Louise Lambert loves vintage clothing. Even though her mother and her best friend think she’s crazy not to want something new, she loves the feeling of mystery that she gets from the unknown stories she senses in each piece.
When an invitation arrives at her home for the Traveling Fashionista Vintage Sale, Louise is sure that will be a great place to look for something to wear to the seventh grade dance. But when she tries on a beautiful pink dress that smells vaguely of the sea, she’s surprised to find herself experiencing life in the body of the original owner aboard a luxury cruise liner in 1912.
At first Louise is happy to leave her unglamorous life behind for the luxury she experiences on board, but when she finds herself longing for her old life, she’s not sure how to get home.
The Time-Traveling Fashionista by Bianca Turetsky is the first in a new series about Louise and the adventures she finds through her love of fashion. Louise experiences lots of the normal angst 12-year-old girls go through—she’s embarrassed about smiling in her braces, she wishes her breasts would grow, and she’d love to feel more confident in herself.
Even if you’re not interested in vintage clothing, you’ll be drawn in by Louise’s appreciation for the styles and quality of the clothes she seeks. And her historical adventure in the early 1900s is fun to follow, especially as the reader can figure out where Louise is, but she doesn’t know right away.
Fashion illustrator Sandra Suy beautifully renders pictures throughout the book of Louise and the dresses she wears. Mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 11 and up can talk about how the clothes you wear can make a difference in how you feel about yourself. They can also discuss their own relation to fashions and what they hope their clothes convey about them, as well as the division of social classes in the early 1900s. I recommend it.
You can also check out the book’s website for lots of great information and activities.
Publisher Poppy provided me with a copy of this book for review.
