Booktalking Colorado - Full Booktalk Record

Booktalking Colorado Full Record:

	Title:	Flipped
	Author:	Van Draanen, Wenielyn
	Date Published:	2001
	Genre:	Real Life
	Grade Level:	6 - 12
	Booktalker:	Sam Marsh

Booktalk:
It started the summer before 2nd grade. No sooner had we pulled in with the moving van, then she, Juli Baker, showed up. From the first, she shoved, barged, and wedged her way into my life. When dad tried to run interference for me, she ignored him and kept coming. I heard her following me as I headed into the house. But when I tried to break away from her, our hands became tangled, and...I was holding her muddy hand and she wouldn't let go, and then mom comes out grinning at us and my red face, and asks me to show her around the house. I locked myself in the bathroom, and eventually, she went away. My sister Lynetta wasn't a big help. Just the opposite, so I spent the next week hiding in the house. In school, Juli ran across the room squealing and tackled me--Mrs. Yelson called it a "welcome hug," but it was no hug. It was an invitation to disaster. "Where's your girlfriend, Bryce?" and "Are you married yet Bryce?" It didn't get better in the following years either. Even when I asked Shelly Stalls--nice, friendly Shelly Stalls with all the hair--out in fifth grade for the express purpose of warding Juli off. Only problem, Shelly took things way too seriously, talking about us being in love and all, and Juli got into a fight with her and then Garrett told Shelly what I was up to, and the principal even got involved. I flipped the first day I met Bryce Loski. It was his eyes--blue and framed in the blackness of his lashes. I thought I'd die wanting to be with him so. My mom made we wait for over an hour for them to get settled before I could go visiting. I could tell Bryce wasn't into the unpacking, so I offered to help, and partially succeeded by getting his dad to send him off to help his mother unpack. I chased Bryce up the walkway, trying to get him to stop so maybe we could play a little soccer before he was trapped and...suddenly we're holding hands and he's looking right into by eyes. I almost got my first kiss that day, but his mother came out the front door and Bryce, being so shy, turned red and ran to hide in the bathroom. His older sister, Lynetta, came by and made it worse telling him about a "hot chick" out waiting him. That embarrassed me, so I left. I chased that first kiss through second and third grade before I learned to control myself, but my heart still hummed when I saw him. Then in fifth grade, whiny, gossipy, backstabbing ninny Shelly Stalls came into the picture. She was too 'delicate' to ever take P.E., and her hair!!! Mountains of it!! Then I saw her holding hands with Bryce! My Bryce who was still too shy to say much more than hello to me and who was still walking around with my first kiss. I had her off him in two seconds flat. Bryce ran away as soon as he was free, but Shelly actually attacked. Of course, I had Fluffy in a headlock before the teachers arrived on the scene.