Be heard. Be strong. Be proud.

Hey guys!  Did any of you catch the new Disney movie, Lemonade Mouth?  It stars Bridgit Mendler from Good Luck Charlie & Adam Hicks from Zeke and Luther.

I have to admit, I thought it was going to be one of those cheesy movies Disney has been making, but Lemonade Mouth is definitely the best thing ever since High School Musical! 

Lemonade Mouth is the story of five Mesa high school freshmen, Olivia White, Wen Gifford, Stella Yamada, Charlie Delgado and Mo Banjaree, who meet in detention and form a band.  Being the underdogs in a school that focuses on sports, Lemonade Mouth soon start a revolution to let their voices be heard.  

I just love the message of the movie.  It tells you that you're special in your own way and you should be proud of it.  ("Be yourself" seems to be the theme for 2011! Haha!)

Let me give you a little insider on the characters of Lemonade Mouth:

Olivia White;

Olivia is a shy girl who is quite a bookworm.  She's lived with her grandmother ever since her mother died and her father was sent to prison.  Olivia soon becomes Lemonade Mouth's lead singer & songwriter.

Stella Yamada;

Stella is very outspoken, fearless and talented.  She came all the way from Rhode Island to a new town, a new school, a new life.  Stella, however, thinks she's too stupid to be in her family of geniouses.  She is very determined and headstrong.  She is the lead guitarist for Lemonade Mouth.

Mo Banjaree;

Mo is an intelligent, goody two-shoes kind of girl.  She struggles to impress her father for this perfect Indian daughter vision he has for her.  She secretly dates Scott Pickett who happens to be from Lemonade Mouth's opposing band, Mudslide Crush.  Mo is classically trained with the violin, but she plays the bass for Lemonade Mouth.

Wen Gifford;

Wen is a funny, carefree, laid-back guy.  He may have a great personality, but he definitely doesn't like the fact that his dad is re-marrying a 28-year-old woman.  Wen was very enthusiastic about the idea of starting Lemonade Mouth.  He plays the keyboard for the band.

Charlie Delgado;

Charlie is a talented, good-natured guy who comes from a wealthy family.  His parents try to make him live up to his 'perfect' brother, Tommy, who is off to college at Stanford.  He tends to be uncomfortable with the idea of starting a band and relies on a coin toss to see if they should really do it.  Charlie plays the drums for Lemonade Mouth.

This is definitely a must-watch for everyone of all ages!  Lemonade Mouth forever!

Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen

My rating: ★★★★★

Summary:  

Juli Baker has always thought of Bryce Loski's eyes  as the World's Most Dazzling Eyes, ever since they were seven years old!  Bryce had always thought of Juli as the annoying girl across the street, ever since he moved into the neighborhood.  Things eventually change as Juli and Bryce enter the Eighth Grade.  Bryce starts seeing Juli in a different light then finally flips for her.  Juli, however, wonders if Bryce is really as dreamy as she thought.

What I Like:

The book is so easy to relate to!  You can really understand what Juli and Bryce are going through.  The theme is so simple and pure. 

What I Don't Like:

The ending!  It was just too sudden.  I hope Wendelin Van Draanen makes a sequel.

My Comments: 

I'd recommend this to someone who was going to read teen romance for the very first time.  It's a really good starter.  I also loved the movie version!