I'm with the Band (VIP Series #1)

by Jen Calonita, Kristen Gudsnuk (Illustrator)

Overview

Twelve-year-old Mackenzie "Mac" Lowell's dreams have come true. Thanks to her mom scoring the coolest job EVER, Mac is going from boy band fanatic to official tour member of her favorite group, Perfect Storm. Good thing she's brought along her journal so she can record every moment, every breath, and every one of lead singer Zander Welling's killer smiles in written detail and daydreamy doodles.

But between a zillion tour stops and pranks gone wrong, Zander and his fellow band members, Heath Holland and Kyle Beyer, become more like brothers to Mac. When the boys' differences start to drive them apart, can Perfect Storm's biggest fan remind them why they'reperfect together? It'll be up to Mac—and her comic-book alter ego, Mac Attack—to keep the band together and on the road to stardom

Chronicling her experiences on tour, Mac's journal springs to life with black-and-white illustrations and comic-book panels throughout its pages.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316259736
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	07/12/2016
Series:	VIP Series , #1
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	277,935
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.60(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Jen Calonita is the author of the VIP, Secrets of My Hollywood Life and Fairy Tale Reform School series, and a former magazine editor who has interviewed everyone from Justin Timberlake to Beyoncé. She lives in New York with her husband, Mike; sons, Dylan and Tyler; and their Chihuahua, Captain Jack Sparrow.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for VIP: I'm With the Band:
An Amazon Best Books of December 2015 Selection"Written in diary entries and interspersed with vaguely manga-styled illustrations as well as some of Mackenzie's comic-book stories, this hits the sweet spot for fans of Dork Diaries. This tale of ultimate wish fulfillment is a must-read for starry-eyed fans of boy bands."—Kirkus Reviews

"Calonita (Flunked) targets Directioners and other boy band devotees with this effervescent first book in the V.I.P. series...Gudsnuk, creator of the Henchgirl webcomic, provides exuberant comics sequences and spot illustrations throughout...The real meat of this diary-style story lies in the behind-the-scenes details of life on tour, as well as Mac's relationships with the band members as she gets to know them as real people."—Publishers Weekly

"Calonita captures squealing tween-girl excitement perfectly in this diary-style novel, but she makes sure being a fangirl isn't Mac's only M.O. Her ambitions to be an artist not only feature in the plot but also in its illustrations..."—Booklist

"A fun read for middle school students... [who] can relate to Mac's joy in writing in her journal. All problems are resolved in the end, and Mac and her mother are looking forward to continuing on the band's tour." —School Library Connection

"Cute boy banders? Backstage drama? And a butt-kicking comic book heroine? VIP: I'm With the Band is an all-access pass to fun! Don't miss the debut of Jen Calonita's delightful new series!"—Megan McCafferty, New York Times bestselling author of Jessica Darling's IT LIST series

"This behind-the-scenes story of a girl who gets to travel with her favorite boy band is funny and filled with heart. A wonderful start to a brand new series."—Suzanne Selfors, author of the Imaginary Veterinary and Ever After High: A School Story series

"A sassy and adorable wish-fulfillment adventure that had me squealing and goofy smiling. The characters, the comics, the concerts... I promise, you're going to want to marry this book."—Lindsey Leavitt, author of The Pages Between Us and Princess for Hire

"A sweet and hilarious adventure about fandom, friendship, and family. Jen Calonita has captured the perfect storm of being twelve and finding yourself within reach of your wildest dream."—Jennifer Ziegler, author of Revenge of the Flower Girls

From the Publisher

09/28/2015
Calonita (Flunked) targets Directioners and other boy band devotees with this effervescent first book in the V.I.P. series. Twelve-year-old Mackenzie Lowell and her two best friends live for the band Perfect Storm and are dying to see them in concert. Mac also loves drawing comics about her alter ego Mac Attack, who is part of a crime-fighting girl band (Gudsnuk, creator of the Henchgirl webcomic, provides exuberant comics sequences and spot illustrations throughout). Mac’s dreams of someday marrying her Perfect Storm crush, Zander, become just slightly more plausible after Mac’s mother announces that she has been asked to manage Perfect Storm on tour, and Mac will be coming along. While Mac’s embarrassment over a poster and poem she created for the band and a conflict within Perfect Storm provide tension, the real meat of this diary-style story lies in the behind-the-scenes details of life on tour, as well as Mac’s relationships with the band members as she gets to know them as real people. Ages 8–12. Author’s agent: Dan Mandel, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. (Dec.)

Publishers Weekly

09/01/2015
Gr 4–6—For tween patrons who idolize boy bands and are looking for some G-rated romance, this fun confection narrated by 12-year-old Mackenzie Lowell is just the ticket. Mac, an artist and budding graphic novelist spends much of her free time with her BFFs, drooling over the newest up-and-coming boy band Perfect Storm. The girls are bummed after spending the afternoon trying to score tickets to Perfect Storm's concert by calling in to a radio station. Mac's publicist mom saves the day by scoring VIP tickets. Mom's coolness factor skyrockets when she's hired to be the band's publicist, requiring her to travel with the band for a month—and Mac's going with her! This is Mac's chance to catch the eye of lead singer Zander, her crush. Perhaps he'll take her to the spring dance? But there are ups and downs on the tour including an accident involving Green Dragon soda, pranks, a rich mean girl, Zander's fickleness, and Mac's blossoming friendship with Kyle. There's a lot to like in this series starter: Mac's voice, snippets of her graphic novel, the authenticity, the humor, and the pacing. VERDICT The diary format and many illustrations will entice fans of Rachel Renée Russell's "Dork Diaries" (S. & S.) but should be appealing to a wide audience and will have tween readers eager for the next installment.—Brenda Kahn, Tenakill Middle School, Closter, NJ

School Library Journal