K10: Flipped

The Kidliterati Ten is an interview series with young readers. We ask them about a favorite book and hope that you enjoy their answers.

Tell us a little about yourself: what is your first name, how old are you, and what is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
I'm Madeline, and I'm 11 years old. My favorite flavor of ice cream is vanilla.

What book did you read and why did you choose it?
I just finished Flipped. I chose it because I liked how you could flip in between two people's lives.

Can you describe this book in one word?
Yeah.
[I tell her okay.]
I can.
[I try not to laugh. Then I ask her what the word would be.]
Oh. *laughs* Awesome.

What was your favorite part of this story?
My favorite part was when Bryce planted the syma...symca...symacorn...symacore...that tree in Juli's back yard. 
[Here I ask her if she meant the sycamore tree.]
Whatever. I can't say it. Anyway my favorite part's when Juli got all the chickens.

If you had a problem similar to the main character's problem, what would you do?
*dances around bashfully* 
I hate this question. 
*grins* 
I wish you didn't ask me this. 
*face goes all pink, it's adorable really* 
Seriously. Anyway, I'd confront him. Just tell him the truth. 
*smiles at me through the scowl*

What would you say to your best friend to convince them to read this book?
I would say: "You should read this book because you get to read with two main characters and that's really cool."

What do you think about the book's cover?
I love the cover. I like how the chicken's upside down.

Would you want to read another book about these characters? Why or why not?
Um, probably. Yeah. Because it's a good book and it's not very big so I can read it very quickly and win our class reading contest.

Can you name another book that reminds you of this one?
*thinks for an entire hour* I don't think there's another book that reminds me of this one.

If you could ask the author one question about this book, what would it be?
I would ask: "Why did you decide to write this book?"


I was able to find an interview with Teen Ink where Wendelin Van Draanen discusses her inspiration for Flipped. In the interview, she states: "I saw my students doing the same thing I’d done at their age—crush on someone because they were to-die-for cute. And, being a teacher, no student is going to take your input when you say, Oh, honey—he is so not worth it. So I came up with the idea of telling both sides of the same story in voices they would listen to to illustrate different perspectives on not just love, but life."

Thanks, Madeline, for sharing your thoughts with us!

FLIPPED

Flipped is a romance told in two voices. The first time Juli Baker saw Bryce Loski, she flipped. The first time Bryce saw Juli, he ran. That’s pretty much the pattern for these two neighbors until the eighth grade, when, just as Juli is realizing Bryce isn’t as wonderful as she thought, Bryce is starting to see that Juli is pretty amazing. How these two teens manage to see beyond the surface of things and come together makes for a comic and poignant romance.