Johnson, Maureen. 13 little blue envelopes

Kliatt, Sept, 2005 by Janis Flint-Ferguson

JOHNSON, Maureen. 13 little blue envelopes. Harper Collins. 336p. c2005. 0-06-054141-5. $15.99. JS

Ginny begins an incredible summer journey with a package of little blue envelopes from her Aunt Peg. Peg ran away from home at age 17 and traveled to a variety of places where she met artists, studied art, lived above a Chinese restaurant and settled in New York City. Then without warning, she ran away again. But what makes this package of letters significant is that Aunt Peg has died. Yet, Ginny gains parental approval and follows the instructions that Peg has laid out for her. She is to make an odyssey and the first stop is London, where she meets Peg's friend, Richard, who works at Harrod's. She also meets Keith, a college boy who has written and produced a play. Following the instructions in each envelope, Ginny's odyssey takes her to Scotland, to Rome, and Paris, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Greece. In each place, she has a small task to perform--support the arts, visit an art gallery, see the countryside, stay at a particular hostel. With each city, Ginny learns more about herself and about her aunt who had made this same journey before she became ill. She is scrupulous about following her aunt's instructions. Intertwined in her journey are Keith and a romantic relationship. As she comes to the last of the letters, Ginny has grown from the shy teenager she was to one who is more independent, more invested in the life around her. At the end of the journey, she better understands her aunt and her aunt's passion for living even in the face of illness and death. Janis Flint-Ferguson, Assoc. Prof., English, Gordon College, Wenham, MA

J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are of particular interest to young adolescents and their teachers.

S--Recommended for senior high school students.