Circles

by Marilyn Sachs

Overview

Beebe Clarke and Mark Driscoll both live with single parents in San Francisco. They even go to the same high school-but they've never met. Beebe is earnestly interested in Shakespeare and acting, and Mark is deeply involved with astronomy. Both of them would like to find someone of the opposite sex who views life as seriously as they do-but they keep missing one another. Juvenile/middle grade fiction by Marilyn Sachs; originally published by Puffin

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781610846134
Publisher:	Belgrave House
Publication date:	11/01/1992
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	272 KB
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

Editorial Reviews

Beebe and Mark may--or may not--be meant for each other. Although they live near one another, are juniors in the same high school and have friends in common, they don't meet until the novel's very last page. They come maddeningly close to meeting: Beebe's widowed mother even goes on a few dates with Mark's divorced father. And because Beebe's best friend is obsessed with arranging a blind date for the star-crossed duo, they hear quite a lot about each other. A subplot concerning a modernized version of Romeo and Juliet provides a bland counterpoint to this good- natured account of romantic blindman's buff. Mark and Beebe, though appealing, seem several years younger than their supposed ages. Ages 10-14. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Gr 6-9-- The story of Circles leaves off where many teen romances begin--the scene where boy meets girl. Using alternating points of view, Sachs draws a picture of the common threads in the lives of Mark Driscoll and Beebe Clarke. The 16-year-olds both live in San Francisco with a single parent, have a serious disposition, a passionate interest, and long for a close relationship with a member of the opposite sex. Beebe is an aspiring actress who inherited her mother's love for Shakespeare. Mark, who is fascinated by astronomy, recently moved to his father's house to escape his mother's nagging and coddling. Again and again the circles of Mark's and Beebe's lives intersect--their mutual friends try to introduce them to one another, and their parents date each other briefly--but something always prevents their paths from actually crossing. Sach's well-drawn characters and carefully orchestrated plot provide a fast and entertaining read. Younger teens, who often speculate about what might have happened ``if only,'' are sure to enjoy Sach's fresh and accurate perspective on life. --Jennifer Kraar, St. Joseph's University, Philadelphia

School Library Journal