The Wedding Planner’s Daughter by Coleen Murtagh Paratore

Here is today’s book review, submitted by Donna M. McDine.

Title: The Wedding Planner’s Daughter
Written by: Coleen Murtagh Paratore
Soft cover: 200 pages
Ages: 8-13
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
ISBN-13: 978-0-689-87340-9
Publication: February 2005

Finally, 12-year-old Willafred Havisham, or Willa as she likes to be called, believes with her whole heart and soul that she and her mom, Stella, are finally in the right place at the right time? Willa’s dreams of her first best friend ever and the major connection between her mom and her English teacher, Sam clinch it for her. Could it be her thirteenth birthday wish just may come true this time around? But as long as she can remember Willa dreads the day the armor of steel surrounds her mother. It could only mean one thing, another move.

In the efforts to secretly help the weddings that her mother Stella organizes, Willa always includes a secret thirteenth ingredient until the day everything comes to an ending no one ever suspected.

“Mother, your weddings were perfect, but you were sewing your sadness into them, like a spell. I know you didn’t realize it, or do it on purpose, but the day after the wedding your brides would start crying and…”

The hopes and dreams of Willa will cast a spell over the reader. Add in co-conspirators, you will cheer Willa on with every action she takes for the one thing she ever wanted. However, sometimes what you wish for is not actually what you are looking for.

There is no wonder The Wedding Planner’s Daughter has sold a million copies and is now a series. Visit Coleen Murtagh Paratore’s website to learn more about her exciting writing career.

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Donna McDine’s publishing credits include Stories for Children Magazine, Stories for Children Newsletter for Writers, Kid Magazine Writers, Long Story Short, Institute of Children’s Literature Rx for Writers, SCBWI Metro NY Newsletter, Cross & Quill ~ The Christian Writers Newsletter, Once Upon A Time Magazine and forthcoming articles in, Mom Writer’s Literary Magazine and Boys’ Quest.