Hardcover, 247 pages
English language
Published Nov. 6, 2007 by Doubleday UK.
A wonderfully insightful and entertaining novel for older readers from the phenomenal bestselling author.Sylvie and Carl have been friends since they were tiny children. They've always played together, eaten with each other's families, called each other boyfriend and girlfriend and deep down, Sylvie has always believed that they'd end up married to each other. They even have a a magical fantasy world that belongs to them alone - and the glass hut where it's all created, at the bottom of Carl's garden. But as they become teenagers, things are starting to change. They each have different friends. Sylvie would still rather spend all her time with Carl. But Carl has a new friend, Paul, who is taking all his attention. And he seems much less happy to be called Sylvie's boyfriend. And in a game of spin the bottle, he avoids having to kiss her. Sylvie can tell his feelings …
A wonderfully insightful and entertaining novel for older readers from the phenomenal bestselling author.Sylvie and Carl have been friends since they were tiny children. They've always played together, eaten with each other's families, called each other boyfriend and girlfriend and deep down, Sylvie has always believed that they'd end up married to each other. They even have a a magical fantasy world that belongs to them alone - and the glass hut where it's all created, at the bottom of Carl's garden. But as they become teenagers, things are starting to change. They each have different friends. Sylvie would still rather spend all her time with Carl. But Carl has a new friend, Paul, who is taking all his attention. And he seems much less happy to be called Sylvie's boyfriend. And in a game of spin the bottle, he avoids having to kiss her. Sylvie can tell his feelings have changed and that her plans for the future may be affected. But can she guess at the true reasons behind it all? A moving, compelling and delicately handled treatment of sexuality from the Children's Laureate.
read this while at the dude ranch. it was cute but hugely predictable. the british flavor of the story made it more interesting than it probably deserved to be. my fav part was the main character getting her period in grade nine; probably very comforting to a girl who wonders when-oh-when will it be her turn. 12yo daughter read if after me after i left it out for her on her bedside table (hint-hint)
