How often do you get the chance to read a delightful story about friendship, tea, and family all rolled into one? That is exactly what you get when you read “The Teashop Girls” by Laura Schaefer.
The author does a fantastic job developing the characters into real people. The story is told from the perspective of Annie, a happy-go-lucky teenage girl who is attempting to navigate her way through junior high, puberty and the rocky road of teenage friendships. Classified as teenage fiction, “The Teashop Girls”, takes the reader on an adventurous yet somewhat predictable journey, that young readers will enjoy reading over and over again. Annie’s world is turned upside down when she discovers her grandmother’s teashop (the Steeping Leaf) is in jeopardy of going out of business. The Steeping Leaf has not only been a pillar in the lives of Annie, her family and the community, it is ingrained in the fabric of the many life lessons learned and traditions created with her two best friends – Genna and Zoe.
In a lighthearted yet very poignant way, Annie and her friends experience a taste of the challenges of adulthood. Annie must balance a budding crush on a cute “older” boy and the renewal of friendships with the Steeping Leaf’s mounting unpaid bills and eviction from the only location it has called home. All the while intermingled with tea facts, tea history, and tea recipes. So how does it all end? You will simply have to purchase your own copy of The Teashop Girls to find out.
Title: The Teashop Girls
Author: Laura Schaefer
Illustrator: Sujean Rim
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing
Price: $15.99
Ages: 8-14
Official Website: http://teashopgirls.webnode.com/
This sounds like a fun book even for older women to read. Perhaps it could even help some recapture some innocence of youth. I just love tea-themed books.
Jason,
Thanks for commenting. I agree, The Teashop Girls was a delightful read. Even though, a juvenile book, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. What other tea-themed books would you recommend?
I haven’t read it but I just discovered one from the tea community here online. It’s “The Teahouse Fire” by Ellis Avery. Similar to the girls’ book you’ve written about here as a tea-themed novel.