Grace Notes

Grace Doe is your average teenage girl. She is a sophomore at a typical high school. She works at a regular part-time job. She is even a member of a normal American family. However, this is also Grace's biggest problem--she is so average, she's invisible. Or at least, that's how Grace feels most of the time in the book Grace Notes. Dandi Daley Mackall, author of numerous books, creates an honest and realistic tale in the first book of her Blog On series. Grace Notes explores the issues of popularity, worry, friendships, and personal appearance that pre-teen girls will understand and appreciate. This book focuses on Grace and her ownership of a webpage on the Internet called That's What You Think! Grace may feel invisible in the real world, but she finds her voice on the web. Through it she is able to use her gift of writing to portray her thoughts on life without giving away her true identity. Then, Grace's virtual world falls apart when she receives an e-mail from someone who threatens to blow her cover. By the end of the story, Grace learns an important lesson about love and the body of Christ. Although the writing is not classic literature material, Mackall will hold her readers' attention with well-developed characters who are both lovable and realistic. Pre-teen girls will see themselves in Grace, and other readers will learn the importance of fellowship along with these characters. Grace Notes portrays the life of an average America teen with a personal story. It reveals what goes on inside a normal girl's head. The tale is somehow familiar, but that is exactly why Mackall's readers will enjoy it. The book will teach girls who may feel like Grace a significant lesson and get them hooked on the Blog On series along the way. - Amy Nickerson, [...]

I spend hours online every day and found this story to be so true! What I liked best was the way the author makes you feel like you're there--so real. I could be Gracie, observing and not feeling a part of things. My best friend and I are going to do what Gracie and her friends end up doing--blog together, be positive instead of negative. Everything about this book reads true and real. Can't get it out of my head--in a very good way! I love these characters--and each one gets to "star" in her own book in the series. Wait 'til you read LOVE, ANNIE!

As adults we are all concerned for the safety of our children on the internet; however as we are aware the internet is a part of their lives that is never going to go away. Blogging has become important to many and the young are no different. Sharing their lives, their adventures, their fears is becoming a norm among our youth and also poses a threat to their safety. In this work we meet Gracie who does not reveal her true identity in her blog but soon the truth is found out after much is written that may not make her the most popular girl at Big Lake High, which is fine with her, or is it? Gracie learns how important it is to belong, yet still be an individual, share her life, but still be private and understand that God makes us all different and unique but we all in one way or another need each other. This is a fun work that is packed with spiritual insight that every young girl will relate to.

"Grace Notes" is about a girl name Gracie who has a blog site. Everyone on the blog site calls her Jane instead of Gracie because she doesn't want anyone to know her real identity. She likes being "invisible." Only one person knows that Jane is really Gracie: her little sister Mich. I like this story because the main character is someone I can relate to. She's "invisible" and she doesn't like to wear make-up or "cutie" clothes like all the other girls in her school. In other words, she's not trying to be popular; she's content to just be herself and she doesn't mind being alone. I really liked reading this book and I would highly recommend it for girls my age. Abby, 7th grade