Module 7 Review 2 - The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

The sisterhood of the traveling pants / by Ann Brashares.

Bibliographic Citation:

Brashares, A. (2001). The sisterhood of the traveling pants. New York, NY: Delacorte Press.

Summary:

Four girls, born within 19 days of each other from the end of August to the middle of September, have been friends since birth and spend every summer together. However, the summer of fifteen turning sixteen finds them all going off in different directions. The night before Lena, Bridget and Carmen leave Tibby behind at home for their summer adventures in Greece, Baja California and Charleston, South Carolina, the four discover magic in a pair of thrift store blue jeans that fit them all, and make them all look and feel good. They create a list of ten rules and determine to mail the pants back and forth to each other over the summer.

The four girls write letters back and forth, but none fully reveals the struggles the summer presents. The pants provide a welcome relief each time one of the girls receives them, providing a connection to each of the other three and giving something that each needs, including courage, truth and even some healing.  

Impressions:

The four girls in the story have a strong bond that most girls desire. They are different enough that many young readers will be able to identify with one of them in some way. The different struggles that each girl faces are struggles faced by many young girls, making the characters relatable.

Library Use Suggestions:

I think this would be a good book to use as a late middle school or high school girls book club selection. For older students, discuss the importance of friendships. How did the pants help the girls stay involved in each other’s lives even when they were far apart?

Reviews:

Four teenagers—best friends since babyhood—have different destinations for the summer and are distressed about disbanding. When they find a pair of "magic pants"—secondhand jeans that fit each girl perfectly, despite their different body types—they take a solemn vow that the Pants "will travel to all the places we're going, and they will keep us together when we are apart." Rules for how to pass the Pants among them are devised, along with a list of general usage rules ("You must never say the word phat' while wearing the pants. You must also never think I am fat' while wearing the pants"). Sources for the quotes separating chapters range from Tolkien to Seinfeld; a quote from Winston Churchill states the book's theme: "You will make all kinds of mistakes: but as long as you are generous and true and also fierce you cannot hurt the world or even seriously distress her." The girls make some big mistakes in the Pants, but wrongs are eventually righted, and the friends learn some life lessons: look beyond appearances, be honest about feelings, have some self-control, and have the courage to love. This first novel has the same foolproof formula as bestseller adult books about intense lifelong friendships (i.e., Rebecca Wells's Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood). A posse of loyal girlfriends has enormous appeal; add in the dream-come-true perfect pair of jeans and you can't lose. Good friends, like good pants, should make you feel fabulous; Brasheres takes the two and creates a breezy feel-good book.

(2001, November 1). [Review of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants]. The Horn Book. Retrieved from http://vywwllb.bookverdict.com/details.xqy?uri=Product-99291223.xml Four teenagers—best friends since babyhood—have different destinations for the summer and are distressed about disbanding. When they find a pair of "magic pants"—secondhand jeans that fit each girl perfectly, despite their different body types—they take a solemn vow that the Pants "will travel to all the places we're going, and they will keep us together when we are apart." Rules for how to pass the Pants among them are devised, along with a list of general usage rules ("You must never say the word phat' while wearing the pants. You must also never think I am fat' while wearing the pants"). Sources for the quotes separating chapters range from Tolkien to Seinfeld; a quote from Winston Churchill states the book's theme: "You will make all kinds of mistakes: but as long as you are generous and true and also fierce you cannot hurt the world or even seriously distress her." The girls make some big mistakes in the Pants, but wrongs are eventually righted, and the friends learn some life lessons: look beyond appearances, be honest about feelings, have some self-control, and have the courage to love. This first novel has the same foolproof formula as bestseller adult books about intense lifelong friendships (i.e., Rebecca Wells's Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood). A posse of loyal girlfriends has enormous appeal; add in the dream-come-true perfect pair of jeans and you can't lose. Good friends, like good pants, should make you feel fabulous; Brasheres takes the two and creates a breezy feel-good book. Four teenagers—best friends since babyhood—have different destinations for the summer and are distressed about disbanding. When they find a pair of "magic pants"—secondhand jeans that fit each girl perfectly, despite their different body types—they take a solemn vow that the Pants "will travel to all the places we're going, and they will keep us together when we are apart." Rules for how to pass the Pants among them are devised, along with a list of general usage rules ("You must never say the word phat' while wearing the pants. You must also never think I am fat' while wearing the pants"). Sources for the quotes separating chapters range from Tolkien to Seinfeld; a quote from Winston Churchill states the book's theme: "You will make all kinds of mistakes: but as long as you are generous and true and also fierce you cannot hurt the world or even seriously distress her." The girls make some big mistakes in the Pants, but wrongs are eventually righted, and the friends learn some life lessons: look beyond appearances, be honest about feelings, have some self-control, and have the courage to love. This first novel has the same foolproof formula as bestseller adult books about intense lifelong friendships (i.e., Rebecca Wells's Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood). A posse of loyal girlfriends has enormous appeal; add in the dream-come-true perfect pair of jeans and you can't lose. Good friends, like good pants, should make you feel fabulous; Brasheres takes the two and creates a breezy feel-good book.