These Are the Rules

My then 13-year-old daughter and a male friend of hers read this book about two summers ago. Recently I heard the boy talking with a group of other boys at my house about not liking to read, commenting that it was a drag. I reminded him that he had read Paul Many's book and had seemed to like it, and he said, "Oh yeah, I forgot. I really loved that book. I'll have to find it and read it again. Then I'll loan it to you guys."I have given this book to many young teens, and it seems to make a real impression on them.

This book was great! I loved it because it focused on the basic teens problems but added a little humor on the side! The only reason I gave it 4 stars was because it was a short book but other than that it was more than perfect!!!

Colm has an easy an laidback outlook on the summer, the book has some really good events that really could happen to anyone. The relationships are imagineable and the feelings Colm shares with you are really funny. It's a fun read and if you're looking for a good easy read, this is a wonderful book.

From The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 3/3/97: "Colm's narration has a thoughtful, low-key quality that evokes the turmoil and exasperation of his emotional reality while keeping him believable as a teenager just trying to figure things out... Colm is a likable protagonist in an absorbing plot, and that makes this a winner all around." Review excerpt provided by author.