Snapstreak

October 1, 2017

Gr 5-7-Vee is expecting to move at the end of her eighth-grade year, so she tries to strike up a friendship over Snapchat with a girl from her new school. At first she is only slightly exaggerating to make herself seem cooler and more popular. Then a local news channel announces a free concert for the pair of students from different schools who can keep a "Snapstreak" going the longest. Suddenly Vee's conversations on the app become vitally important to both girls and their schoolmates. Unfortunately, Vee gets a concussion, but her friends take over for her. This book is light and pleasant, told from alternating points of view from Vee and her friends (new and old). Each page is in full color with cheerful borders, colorful text bubbles, and photos of messages. The majority of characters are white; one girl is black. This book will appeal to reluctant readers, fans of design-heavy titles, and those who are obsessed with social media. Some educators and parents might have concerns about a book marketed to middle grade students who are generally too young to have accounts in the social media service being primarily featured. (Snapchat has a minimum age of 13 in their terms of service.) VERDICT While this social media-focused book won't age well, it's likely to attract readers right now with its winsome design and upbeat friendship story.-Elizabeth Nicolai, Anchorage Public Library, AK

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2017
Snapchat takes center stage in this Disney-esque drama about middle school girl friendships and a Snapstreak competition.A local TV station announces a contest for the longest Snapstreak between two students from different schools. The reward is a concert by the popular boy band Boys Being Dudes. Black eighth-grader Vee, who will soon be moving to a new school, courageously asks Gwynneth, its white queen bee, to be her partner in the contest. Vee and Gwynneth are leading the competition when Vee sustains a concussion playing lacrosse and must give up screen time. Vee's best friends, Megan, a white girl, and Lulu, a Latina, take over her cellphone for her--and things go awry quickly. The frothy story is told from multiple points of view, each girl's voice flagged with distinctive borders. Unfortunately, all four voices sound similar. The integration of this ubiquitous app into the story mimics real life, with all the distractions and attractions in the world of young teens, and the inaccurate assumptions the girls form via Snapchat make for a strong message. Even though Snapchat legally requires users to be 13, this book for preteens assumes familiarity with its conventions. Luckily, emoji-speak and acronyms are kept to a minimum. The content may already be dated, as the ephemeral Snapchat "story" function has overtaken "chatting." For reluctant readers not drawn to genre fiction, this story may speak to them for a little while. (Fiction. 10-12)

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December 1, 2017
Grades 5-8 Vee isn't looking forward to starting a new school without her best friends Lulu and Megan. When she meets a future classmate, Gwynneth, they begin to communicate through Snapchat. Vee thinks Gwynneth is supercool, not knowing that Gwynneth is really a shy mathlete and not the queen bee she's pretending to be. When the girls stumble into a contest that will award a Boys Being Dudes concert to the two students from separate schools with the longest snapstreak, Vee realizes she and Gwynneth could win. But after Vee gets a concussion playing lacrosse, Megan and Lulu must try to keep the snapstreak going. Thanks to her friends and family, Vee realizes her health is more important than her phone, and she and Gwynneth are honest with each other about who they truly are. Alternating chapters share the perspectives of all four girls, and text bubbles and snaps featuring real teens will make this story even more fun (and fast) to read. A breezy look at friendship, social media, and the importance of one's health.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)