No dress, no idea by R.A Stephens

Written for those of her students who thought more about their formals than graduating, R. A. Stephen’s book title No dress, no idea says it all. Twelve months out from the end of year school formal, Tarni is totally obsessed with finding the perfect dress for the big event. She has a checklist of everything she will need: dress, shoes, make-up, jewellery; and her casual work earnings are dedicated to her budget. Then things start to go wrong: the perfect dress she sets her sights on is incredibly expensive, and other expenses start to intrude, such as her school jersey, driving lessons and licence fee. And she has no idea about what she wants to do after graduation.

This book is one in the Rhiza Shorts series of teen fiction with ‘minimal words, maximum impact’. It’s a short easy read, the language uncomplicated, and the themes including friendships and problem solving, all up-beat and relevant to its target audience, teenagers who find it hard to read anything much longer than their phone texts. The themes of friendships, study stress, budgeting and careers are aimed at 18 year olds, but the light tone and easy format is also suitable for younger readers. This makes it an excellent choice for struggling or reluctant readers. It would be worth checking out others in the series. 

Themes: School formal, Budgets, Friendship, Graduation, Careers.

Helen Eddy