This spin-off of the YALSA Quick Pick,
Painting Caitlyn, tells the story of Caitlyn's best friend Ashley, as she tries to break into the modeling industry.
Sixteen-year-old Ashley has always been an overachiever, eager to please everyone (especially her mother, who is battling cancer). Her grades are high, her boyfriend is gorgeous, and she is beautiful. Ashley also has a big heart, particularly when it comes to animals, and she serves that passion by volunteering at the local animal shelter. When her father's new girlfriend offers her the opportunity to give professional modeling a try, she jumps at the chance. One more responsibility to balance in an already demanding life, but it's something she's always dreamed of doing.
Just as she enters the competitive and hypercritical world of fashion, parental pressures mount (her mother supports her modeling, her father does not) and her long term relationship with Brandon crumbles. Ashley makes the difficult decision to persevere with this new career, telling herself, “... if I couldn't make Brandon love me, I was going to make the world love the idea of me.” As she tries to navigate the catty world of modeling wannabes, she is selected for an ad campaign that glamorizes fur – something she is utterly opposed to. Forced to choose between two passions, Ashley discovers that getting what you want isn’t nearly as important as finding out who you really are.
Suitable for reluctant teen readers and ESL students.
Extras:
Curriculum Links for Posing as AshleyAccelerated Reader Quiz from Renaissance LearningIn August of 2009, author Kimberly Joy Peters was featured as the guest blogger on
Moonlight, Lace and Mayhem.
Click here to check out her post!"With the same sincerity as
Painting Caitlyn (Lobster, 2006), Peters captures the fragility of the teenage soul and creates an honest character in Ashley. Situations such as her parents’ divorce, her mom’s illness, and a broken heart will resonate with many teens." –
School Library Journal, November 2008
"Not unlike her companion novel,
Painting Caitlyn, this latest work from Kimberly Joy Peters is destined to be a popular pick amongst teen girls and will likely hold great appeal for reluctant readers ... features an immediately likeable protagonist whose desperate need to always try to please everyone else in her life will resonate with many readers." –
CM: Canadian Review of Materials, September 2008
“... with realistic descriptions of what goes on behind the scenes in the fashion world [
Posing as Ashley] is sure to draw in any level of reader with its short chapters and accessible vocabulary and is particularly interesting for female readers who want to learn about the modelling industry … an eye-opening account ...” –
Resource Links, November 2008
“The story is straightforward, readable, and honest. It gives insight into the competitive world of modelling while also touching on the larger issue of Ashley's perfectionism and her need to please the people around her. Younger teens will appreciate the details and the honesty .” –
Montreal Review of Books, Fall 2008
"[Ashley] works hard
to appear poised and confident, when really, she is a perfectionist
riddled with self-doubt ... Peters carefully shows Ashley as honest
and fragile. Ashley’s fight for confidence and peace with herself
is nuanced and genuine ...” –
Children's Literature, 2008
“... fairly edgy … will appeal strongly to our female readers and deals with subject matters of interest to them ... both of these novels [Painting Caitlyn and Posing as Ashley] have a place on your YA and high school library shelves.” – Jane on Books (book review blog), June 2009
- Winner, 2008 Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario Writer's Award
- Selected, Canadian Children’s Book Centre's “Best Books for Kids & Teens” (2009)
- Featured by Teen Scene Magazine (Fall 2008)
- Featured on the teen website myjellybean.com
- Featured on “The Daytime Show,” on Rogers TV (York Region)
- Selected, Approved List of Learning Resources: Nova Scotia
