Product Description

Now in its fourth hardcover printing, Define "Normal" has become a word-of-mouth phenomenon. This is a thoughtful, wry story about two girls-a "punk" and a "priss"-who find themselves facing each other in a peer-counseling program, and discover that they have some surprising things in common.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #393462 in Books
• Published on: 2003-05-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 52
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780316734899
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
In this middle-school drama, two seeming opposites become friends and discover they are not such opposites after all. Peters (How Do You Spell G-E-E-K?) does little to update this well-trod theme, and while there are touching moments in her book, it's generally bland. Nerdy Antonia is assigned to peer-counsel Jazz, whom Antonia assumes is "hopeless. A punker. A druggie. A gang hanger." After a few agonizing sessions, Antonia begins to realize how much she needs someone to talk to. Her dad has split (as readers learn midway through), her mom's so depressed she can't get out of bed and Antonia's overwhelmed with responsibility and pain. Not only does Jazz literally intervene to get her family back on the road to recovery, but by offering her friendship, Antonia learns to depend on someone besides herself. In turn, she helps Jazz learn to talk to her parents and to compromise on arguments without compromising herself. They both learn that judging people by their outside appearance can be misleading. Occasionally, Peters captures a feeling perfectly, like Antonia's loneliness. "That's how I feel, I thought. Like a star...," she says, looking at the sky. "Distant. Detached. Blinking. On-off. On-off." Mostly, though, the exposition depends more on telling than showing. Ages 8-12. (Apr.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 7-10-When Antonia is assigned to Jazz as a peer counselor, she figures there is no way she can help this tattooed, pierced, incorrigible girl. They are complete opposites. Antonia is a straight-A student whose parents are divorced and she is struggling to keep what's left of her family together as her mother battles depression. Jazz's family is wealthy and seemingly perfect. As they continue through the 15 hours of peer counseling, it becomes clear that both girls have issues they need to work through. They go from wary classmates to friends who support and help one another. As Antonia's mother is hospitalized for her depression, Jazz battles her own mother's need to control by quitting the one thing she loves most-playing classical piano. Both girls deal with their losses by finding new ways to look at their problems and to resume life as "normally" as possible. This believable book is well written and readers will feel that they know both Jazz and Antonia, and they will want to see them triumph over the frustrations in their lives.
Kimberly A. Ault, Lewisburg Area High School, PA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Antonia Dillon, a driven honor student at Oberon Middle School, is not surprised when she is asked to become a peer counselor. It's just another honor to add to her resume. But her first counseling session is pure culture shock--Antonia has been paired with the notorious Jasmine "Jazz" Luther, a punker with incredible attitude who uses black lipstick and is into body piercing and tattoos. As the two girls reluctantly continue their sessions, a strange, tentative friendship develops, with each girl gradually revealing more and more about her troubled life. Antonia admits that her divorced mother is deeply depressed and unable to work or care for her family; Jazz talks about her controlling, materialistic yuppie parents and their expectations. As secret after secret is exchanged, it becomes obvious that the "priss" and the punker are made to be best friends. Although the book is marred by one-dimensional secondary characters and a pat conclusion, girls will still enjoy the appealing main characters in this after-school-special-style friendship story. A quick, enjoyable read that will also attract reluctant readers. Jean Franklin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Customer Reviews

Anything But Normal
Antonia, a straight-A student, a teacher-pleaser, and a "priss," is assigned Jasmine, a punker, a "in-your-face" non-conformist, for peer counseling in their middle school. Both are certain that the counseling is a waste of their time. But as Antonia's home life disintegrates, she finds she looks forward to meeting with Jazz. And Jazz likes talking with Antonia about her family life as well. The two slowly form a bond.

This is much more than a book about two girls in middle school. It's about the effects that both "good" and "bad" parents have on their children, it's about deciding what is, and isn't, normal, and it's about accepting the non-conformists in our midst.

This is an excellent book for all ages (even though it is about 8th graders, high schoolers can get something from it). Parents, too, should read it - it might help them understand what - and more importantly why - their children are revolting.

My Review for "Define 'Normal'"
I enjoyed reading "Define 'Normal'" very much. I found it to be an excellent book because I can relate all too well to both Antonia and Jazz. In this story it clearly shows how it is sometimes hard to accept a reaching hand and how sometimes you just want to take care of things on your own. Still, it shows the power of friendship and how much friends can help us, and how friendship can be found in the most unexpected places.
I've re-read this book many times from the local library, and have come to decide to buy my own hardcover copy of it. Love this book, awesome read.

Define "Normal"
The book Define Normal by Julie Anne Peters was a great book. It was about two teenage girls that by looks are completely opposite. Antonia-very smart and dedicated to school joined the peer counseling program at school to help out other students and so she can go to college a year earlier, she was looking forward to doing this until she found out who she was assigned to counsel, Jazz Luther-a punker, and a drugie. After the first few sessions Antonia was begging to quit but her teacher convinced her to give Jazz a chance. When they started telling the truth and letting out some of their feelings they started to realize that they are not as different as they thought. They start to become friends and realize how good it is to have someone there to lean onto and to always talk to. The main intentions of the book were to not judge someone by how look and not to give up on just on a first impression. I think the author did a great job proving that point. I really recommend this book to others. It is very interesting and almost anyone can enjoy it. It helps remind you not to judge people by the inside and not to always assume and jump to conclusions before you really get to know them.