VIP - by Jen Calonita (Paperback)

About the Book

"Twelve-year-old Mackenzie Lowell goes on the road with her favorite boy band when her mom gets a job as the band's tour manager"--

Book Synopsis

Twelve-year-old Mackenzie "Mac" Lowell's dreams have come true. Thanks to her mom scoring the coolest job EVER, Mac is going from boy band fanatic to official tour member of her favorite group, Perfect Storm. Good thing she's brought along her journal so she can record every moment, every breath, and every one of lead singer Zander Welling's killer smiles in written detail and daydreamy doodles.

But between a zillion tour stops and pranks gone wrong, Zander and his fellow band members, Heath Holland and Kyle Beyer, become more like brothers to Mac. When the boys' differences start to drive them apart, can Perfect Storm's biggest fan remind them why they'reperfect together? It'll be up to Mac--and her comic-book alter ego, Mac Attack--to keep the band together and on the road to stardom

Chronicling her experiences on tour, Mac's journal springs to life with black-and-white illustrations and comic-book panels throughout its pages.

Review Quotes

Praise for VIP: I'm With the Band: An Amazon Best Books of December 2015 Selection"Written in diary entries and interspersed with vaguely manga-styled illustrations as well as some of Mackenzie's comic-book stories, this hits the sweet spot for fans of Dork Diaries. This tale of ultimate wish fulfillment is a must-read for starry-eyed fans of boy bands."--Kirkus Reviews

"A fun read for middle school students... [who] can relate to Mac's joy in writing in her journal. All problems are resolved in the end, and Mac and her mother are looking forward to continuing on the band's tour." --School Library Connection

"A sassy and adorable wish-fulfillment adventure that had me squealing and goofy smiling. The characters, the comics, the concerts... I promise, you're going to want to marry this book."--Lindsey Leavitt, author of The Pages Between Us and Princess for Hire

"A sweet and hilarious adventure about fandom, friendship, and family. Jen Calonita has captured the perfect storm of being twelve and finding yourself within reach of your wildest dream."--Jennifer Ziegler, author of Revenge of the Flower Girls

"Calonita (Flunked) targets Directioners and other boy band devotees with this effervescent first book in the V.I.P. series...Gudsnuk, creator of the Henchgirl webcomic, provides exuberant comics sequences and spot illustrations throughout...The real meat of this diary-style story lies in the behind-the-scenes details of life on tour, as well as Mac's relationships with the band members as she gets to know them as real people."--Publishers Weekly

"Calonita captures squealing tween-girl excitement perfectly in this diary-style novel, but she makes sure being a fangirl isn't Mac's only M.O. Her ambitions to be an artist not only feature in the plot but also in its illustrations..."--Booklist

"Cute boy banders? Backstage drama? And a butt-kicking comic book heroine? VIP: I'm With the Band is an all-access pass to fun! Don't miss the debut of Jen Calonita's delightful new series!"--Megan McCafferty, New York Times bestselling author of Jessica Darling's IT LIST series

"This behind-the-scenes story of a girl who gets to travel with her favorite boy band is funny and filled with heart. A wonderful start to a brand new series."--Suzanne Selfors, author of the Imaginary Veterinary and Ever After High: A School Story series

About the Author

Jen Calonita is the author of the VIP, Secrets of My Hollywood Life and Fairy Tale Reform School series, and a former magazine editor who has interviewed everyone from Justin Timberlake to Beyoncé. She lives in New York with her husband, Mike; sons, Dylan and Tyler; and their Chihuahua, Captain Jack Sparrow.