Read On: Pretty Tough Book Club

Last month I received a note from a teacher at Apopka High School in Apopka, Florida who is a huge fan of  ”Pretty Tough” by Liz Tigelaar, the first book in our young adult fiction series. 

JoJo says, “I loved it as a teacher who sees students just like the ones in the book. I loved it as a sister who I did get along with growing up…”

At Apopka High School, there is a reading event called “Oasis.”  It has been going on for about 6-7 years.  Any teacher can select a book to promote.  The library makes a really nice poster of the teacher, the book and all the information so students can sign up.  The students read the book and then meet during lunch in a special room in the media center to discuss the book over pizza and coke. 

JoJo had never done an “Oasis” but since she  LOVED the book so much, she organized a discussion for each of the 3 lunch shifts.   Usually, teachers sign up anywhere from 8-16 students but more than 34 students read ”Pretty Tough” and wanted to take part.

Through a friend of a friend of a friend, JoJo contacted us and asked for some Pretty Tough goodies to raffle off during the event. We were happy to oblige.

Here’s JoJo’s recap of the “Oasis,” including the girls’ ideas regarding film casting!

Everything worked out perfect today. We got into some interesting discussions about sisters, coaches, and school. The girls loved the t-shirts and the next book (”Playing with the Boys”) and want to know if we can do this again. .

The group had a bit of a hard time with the casting of the potential movie…here are the ones they came up with:

Krista: Blake Lively
Charlie: Dakota Fanning
Martie: Jada Pinkett Smith
Noah: Mike Vogel
Cam: Zac Efron
Brooks: Brenda Song
Pickle: I have a girl in my class who said she wants to be Pickle. She is a cute girl; very animated and plays soccer! I told her to make a video and we would send it to you!!

Thank you again for making today very special and memorable…One more thing…I re-read the book and took some notes to prepare simple questions for the raffle ticket as they entered. And I cried…again! Tears in the coffee this morning as I finished the last 20 pages!

Time to grade some papers…thanks again for everything.

Joanna “JOJO” Lowe

If anyone wants to organize a book club discussion around “Pretty Tough” or “Playing With the Boys” (Penguin) let us know and we’ll try to help out.

Read on….

Another Pretty Tough book – “Playing with the Boys”

Playing with the Boys by Liz Tigelaar

New girl Lucy is desperate for friends. She tries out for Beachwood High soccer, but despite her amazingly accurate kick, fails to make the team. When the Coach points out that varsity football is looking for a new kicker, Lucy is skeptical. Football? Isn’t that a boys’ game?

But on the gridiron Lucy discovers that she feels strong—in control for the first time since her mother died. She loves football. She actually wants to play! (She also wants to hang out with super-cute quarterback Ryan Conner. But that’s just icing on the cake.)

Too bad no one else wants her on the team. Not the boys’ coach, not her teammates, and especially not her overprotective dad. Will Lucy cave in to the pressure? Or will she prove she’s pretty tough after all?

Publisher: Razorbill
ISBN: 978-1-59514-112-5
Ages: Young Adult
Format: Paperback novel/256 pages

Playing With The Boys at Amazon

Reviews for Playing with the Boys:
A great story! This book encourages young women to unleash the potential to play one of the best sports on earth. As a female football player, I hope more young women see that they aren’t limited to just being one of the girls.  Jamie Flynt – Alabama Renegades

Another slam dunk for Liz Tigelaar. “Playing with the Boys” is a great example of how chick lit meets sports lit with stellar results.  – Taylor M.

… a thoroughly enjoyable novel. – the Book Muncher

Pretty Tough novels are like receiving two scoops of ice cream for the price of one – books filled to the brim with high school drama and a sporty back story millions of athletes hunger for. – Keri Mikulski, author of Screwball

Book Club: Q & A with Liz Tigelaar

Liz Tigelaar, author of PRETTY TOUGH and PLAYING WITH THE BOYS, movie producer, and television writer, was kind enough to take a break from her busy schedule to answer a few questions about writing, Hollywood, and sisters. 

1. What was your inspiration to write Pretty Tough and Playing with the Boys?
The concept!  I was impressed with the company “Pretty Tough” (prettytough.com) and their mission to support girls in their quest to be both strong and tough athletes without losing their sense of girlie-ness and femininity.  I loved the idea of writing books about teenagers for teenagers that sends a positive message.

2. Do you have a sister? If so, are you more like Charlie or Krista? Or are you closer to Lucy?
I do have a sister and our relationship actually inspired the first book.  Although neither of us are like Charlie or Krista, we’re very, very different and when we were younger, didn’t always see eye to eye.  So the themes and feelings are drawn from my own life, but not the characters.  I probably am the most like Lucy, in that I moved across the country for high school and it was hard to fit in right away.  But I’d like to think there’s a little of me in each of them – at times, I’ve been a rebel like Charlie, I’ve enjoyed fleeting popularity like Krista, and I’ve struggled to find my place and prove myself like Lucy, even when the odds weren’t in my favor.

3. Are you or were you an athlete?
I’m definitely more of an athlete now then I was as a teenager.  I liked theater and singing, and with the exception of tennis, didn’t do much else.  I did play soccer when I was a little kid, but got in trouble for doing cartwheels and picking dandelions in the backfield.  In college, I did crew which taught me about being on a team and I’ve played soccer (badly) as an adult.  Now, I love being athletic – with biking, spinning, hiking, kayaking, yoga, pilates, even trampolining – but I still don’t have a lot of team experience.

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