Girl on the Ferris Wheel

by Julie Halpern, Len Vlahos

Overview

In Girl on the Ferris Wheel, Julie Halpern and Len Vlahos expertly tackle this quirky and poignant romance that explores what first love really means—and how it sometimes hurts like hell.

Tenth graders Eliana and Dmitri could not be more different. He's an outgoing, self-confident drummer in a punk band called Unexpected Turbulence. Eliana is introspective and thoughtful, and a movie buff who is living with depression.

Dmitri quite literally falls for Eliana when he sees her in gym class and slams into a classmate. The pair then navigate the ins and outs of first love. Exciting, scary, unexpected, and so much more difficult than they ever imagined. They say opposites attract, but they soon realize that there is so much they just don’t understand about each other. It begs the question: How long can first love possibly last when you’re so different?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250169396
Publisher:	Feiwel & Friends
Publication date:	01/12/2021
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 5.60(h) x 1.30(d)
Lexile:	HL770L (what's this?)
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

About the Author

Julie Halpern is the author of several books for young adults, including Meant to Be, Get Well Soon, and The F-It List; the adult novel Maternity Leave; and the picture book Toby and the Snowflakes. Prior to her life as a full-time mom and author, Julie was a school librarian. In her imaginary spare time, she enjoys traveling, watching television for grown-ups, and eating baked goods. Julie lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, Caldecott-winning author and illustrator Matthew Cordell, and their two children.

Editorial Reviews

01/11/2021

Halpern (Meant to Be) and Vlahos (Hard Wired) spin a sensitive tale about two Minnesotan high school sophomores finding each other—and themselves in the process. While 15-year-old Jewish girl Eliana Hoffman, the eldest of five children, is doing well at Walter Mondale Preparatory High School, a hospitalization last year for depression has knocked her slightly off track academically and completely off the map socially. Enter Dmitri Digrindakis, the son of Greek immigrants and a drummer in a punk band. He literally goes off track when he notices Eliana in gym class after meeting her in a shared film course. Despite Eliana’s misgivings about relationships after being ghosted by friends last year, the pair soon fall into a sweet romance, one that’s fraught with normal teenage tensions yet bound by their mutual love of movies. A focus on cultural identities offers a delightful vehicle for an ensemble cast—particularly Dmitri’s grandmother, Yia Yia, and Eliana’s best friend, Janina—that spotlights personal growth. Though the plot, filled with cringeworthy first-love mistakes, skews light, the novel’s candid approach and alternating voices will appeal to younger audiences while introducing them to classic pop cultural love stories. Ages 13–up. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

A BookRiot "Most Underrated YA Book of the Pandemic"

A 2022 Illinois Reads Selection

"This one is packed with Feelings of how sometimes love is amazing and sometimes love is hell." —BookRiot

"A story of how friendship and love can grow together; recommended for YA collections." —School Library Journal

"As a whole, it crafts an emotionally genuine portrait of both Eliana’s spiraling distress and Dmitri’s struggle to understand that it isn’t his job to save the damsel. With its mix of the heartwarming and heartbreaking, this will be a strong what’s-next for fans of Green’s Turtles All the Way Down (BCCB 1/18) and Dugan’s Verona Comics (BCCB 4/20).—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

From the Publisher

02/12/2021

Gr 8 Up—Both Dmitri and Eliana come from large families: Eliana's large Jewish family is close but crowded in her small home, while Dmitri is surrounded by his larger-than-life, outgoing Greek family. Eliana deals with depression that continuously threatens to submerge her, while Dmitri, the outward-facing epitome of confidence as the drummer in a band, nonetheless is unsure of himself as he navigates life and his relationships. At the start of sophomore year, Eliana transfers into film class and catches the eye of her polar opposite: Dmitri. She avoids him yet is intrigued. He is smitten. Determined to win her love, Dmitri surrounds Eliana with his presence. When he invites her to join his family at the Greek festival, she says yes. There she meets Dmitri's grandma, Yia Yia, and other family members. Their Ferris wheel ride allows them to get to know each other and results in a song Dmitri writes to commemorate their newfound love. Eliana, while honored, becomes frightened by Dmitri's intensity. Alternating chapters tell their story from each perspective, revealing their hopes, desires, and thoughts. As Eliana strives to understand how her depression clouds her view of life, forcing her to shut down and avoid everyone, Dmitri must likewise turn inward and learn to slow down and not crowd. VERDICT A story of how friendship and love can grow together; recommended for YA collections.—Connie Williams, Petaluma, CA

School Library Journal