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The Pants first came to us at the perfect moment. That is, when we were splitting up for the first time. It was two summers ago when they first worked their magic, and last summer when they shook up our lives once again. You see, we don’t wear the Pants year-round. We let them rest so they are extra powerful when summer comes. (There was the time this spring when Carmen wore them to her mom’s wedding, but that was a special case.)
Now we’re facing our last summer together. In September we go to college. And it’s not like one of those TV shows where all of us magically turn up at the same college. We’re going to four different colleges in four different cities (but all within four hours of one another—that was our one rule). We’re headed off to start our real lives.
Tomorrow night at Gilda’s we’ll launch the Pants on their third summer voyage. Tomorrow begins the time of our lives. It’s when we’ll need our Pants the most.
The members of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants graduate from high school and spend their last summer before college learning about life and themselves.
A lover of travel and of pants, Ann Brashares lives in New York City with her husband and three children.
Granted, Tibby was in a mood. All she could see was change. All anybody talked about was change. She didn’t like Bee’s wearing heels for the second day in a row. She felt peevish about Lena’s getting three inches trimmed off her hair. Couldn’t everybody just leave everything alone for a few minutes?
Tibby was a slow adjuster. In preschool, her teachers had said she had trouble with transitions. Tibby preferred looking backward for information rather than forward. As far as she was concerned, she’d take a nursery school report card over a fortune-teller any day of the week. It was the cheapest and best self-analysis around.
Tibby saw Gilda’s through these same eyes. It was changing. Its glory days of the late nineteen eighties were far behind it. It was showing its age. The once-shiny wood floor was scratched and dull. One of the mirror panels was cracked. The mats looked as old as Tibby, and they’d been cleaned much less. Gilda’s was trying to get with the times, offering kickboxing and yoga, according to the big chalkboard, but it didn’t look to Tibby like that was helping much. What if it went out of business? What a horrible thought. Maybe Tibby should buy a subscription of classes here? No, that would be weird, wouldn’t it?
“Tibby, you ready?” Lena was looking at her with concerned eyebrows.
“What if Gilda’s closes?” Tibby opened her mouth, and that was what came out.
Carmen, holding the Traveling Pants, Lena, lighting the candles, Bee, fussing with the dimmer switches near the door, all turned to her.
“Look at this place.” Tibby gestured around. “I mean, who comes here?”
Lena was puzzled. “I don’t know. Somebody. Women. Yoga people.”
“Yoga people?” Carmen asked.
“I don’t know,” Lena said again, laughing.
Tibby was the one most capable of emotional detachment, but tonight it all lay right on the surface. Her irrational thoughts about Gilda’s made her feel desperate, like its demise could swallow up their whole existence—like a change in the present could wipe out the past. The past felt fragile to her. But the past was set, right? It couldn’t be changed. Why did she feel such a need to protect it?
“I think it’s Pants time,” Carmen said. The snacks were out. The candles were lit. The egregiously bad dance music played.
Tibby wasn’t sure she wanted it to be Pants time yet. She was having enough trouble maintaining control. She was scared of them noticing what all this meant.
Too late. Out of Carmen’s arms came the artifacts of their ritual. The Pants, slowly unfolding from their winter compression, seeming to gain strength as they mixed with the special air of Gilda’s. Carmen laid them on the ground, and on top of them the manifesto, written on that first night two years before, describing the rules of wearing them. Silently they formed their circle, studying the inscriptions and embroidery that chronicled their summer lives.
“Tonight we say good-bye to high school, and bye to Bee for a while,” Carmen said in her ceremonial voice. “We say hello to summer, and hello to the Traveling Pants.”
Her voice grew less ceremonial. “Tonight we are not worrying about good-bye to each other. We’re saving that for the beach at the end of the summer. That’s the deal, right?”
Tibby felt like kissing Carmen. Brave as she was, even Carmen was daunted by the implications of looking ahead.
“That’s the deal,” Tibby agreed heartily.
The last weekend of the summer had already become sacred in their minds. Sacred and feared. The Morgans owned a house right on the beach in Rehoboth. They had offered it to Carmen for that final weekend, in part, Carmen suspected, because they had gotten an au pair from Denmark and felt guilty about not hiring Carmen to babysit this summer as she had done the summer before.
The four of them had promised each other in the spring that it would be their weekend. The four of them and nobody else. They all depended upon it. The future was unfurling fast, but whatever happened this summer, that weekend stood between them and the great unknown.
They all looked ahead to college in different ways, Tibby knew. They all had different amounts to lose. Bee, in her lonely house, had nothing. Carmen did; she dreaded saying good-bye to her mother. Tibby feared leaving the familiarity of her chaos. Lena flipped and flopped—one day she was afraid to cut ties, and the next she was dying to get away.
The thing they feared equally and powerfully was saying good-bye to one another.
After drawing for the Pants (Tibby won), reviewing the rules (unnecessary, but still part of tradition), and taking a brief hiatus to chew down some Gummi Worms, it was at last time for the vow. Like they had the summer before, they said it together.
“To honor the Pants and the Sisterhood And this moment and this summer and the rest of our lives Together and apart.”
Only this time, Tibby felt the tears fall when they said “the rest of our lives.” Because in the past that had always seemed like a distant road, and tonight, she knew in her heart, they were already on it.
Tibby was a slow adjuster. In preschool, her teachers had said she had trouble with transitions. Tibby preferred looking backward for information rather than forward. As far as she was concerned, she'd take a nursery school report card over a fortune-teller any day of the week. It was the cheapest and best self-analysis around.
Tibby saw Gilda's through these same eyes. It was changing. Its glory days of the late nineteen eighties were far behind it. It was showing its age. The once-shiny wood floor was scratched and dull. One of the mirror panels was cracked. The mats looked as old as Tibby, and they'd been cleaned much less. Gilda's was trying to get with the times, offering kickboxing and yoga, according to the big chalkboard, but it didn't look to Tibby like that was helping much. What if it went out of business? What a horrible thought. Maybe Tibby should buy a subscription of classes here? No, that would be weird, wouldn't it?
"Tibby, you ready?" Lena was looking at her with concerned eyebrows.
"What if Gilda's closes?" Tibbyopened her mouth, and that was what came out.
Carmen, holding the Traveling Pants, Lena, lighting the candles, Bee, fussing with the dimmer switches near the door, all turned to her.
"Look at this place." Tibby gestured around. "I mean, who comes here?"
Lena was puzzled. "I don't know. Somebody. Women. Yoga people."
"Yoga people?" Carmen asked.
"I don't know," Lena said again, laughing.
Tibby was the one most capable of emotional detachment, but tonight it all lay right on the surface. Her irrational thoughts about Gilda's made her feel desperate, like its demise could swallow up their whole existence-like a change in the present could wipe out the past. The past felt fragile to her. But the past was set, right? It couldn't be changed. Why did she feel such a need to protect it?
"I think it's Pants time," Carmen said. The snacks were out. The candles were lit. The egregiously bad dance music played.
Tibby wasn't sure she wanted it to be Pants time yet. She was having enough trouble maintaining control. She was scared of them noticing what all this meant.
Too late. Out of Carmen's arms came the artifacts of their ritual. The Pants, slowly unfolding from their winter compression, seeming to gain strength as they mixed with the special air of Gilda's. Carmen laid them on the ground, and on top of them the manifesto, written on that first night two years before, describing the rules of wearing them. Silently they formed their circle, studying the inscriptions and embroidery that chronicled their summer lives.
"Tonight we say good-bye to high school, and bye to Bee for a while," Carmen said in her ceremonial voice. "We say hello to summer, and hello to the Traveling Pants."
Her voice grew less ceremonial. "Tonight we are not worrying about good-bye to each other. We're saving that for the beach at the end of the summer. That's the deal, right?"
Tibby felt like kissing Carmen. Brave as she was, even Carmen was daunted by the implications of looking ahead.
"That's the deal," Tibby agreed heartily.
The last weekend of the summer had already become sacred in their minds. Sacred and feared. The Morgans owned a house right on the beach in Rehoboth. They had offered it to Carmen for that final weekend, in part, Carmen suspected, because they had gotten an au pair from Denmark and felt guilty about not hiring Carmen to babysit this summer as she had done the summer before.
The four of them had promised each other in the spring that it would be their weekend. The four of them and nobody else. They all depended upon it. The future was unfurling fast, but whatever happened this summer, that weekend stood between them and the great unknown.
They all looked ahead to college in different ways, Tibby knew. They all had different amounts to lose. Bee, in her lonely house, had nothing. Carmen did; she dreaded saying good-bye to her mother. Tibby feared leaving the familiarity of her chaos. Lena flipped and flopped-one day she was afraid to cut ties, and the next she was dying to get away.
The thing they feared equally and powerfully was saying good-bye to one another.
After drawing for the Pants (Tibby won), reviewing the rules (unnecessary, but still part of tradition), and taking a brief hiatus to chew down some Gummi Worms, it was at last time for the vow. Like they had the summer before, they said it together.
"To honor the Pants and the Sisterhood And this moment and this summer and the rest of our lives Together and apart."
Only this time, Tibby felt the tears fall when they said "the rest of our lives." Because in the past that had always seemed like a distant road, and tonight, she knew in her heart, they were already on it.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Girls in Pants by Ann Brashares Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
1. The novel opens with a first-person narrative by Tibby. Why do you think the author selected this character to frame the story? Would you have selected another character, and if so, what would he or she say?
2. Epigraphs (short quotations) from a variety of sources–song lyrics, remarks by real-life personalities, fictitious sayings by the novel’s characters–are used to separate sections of the book. Which one is your favorite? Why?
3. Of the four girls, whom are you most like? Whose first year of college would you most like to follow?
4. "Our shared childhood is ending. Maybe we’ll never live at home again. Maybe we’ll never all live in the same place again. We’re headed off to start our real lives. To me that is awe-inspiring, but it is also the single scariest thought in the world" (p. 5). The girls realize that leaving for college is much bigger than leaving each other for just a summer. Do you think each of the girls is prepared to be away from her friends for an entire year? Whose first year do you most worry about? How would you prepare to leave your friends?
5. On page 3, Tibby compares each of the girls to a car. What kind of car would you be? Why?
6. "Tibby was a slow adjuster. In preschool, her teachers had said she had trouble with transitions. Tibby preferred looking backward for information rather than forward. As far as she was concerned, she’d take a nursery school report card over a fortune-teller any day of the week. It was the cheapest and best self-analysis around" (p. 10). By the end of the book, how has Tibby changed in her response to the new or unexpected? How have the other girls changed? Who has grown the most? How?
7. In both The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and Girls in Pants, Carmen feels she doesn’t belong in her family. How do her feelings differ from those of Bridget, Tibby, and Lena toward their families? Do the girls’ family relationships have an impact on their friendships? Are their perceptions of their situations valid, or do they sometimes overreact?
8. Do you think Lena and Kostos could have a future together? What would you suggest to Lena if she asked you for advice about Kostos and her feelings for him? What could Lena learn from Bridget and Eric’s relationship? What could Bridget learn from Lena?
9. Each of the girls has one person who pushes her toward self examination this summer. Carmen has Valia, Tibby has Katherine, Lena has Annik, and Bridget has Eric. What does each of the girls learn about herself through these influences? Do you have someone in your life who pushes you to learn new things about yourself?
10. "There was a funny thing about Carmen, and she knew it all too well: She could understand and analyze and predict the exact outcome of her crazy, self-destructive behavior and then go ahead and do it anyway" (p. 115). What do you think of Carmen’s "Good Carmen vs. Bad Carmen" descriptions? Do certain people draw out a "good" or "bad" version of you? Why?
11. The four girls have very different approaches to relationships and love. By the end of Girls in Pants, three of them have found boyfriends with whom they are happy. Are there similarities in the ways the girls approach the search for love? Differences? Do you think their romantic relationships will change anything, good or bad, about their friendships?
12. The Pants have always provided the girls with confidence and security. If you were a member of the Sisterhood, would you adjust the rules to allow use of the Pants year-round for this first year of college? Why or why not?
orangecrush
Posted May 31, 2011
Girls in Pants Would you be upset if you had to leave your closest friends for college? In the book Girls in Pants,four very close friends Tibby, who is having a tough time worrying about her friend Brian if they should be friends or more than friends. Carmen, who gets a suprise that her mother is pregnant and doesn't know how to take it in the right way. Also, Lena is going to an art class but her father doesn not approve of it. Finally, Bridget is at a soccer camp and gets her heart broken when she finds out the boy she liked has a girlfriend. They only have the summer until college starts in September. The only thing that keeps them close is pants. These pants are magical to them because they fit each and every one of the 4 girls perfectly. If you like reading about people's lives and how they get through tough times, I would recommend this book to you. I thought this book was a very good book and I couldnt put it down. Girls in Pants is almost like a diary being written by each and one of the four girls about how their summer vacation is going, which in my opinion makes the story more interesting. This book has its ups and downs, but will everything be ok? Read to find out!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 17, 2012
Is tjis like the movie THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS?????
