With Love from Spain, Melanie Martin (Melanie Martin Novels)
Grade 4-6--Melanie is back in her third adventure as she and her family vacation in Spain. The 11-year-old reveals her trials and triumphs in her diary, scattering goofy poems and the pronunciation of Spanish words throughout. Her brother, "Matt the Brat," is a source of both entertainment and exasperation with his bathroom humor, and Melanie is worried about her parents as they spend time with her mother's old flame. Despite her needless anxiety, she discovers that Antonio has an attractive, 12-year-old son, Miguel. The Martins attend a bullfight in Valencia, explore museums in Madrid, and enjoy flamenco dancing in Seville. Along the way, Melanie develops a crush on Miguel, who travels with them to several sites, and must deal with the pain of saying good-bye at journey's end. She is a likable, realistic character, and the book contains a lot of humor and drama. The diary confessions ring true, and fans of her previous novels will enjoy this sequel, although new readers could easily get into the story. A great choice for those who enjoy diary-format fiction or funny stories about growing up.--Alison Grant, West Bloomfield Township Public Library, MICopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.