In the Spotlight (Pages Between Us Series #2)

by Lindsey Leavitt, Abby Dening (Illustrator), Robin Mellom

Overview

BFFs Olivia and Piper star in this fun snapshot of middle grade friendship told in a sweet journal-style book packed with engaging art. This is a follow-up to The Pages Between Us, by beloved middle grade authors Lindsey Leavitt and Robin Mellom.

It’s time for the Battle of the Books!

When no one from their school signs up for the annual competition, BFFs Piper (The Drama Lover) and Olivia (The Bookworm) decide to put their talents to good use by creating a video to get their classmates excited about the contest.

Only things don’t go exactly as planned…

The video goes viral, thrusting Olivia into a spotlight she never wanted, while no one seems to remember that Piper wrote, produced and directed the video. And on top of everything, while their video motivated a lot of people to sign up to participate in Battle of the Books, no one seems to have any interest in doing the reading.

With the tournament approaching will Piper and Olivia be able to work together to save the day yet again?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062377760
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	03/14/2017
Series:	Pages Between Us Series , #2
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	336
File size:	8 MB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Lindsey Leavitt is a former elementary school teacher and present-day writer/mom/party animal (not to be confused with her spirit animal, which is a lion). She lives with her family in the Utah mountains. She is the author of the Commander in Cheese series, The Pages Between Us series (co-written with Robin Mellom), Sean Griswold’s Head, Going Vintage, The Chapel Wars, and the Princess for Hire series.

Robin Mellom is the author of several middle grade novels, including the Classroom series, Confessions from the Principal’s Kid, and The Pages Between Us, which was coauthored with Lindsey Leavitt. Her own child was born just like Hannah Sparkles: without crying one bit! Robin lives in California with her family, where she twirls, sparkles, and shines as often as possible. These days, her go-to happy place is the beach. Learn more at www.robinmellom.com. 

Editorial Reviews

Fresh, funny, and sometimes frantic, this title is a celebration of friendship at its finest.” — Booklist

From the Publisher

Fresh, funny, and sometimes frantic, this title is a celebration of friendship at its finest.

Booklist

Fresh, funny, and sometimes frantic, this title is a celebration of friendship at its finest.

Booklist

01/01/2017
Gr 4–7—In this second installment of the series, the anxious and studious Olivia gets help from her best friend, Piper, who is struggling to make her own mark in a family of standouts. Olivia's beloved Battle of the Books competition is threatened by lack of interest, so Piper puts her video-making skills to work and creates a YouTube sensation to drum up participants. Readers are privy to back-and-forth notes, texts, emails, blog posts, memos from the principal, and more, resulting in an up-close look at this friendship. Most entries are printed in a normal font, while other notes, posters, etc., look handwritten, keeping the pace quick and the content visually interesting. The plot is linear, and enough background is provided so tweens do not miss anything by reading the novels in this series out of order. Olivia and Piper are sweet and even in their most private correspondence seem well-behaved, making this a safe pick for younger readers. The girls document their concerns and help each other work through issues such as anxiety, school woes, and crushes, which makes the characters relatable to those dealing with similar problems. Bonus points go to the author for including plentiful references to other middle grade titles as part of the Battle of the Books story line.VERDICTRecommended for general purchase, especially where there are fans of the first volume.—Lindsay Jensen, Nashville Public Library

School Library Journal

2016-12-06
Best friends Piper and Olivia are back for a second outing in The Pages Between Us series. The sixth-graders have a lot to adjust to in middle school. Piper is an indifferent student but a talented videographer. Olivia is dealing with serious crushes and the just as crushing news that the Battle of the Books team might be defunct for lack of interest. The two pair up: Piper makes a first-rate video that's posted online and stars Olivia, and both reap benefits when the video starts to go viral. The entire tale is related through the (very long) notes the pair exchange in a shared journal, with the occasional addition of illustrations, video scripts, and other addenda to add variety. It's not easy to see how they have the time to craft such wordy messages. The pair are differentiated enough that each voice is recognizable. They both have their own middle school issues to angst over, Piper that she feels like an unnecessary, unappreciated member of her large family and Olivia that she overthinks everything and gets a bit worked up as a consequence. A popular classmate also weighs in through her blog, which adds a humorous counterpoint to the often earnest journal entries. Piper and Olivia are both depicted with light skin on the cover, blonde Olivia's a bit lighter than brunette Piper's. Not much happens, but it's all fun and readily recognizable middle school stuff. (Fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews