject of kissing...Should have enormous appeal."
-- Kirkus Reviews
"The kisses
in book vary in terms of intensity, awkwardness and unpleasantness but
the authors reminisce with vivid recall and complete honesty. Recommended."
-- Curled Up With A Good Kid's Book
"In a collection
that ranges from funny to bittersweet, from cringe-worthy to downright
disgusting, this is one anthology that is guaranteed to have you laughing
out loud."
-- Teensreadtoo.com
Ultimate Travel Games
"For those long car rides . . . Ostow provides everything."
-- Publishers Weekly
"Something for everyone."
-- Chicago Parent
Interviews
Penguin's SASS Author Interview
Bildungsroman - Little Willow (September 2006)
Bildungsroman - Little Willow (November 2007)
Shaken & Stirred - Gwenda (November 2007)
YA Fresh (February 2008)
