Grow Up, Tahlia Wilkins! - by Karina Evans (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

In this fun and honest romp about friendship, puberty, and growing up, a debut author gives modern-day readers their own version of Are You There God? It's Me Margaret, for fans of Pixar's Turning Red.

Twelve-year-old Tahlia Wilkins is ready to kick off the perfect summer, starting with an invitation to a pool party being thrown by the most popular kid in school. But when the Red Goddess of Panties, aka her first period, arrives twenty-four hours before the party, it messes up all her plans. To make matters worse, her mom is out of town, and there's no way she's going to ask her awkward dad for help! Tahlia always feared that growing up would be tough, but this is just not fair.

In order to save herself from total embarrassment, it will take all of Tahlia and her best friend Lily's scheming to keep her reputation--and her favorite jeans--from being ruined. Sneak off to the grocery store only to have the clerk price-check your tampons over the loudspeaker? Check. Trick your mature teenage neighbor into letting you use some of her tampons? Check. Take a dip into a fountain to get quarters for a bathroom period product dispenser? Check, check, check!

With the hilarious and heartwarming tone of Dork Diaries, Grow Up, Tahlia Wilkins! is a coming-of-age middle-grade novel about growing up, in all of its awkward glory.

Review Quotes

"Evans offers some practical tips for young people on the brink of menstruation, ending on a family-oriented upswing--and a note of relief."--Publishers Weekly

"Quick-moving, lighthearted, and ultimately heartwarming, this first-person narrative will especially be enjoyed by readers awaiting or having recently experienced their first periods."--Kirkus

"Tahlia's experience of her first period is refreshingly matter-of-fact and extensive . . . Hand this voice-driven novel to kids interested in friendship stories."--Booklist

"This laugh-out-loud and all-too-real story about first periods is sure to speak to girls awaiting (or dreading) their own first periods...Highly recommended."--The Mighty Girl

About the Author

KARINA EVANS studied English and film studies at the University of Delaware before going into a career in the entertainment industry. She currently lives in Los Angeles, California. Grow Up, Tahlia Wilkins! is her first novel. She invites you to visit her online at karinaevans.com