Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block

• ISBN: 0-060277475

• Plot summary: Weetzie Bat feels like an outsider in her school--that is, until she meets Dirk. Soon, Dirk and Weetzie embark on adventures in food and music in their hometown of Los Angeles, only to find themselves in want of love. Dirk is gay and though he loves Weetzie very much, he needs to find someone who can suit his needs. Wishing on a magic lamp gifts by Dirk's grandmother, both Weetzie and Dirk find their true loves and live happily ever after in one dream abode. That is, until Weetzie decides she wants a baby. When her Secret Agent Love Man walks out on her after she divulges how her child has been conceived, Weetzie is unsure about her next step. What happened to happily ever after? And how will she solve this mess?
  
• Critical evaluation: Once again, Block manages to whirl a reader through the magic of Los Angeles, the scenery of which is practically a character in and of itself. A reader is treated to this dazzling background while hitching a ride on the modern fairy tale that follows Weetzie wherever she goes. Though unconventional, Weetzie strikes up a family that is all her own, and though things get bumpy at times, they live in fairy tale Los Angeles and things have a way of working themselves out. In any other novel, the transition between disaster and harmony would be too seamless, but with the magic of their town and the palpable love seen among the characters, Block pulls off this modern fairytale.
  
• Reader's annotation: Weetzie can have whatever she wants, just as long as there's love, and Los Angeles.
• About the author: Francesca Lia Block just happened to fall into the YA category. She continues to publish books for all ages and lives in Los Angeles.
• Genre: Fiction/supernatural
• Curriculum ties, if any: None
• Booktalking ideas:
• Do you feel like your city is a character in your life?
• Do you have your own created family that you rely on?
• Reading level/interest age: 15+
• Challenge issues: Sexuality, some drug and alcohol use
• Why was this item included? Francesca Lia Block was my chosen author.