Here's a big merci to the awesome Ally Carter for joining us at readergirlz this month!
FictionNon-Fiction
Put on Your Crown: Life-Changing Moments on the Path to Queendom by Queen Latifah and Samantha Marshall
Gutsy Girls: Young Women Who Dare by Tina Schwager
Planning your own Gallagher Girls book group get-together? Here are some party ideas from featured author Ally Carter. Invite: Send a coded message via covert means. (This invitation will self-destruct in three...two...)
Décor: Plaid, crests, swords, and cut-out letters
Food: Peanut M&Ms, "drugged" apples, crème Brule, and, of course, Evapopaper (perhaps phyllo dough could be used in such a way)
Movies & TV Shows: Alias, the Bourne movies, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Craft: Make a hair bow out of coordinating plaids; create a super secret book cover to hide your covert texts; hollow out an old lipstick tube or some other innocuous-looking container to form a secret carrying device; make a holder for all that dangerous/killer spaghetti.
If you are a US citizen who truly wants to work in espionage, you may want to pursue a career with the CIA: Central Intelligence Agency. The CIA declares itself to be the nation's first line of defense.If you're currently a high school student who wants to get a job in the CIA in the future, the Agency recommends that you "concentrate on improving your communication skills, specifically in writing and in speaking. Foreign language skills are a big plus, and you should have a strong academic record."
Anxious to begin your life as a spy? The Agency offers student work programs such as undergraduate student internships and graduate studies programs. Check out these student opportunities!
Cammie knows how to kick some butt in the Gallagher Girls books, and we should all be prepared to defend ourselves. That's why one of our July spotlights is on the Fight the Fear Campaign.In July 2009, two women were attacked in their own home. Tragically, one of them, Teresa Butz, was killed; her partner courageously survived the attack. Shortly thereafter, the Fight the Fear Campaign was born.
Called "a quest for confidence through strength," this community-oriented violence prevention initiative provides free self-defense training and violence prevention education to women. The group is based in Seattle and hosts workshops which are open to all women. (Our own Liz Gallagher has attended; see her story here.)
Fight the Fear will be holding a workshop specifically for girls ages 11-17 on August 8th from 11 AM to 1 PM. To register, email info@fightthefearcampaign.org
If you attend this or other related events, please let us know! Email readergirlzdivas@gmail.com.
(that honor goes to Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy), but it was full of its own kind of challenges: who can Cammie trust? What can she do? How can she go about her junior year in a way that is both safe and smart without being a wallflower, standing on the sidelines of her own life?