Thirteen Plus One (Winnie Years Series) »

Lauren Myracle lives in Fort Collins, Colorado. Her first novel, Kissing Kate, was praised as "enchanting" by VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates).

Winnie Perry is fourteen now, and the countdown to high school is shaping up to be as eventful as an entire year of middle school. Not only are things shaky with her boyfriend, Lars, but BFFs Dinah and Cinnamon have been acting weird, big sister Sandra is college-bound, little brother Ty has smuggled a stolen penguin home in his backpack, and new baby sister Maggie has everything turned upside down.

It's a lot for anyone to handle, and loyal Winnie is so busy worrying about everyone else that she hardly notices that she might just be struggling a little bit herself.

With humor and honesty, Lauren Myracle brings us another pitch-perfect novel featuring the characters that her legions of fans have grown up loving.

School Library Journal

Gr 5–8—At the end of eighth grade, Winnie has a lot going on in her life. She is both excited and apprehensive about starting high school and she realizes how little time she and her sister have together before Sandra leaves for college. Her birthday is all but forgotten by everyone, including her parents, and to top it off, her boyfriend gives her a crummy present. When Lars announces he's going to Germany for the summer, Winnie and her two friends sign up for an eco-camp at a beach in South Carolina. There the girls discover that they have different talents and make some new friends, including some new boyfriends, and Winnie must deal with an unhappy Lars who didn't go to Germany after all. The characters have authentic voices, and the girls mature in each of the books in this series that began with Eleven (2004) and continued in Twelve (2007) and Thirteen (2008, all Dutton). The girls are now typical teens who are trying desperately to figure out who they really are and to be independent while still needing their parents. They are great friends, but also hurt one another without meaning to. They are, no surprise, completely preoccupied with boys. There are references to current fashions, technology, slang, etc., that will date the book, but it is a great choice for middle school girls.—Nancy P. Reeder, Heathwood Hall Episcopal School, Columbia, SC