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.TammyK1
Posted April 30, 2012
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Fun and enjoyable, Girls in Pants is a great sequel to the sisterhood.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 23, 2012
I love his series . It totally changed my life. Can't wait to read next book. Books that change your life are the best books around. These books awaken me to real sisterhood of pants. It is not THE best book so I will give it a four . Still a great book!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 26, 2011
Best book of the series
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 4, 2011
ok so I absolutely love this series! I love how the girls are all different and you can always find one that is like you and you can relate too in the many situations they go through. I like how each chapter is about a different girl, but it isn't in first person, so you can see how things are really happening and not how the character thinks they are happening. I would recommend this book to people who have read the rest of the series and for people who like the book peaches by laurie halse anderson.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 1, 2011
I read the first 2. Should i get this one?
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.8935036
Posted July 31, 2011
This book really changed my life because it is incratbly sweet and loveing book i love it
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.8308218
Posted July 24, 2011
Just read it and you'll love it ;)
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.MrsMcB
Posted June 23, 2011
I love this series of books. I wish the movies had gone into more details from all four books or had four movies instead of two. I really liked all the books and would recommend the entire series.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.6069002
Posted February 24, 2011
the cover is orange. i enjoy applesauce. the book is about a hoboz jeans or something. its really good.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Orla
Posted July 2, 2010
In this third installment of the series, all the girls must face difficult challenges whether with their future, their past, or both. Yet, one thing that helps the girls through the difficult problems of life is knowing that no matter what, they will always have each other and The Pants.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Jennie-Penny
Posted April 5, 2010
I Also Recommend:
I am a mid-30's woman that has been hooked by the Sister Hood Of The Traveling Pants series! This book has been my latest read, but I was smart this time and bought book 3 (Third summer - Girls In pants) and the book 4 (Forever in Blue) at the same time. I had to wait a week between book 2 & 3 and it was just too long. The characters are so well rounded that I sometimes have to remind myself that they are fictional and they don't even exist! I love the internal evolution that each character goes through, and it is great to be along for the ride. I enjoyed Carmen's growth in this book, because in book 2 I was beginning to worry. Bee has her soccer, and it gives her something passionate to throw herself into, and it's great. I wonder what she would be like without it? I love Lena, she's following her heart, and she seems to know herself. Tibby seems a little lost, although she was there when Christina really needed her. As I anticipate book 4, I wonder if Bridget's brother Perry will always remain in the shadow? Great book!
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Posted February 8, 2010
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I think it was borning at times and hard to read but other times, whou they were fantastic and supectful and exciting! Good book!:)
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.The novel Girls in Pants by Ann Brashares is the third novel in the ever so popular series of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. The four main characters are Lena, Bridget, Carmen, and Tibby. These four girls are best friends and share the pants all through the summer. The setting of the book takes place at soccer camp, Tibby's house, the hospital, and the art studio where each girl is spending their summer. Girls in Pants is a great read because it helps you understand that being yourself is the most important thing; if you are yourself around people they will know who you truly are.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Ant0ni0s0wn2009
Posted May 14, 2009
Well this book mwas given to me by my sister on m birthdate..she actually bought me the whole collection she bought
I read allmofm them in like a matter of maybe m2 weeks.. and seen the movie as well, and enjoyed very much so.
It kinda reminds me of me in my yong years when i ahd real friends and not ppl actually prentending to be friends...the way we told each other everything and even the fact that we actually had a a favorite one even though we all considered each other best friends...but anyway soo yeah very intresting...
Dont mind my babling but not a very good writer like that..
But anyways so yeah the way they fell in love reminds me of my first boyfriend and firs kiss which actually was in front of a church and o was so embaressed is not even funny..
tis is how i feel about this book i can write more but i really suck writinf and what i really wanna write is not coming out.
tom12
Posted January 6, 2009
Wow, Ann Brashares has done it again and has written another masterpiece! Although the second book was fantastic, I know that The Third Summer of the Sisterhood is an award winner. This book was probably one of the best books I have read in a while. As I started to read this book, it got so intriguing that I read for four hours straight without any stops. This is definitely the book for you if you are looking for a fun book about saucy teenage/young adult romance, drama, friendship, and adventure. It¿s the third summer and the girls are all grown up and coming back from college. Three years ago, four girls: Carmen, Tibby, Lena, and Bridget (Bee), discovered a pair pants that magically fit them all. They vow to the sisterhood and the pants that during the summer, they will each get to wear the pants so that they can have special moments in them. The pants play an important role in bringing the four friends closer together. This summer, the pants have worked their magic again. The girls are closer then ever and are having a blast! Carmen (Carma), the curvy Latino has blossomed into a dazzling swan and will soon expect a baby brother and summer job. Lena (Lenny), the shy but stunning girl, is trying to pursue her dream of becoming an artist at RISD but seems to be getting in the way of her father¿s wishes. Tibby (Tibba-dee), ¿the cool girl with the nose piercing¿ has just come back from NYU film school and tries to mend a stronger relationship with her family. Lastly, Bridget (Bee), the outgoing All-American soccer star with the gorgeous wavy hair has just come back from Brown University and is headed off to coach at a soccer camp in Baja California. In the pants, they will each discover more about themselves, experience new romances, and meet new people.
The only criticism I can make is that the author could have made Tibby¿s character and role in this story a little more interesting and important. She does not have any real and exciting experiences. She just stays in D.C and works at the movie theatre. Also, I think that the author should have reconnected the on and off going flame between Lena and Carmen¿s step brother Paul. They are too much alike to be ignored. I think that Lena and Paul should go out and see where it goes. Other than that, Bravo! I loved the plot, all of the experiences and the cute romances. For example, Bee and Eric at soccer camp, it was too cute! Also, I liked again how Ann Brashares transitioned the different storylines between the characters. I flowed and was easy too follow. Next, the reason why I love these books is because there is so much detail that I can actually visualize every setting and experience in my head. Lastly, I like how the author always changes the mood. It¿s not just romance, romance, and romance. She adds comedy, sadness, and many other moods.
I know that readers of all ages would enjoy reading this fun and tasteful novel about the heartwarming friendships between four teen girls. Along the way, they realize that they¿ll always have each others back. I am both sad and excited to read the last saga of the series.
Anonymous
Posted November 30, 2008
I Also Recommend:
This has to be my favorite book in the series! It's as thrilling and touching as the first one. Ann Brashares knows how to write a good book! This has to be one of my favorites in the series!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted November 23, 2008
Are you a teenage girl looking for an enjoyable, easy read? The Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares is the right book for you then. This book is the third book in a series of four novels. I have read the first two and the books just keep getting better as you read them. I defiantly will be reading the fourth and final book. These novels also have two movies based on them, the first movie based on the first book and the second movie based on the remaining books.
The 368 page drama filled novel published by Delacorte Press is focused on four teenage girls who have been best friends their whole lives. They have a pair of jeans that fit all four of them, which they call the traveling pants because whenever they are away from each other, they mail the pants to each other with letters. The pants are magical and always bring luck to the girl wearing them. The book goes through their whole summer, ending with their departures from each other as they go off to college. Each one is faced with their own problem that they have to overcome.
Brashares writes fiction novels for young adults and is best know for her books in this series. She uses words that are very descriptive, which makes the books easy to understand and it is easy to imagine what is going on. This book is also a very easy read, suitable for young teens. Brashares uses quotes at the ends of each of the chapters, amplifying her themes of friend ship and love. If you like Sarah Dessen novels, I'm sure you'll love this book. You can purchase it at any local bookstore, the hardcover is about $17.50. Its ISBN number is 9780553375930.
Anonymous
Posted October 5, 2008
Im sorry but ii find this book really boring and ii couldn't even get past the 2nd chapter without putting it back down. I could not read the 4th one without puking probably !! Im sorry thats just how ii feel . b
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Overview
The Pants first came to us at the perfect moment. That is, when we were splitting up for the first time. It was two summers ago when they first worked their magic, and last summer when they shook up our lives once again. You see, we don’t wear the Pants year-round. We let them rest so they are extra powerful when summer comes. (There was the time this spring when Carmen wore them to her mom’s wedding, but that was a special case.)
Now we’re facing our last summer together. In September we go to college. And it’s not like one of those TV shows where all of us magically turn up at the same college. We’re going to four different colleges in four different ...