Hello, Groin »

When Dylan Kowolski agrees to create a display for her high school library, she has no idea of the trouble it's going to cause - for the school principal, her family, her boyfriend Cam and his jock friends, and her best friend Jocelyn. And for Dylan herself. If only her English class had been studying a normal, run-of-the-mill, mundane book like Lord of the Flies instead of Foxfire things wouldn't have gotten so twisted. Then the world wouldn't have gone into such a massive funk. And then Dylan wouldn't have had to face her deepest fear and the way she was letting it run her life. Hello, Groin presents a compelling, realistic and refreshing look at teen sexuality and one girl's struggle to make the difficult choices that face her. For insight into the writing of Hello, Groin please click here. Long recognized as one of North America's finest - and bravest -- writers of teen fiction, Beth Goobie continues to explore the important and often contentious issues that face young people growing up. Ms. Goobie's novels have received numerous awards and citations in Canada the USA and Europe, and have been published in many foreign editions. The author lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Children's Literature

After designing a "controversial" display for her school library, Dylan's world turns upside down. Inspired by a book read in English class, censored in the display, her sexuality comes into question. The problem is that Dylan has had these questions about herself already. What's worse is that she's just not clicking with her amazing boyfriend, Cam, and finds herself fantasizing about her best friend, Jocelyn. To make matters worse, she is being stalked by a girl from another school over a very accidental drunken kiss. In the end, Dylan must decide who she really is and discover how the groin's true meaning contains wisdom and dignity. The subject matter of sexuality and dignity is handled quite well in this book. There are references to the groin and masturbation, but nothing graphic or obscene. Chocked full of angsty feeling and teenage issues, this is definitely a "girl power" sort of novel, about identity and self discovery, recommended for high school exclusively.