Beverley Fahey (Children's Literature)
You are cordially invited to the Stardust Dance, Friday, May 31 at the Dogwood Junior High to honor all graduating eighth graders. As the students enter the glittering, decorated cafeteria, they are filled with all the excitement, hesitancy, and expectations that accompany these events. For a few hours, we the readers, join them and are privy to their most intimate secrets and fears. The dance is the common thread that binds not only the stories but also the tangled and complex lives of these young teens. There is Russ Mills emerging from the grief of his best friend's death, Mary Sarah Tanner daring to leave an abusive home, Becca Scott cowering in the bathroom after a brutal assault, Cub Tanner questioning his attraction to another boy, and Mason Hatfield and Carrie Jorgensen who cannot summon the courage to ask one another to dance. Shattered lives, broken promises, and wounded psyches, common themes in young adult novels, are given fresh treatment due to the thoughtful and eloquent writing of the author. While angst might seem to be the central plot motivator, it is in fact hope--hope and a belief that each youngster has in himself. Individually each story is touching and poignant, read as a whole they are a fitting tribute to the resiliency and courage of youth. 2000, Harcourt, $15.00. Ages 12 to 14.

Janice M. Del Negro (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, May 2000 (Vol. 53, No. 9))
The Stardust Dance is the gala event of the year at Dogwood Junior High, and Appelt follows eight eighth-graders to the sparkle-and-glitter transformed high-school cafeteria for the big night. Eight short stories run the thematic gamut, simple tales of first love vying with more serious themes. Characters have complex inner lives: Russ grieves silently after the accidental death of his girlfriend, Annie (“Just a Kiss, Annie P.”); Cub struggles with his longing for his best friend, Travis (“Starbears”); Becca, locked in a tiny bathroom cubicle, reels from a date rape (“The Right Word”). The writing style is engaging, whether the story is being narrated in first or third person, and the language is succinct yet expressive. Although the trials and tribulations of the characters are somewhat programmatic, the author never takes them lightly, and there is an earnest undertone that colors her plots. While that undertone indicates a deserved respect for the reading audience, it also makes the stories tonally similar; these students are a generic cross-section of personalities, with little specificity to differentiate between them. Still, this will be an easy booktalk, and young adolescents looking for a story with which they can identify may very well find it here. (Reviewed from galleys) Review Code: Ad -- Additional book of acceptable quality for collections needing more material in the area. (c) Copyright 2000, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2000, Harcourt, 128p, $15.00. Grades 7-10.

Senoya Driskell (The Lorgnette - Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 13, No. 2))
KISSING TENNESSEE is a collection of stories pertaining to a graduating eighth-grade dance. Each chapter contains a different story about very different students. Each chapter's story takes the reader into the lives, thoughts, and feelings of the characters involved. The reader is offered a glance into the youthful, yet complicated and sometimes confusing, minds of student's on the verge of "growing up." The book deals very sensitively with issues that are "typical" of children at this age in life. Some of the stories, however, discuss issues and topics that may seem too controversial to some readers, children and adults alike. This book is a good source for students dealing with issues such as romance, abuse of various forms, and finding themselves. The writing style Appelt incorporates transports the reader into the Stardust Dance and each story that is occurring all at once. Each story is unique, yet connected so delicately. One caution to young readers might be some of the issues that the book deals with. Appelt handles the situations well, but care should be taken when reading this book. Students might need a further explanation or someone who can answer any questions that may arise. Grades 6 and up. 2000, Harcourt, 118p, $15.00. Ages 11 up.

Kathleen Beck (VOYA, October 2000 (Vol. 23, No. 4))
The junior high cafeteria is decorated for the Stardust Dance, and the eighth graders are getting ready for their graduation celebration. Tim searches his closet for just the right shirt to wear, while in her trailer, Tawny tries on her mama's unlikely dancing shoes. The interrelated stories in this collection serve as snapshots of some members of the class. Gentle, quiet, sometimes humorous, the tales sneak in some serious issues. Cub comes to terms with his sexuality; Becca's high school boyfriend talks her into sneaking out of the dance and then rapes her; and Mary Sarah remembers leaving her parents' home after her father beats her sister for wearing lipstick. In a more lighthearted piece, Peggy Lee discovers a new side to her lifelong friend, Tennessee. Blues musician Mason gives a good idea of Appelt's approach when he says to classical violinist Carrie, "It's not that I can't play the notes as written, it's that there are so many more interesting notes in between." Appelt uses a variety of styles and voices, making the personalities of the characters come alive. The reader moves from preparations for the evening to the thoughts of the dancers on the floor to a subtle wrap-up in the last dance. Stories are told in first, second, and third person and range from straightforward narrative to stream of consciousness. This satisfying book will grow on the reader. So mix the punch and start the glitter ball revolving--the Stardust Dance is about to begin. VOYA CODES: 5Q 4P M J (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2000, Harcourt, 144p, $15. Ages 11 to 15.