Grow Up, Tahlia Wilkins!

Grow Up, Tahlia Wilkins!

Debut author Karina Evans gives modern-day readers their own version of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret  with a fun and truthful romp about friendship, puberty, and growing up. Twelve-year-old Tahlia Wilkins is ready to kick off the perfect summer at the popular kid's pool party. But when the Red Goddess of Panties, aka her first period, arrives 24 hours before the pool party, it messes up all her plans. To make matters worse, her mom is out of town, and there's no way she's going to ask her dad for help! Tahlia always feared that growing up would be tough, but this is just not fair. In order to save herself from total embarrassment, it will take all of Tahlia and her best friend Lily's scheming to keep her reputation—and her favorite jeans—from being ruined. Sneak off to the grocery store only to have the clerk price check your "goods" over the loudspeaker? Check. Trick your mature teenage neighbor into letting you use her bathroom to 'rehome' some tampons? Check. Take a dip into a fountain to 'borrow' some quarters for a bathroom period product dispenser? Check, check, check!  With the hilarious and heartwarming tone of Dork Diaries  and the critically-acclaimed movie Eighth Grade ,  Grow Up, Tahlia Wilkins!  is a coming-of-age middle-grade novel about growing up, in all of its awkward glory. "Quick-moving, lighthearted, and ultimately heartwarming, this first-person narrative will especially be enjoyed by readers awaiting or having recently experienced their first periods."― Kirkus "Tahlia's experience of her first period is refreshingly matter-of-fact and extensive . . . Hand this voice-driven novel to kids interested in friendship stories."― Booklist “This laugh-out-loud and all-too-real story about first periods is sure to speak to girls awaiting (or dreading) their own first periods…Highly recommended.”― The Mighty Girl "Evans offers some practical tips for young people on the brink of menstruation, ending on a family-oriented upswing—and a note of relief.”― Publishers Weekly Karina Evans studied English at the University of Delaware before going into a career in the entertainment industry. She currently lives in Los Angeles, California, and Grow Up, Tahlia Wilkins! is her first novel. You can visit her online at karinaevans.com