Kiss, Kiss, Bark!

Mattie has a couple of dilemmas.

First (sigh), her parents are making her babysit her humiliating younger brother nearly nonstop. What could BE more awful than the constant company of a 4-year-old brother who acts like a dog?

Then, her best friend’s brother begins to show serious interest in her. Mattie thinks all her prayers have come true, that is, until her best friend Livvy stops returning her phone calls. Is this how a best friend should act? Will she have to choose between her best friend and a budding romance, and who should it be? A family crisis will force Mattie to make some difficult decisions.

This very funny and very relatable story will appeal to broad swath of young teen girls.

Middle Grade | 176 pages | Ages 10 & up
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-933718-76-7 | $8.95
Ebook ISBN: 978-1-933718-89-7 | $9.99
Lexile Level: 630 | Guided Reading Level: W | Grade Level: 6

Meet Author Kim Williams-Justesen

Kim Williams-Justesen is a Salt Lake City native who was one of those kids whose mom had to come in and take the flashlight away so she would stop reading and go to sleep. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Speech-Communication from Westminster College, and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Writing for Children & Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Kim captures the voice and dialogue of today’s girls, along with the drama, the fun, the self-doubt, the awkwardness of this age, and does so with great humor.

Other Books by Author

Kiss, Kiss, Bark! Reviews

“Mattie’s narration effectively renders the experience a cohesive and accessible one; the tonal range from sarcastic to tremulous to plaintive is absolutely believable. This will strike a chord with middle-schoolers experiencing their own sibling issues and romantic yearnings.”

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“It’s a summer of choices regarding taking on responsibility, about new relationships, about friendship. That these issues are addressed in a constantly funny way is a tribute to the author’s fine hand.”

bookviews.com

“Mattie’s a funny, compassionate narrator, one that tween girls can instantly relate to; Williams-Justesen has neatly captured the nervousness, the awkwardness, the sheer, unmitigated torture of being 14.”

Entertainment Weekly’s EW.com

“Williams-Justesen keeps the action lively and the interest level high in this well-written story of teen angst and the little brother syndrome. Teens will be able to relate to Mattie’s conflicting feelings about her parents, her brother, her best friend, and her new love interest.”

MyShelf.com