Sisterhood+of+the+Traveling+Pants+by+Ann+Brashares

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
by Ann Brashares Published by Delacorte Press (a division of Random House Children's Books) 2001

Summary
Ever since they were born Carmen, Bridget, Tibby, and Lena have been inseparable, except this summer. This summer the girls will spend vacation away from each other for the first time ever. The day before their departures Carmen spontaneously buys a pair of jeans from a thrift shop. As the girls gather for the last time they all try on Carmen’s jeans and they fit each one of them perfectly. They then decide to use this pair of pants to stay connected during the summer while they are apart.

While they are apart each of the girls have different experiences with love, loss, regret and friendship. Lena falls in love in [|Greece], Tibby befriends a younger girl Bailey, Carmen is shocked to find out her father is re-marrying without telling her first, and Bridget regrets having her first sexual experience at soccer camp in [|Mexico]. As summer vacation comes to an end the girls discover who they are and what’s most important in life.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is a great book to teach to middle school students (preferably female, as it would be hard for male students to relate to this book) as they are making the transition into high school. Lessons that can be learned from reading this book are the importance of friendship, sex, death, and acceptance. As middles school girls start the ninth grade and find their cliques and niches among other students they struggle to find a place where they are accepted and fit in comfortably. By following examples of the girls in the story students may be able to have a smoother transition. Another controversial lesson in this book is sex. This book gives a short lesson on the consequences of one girl’s actions and the outcomes of her decision. By talking about this with students it will hopefully guide them to make appropriate decisions for themselves. Before teaching this book the teacher should consider talking to parents about what the readers of the books (their children) are in for and prepare them before they even begin reading it.
 * Recommendations for Teachers**

** About Ann Brashares **
= = Ann Brashares grew up in [|Chevy Case Maryland] and went to [|Barnard College] to study philosophy. Currently though, she is a young adult writer best known for her book Sister Hood of the Traveling Pants and the squeal The Second Summer of the Sisterhood. She lives in New York with her husband Jacob Collins who is an artist and her children Nathaniel, Samuel, and Susannah.

__Other Books by Ann Brashares:__ The Second Summer of the Sisterhood (2003) Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood (2005) Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood (2007) Keep in Touch: Letters, Notes, and More from the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005) The Last Summer (of You & Me) - June 2007 Steve Jobs: Think Different (2001) Linus Torvalds, Software Rebel (2001)

**Multimedia**
Mock Author Interviews 7th grade students researched authors and put together a mock interview This one is of Ann Brashares Interview Author of the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants media type="custom" key="663899"

**Additional Resources:**
8. [|Suggested discussion questions]
 * 1) [|Ann Brashares Myspace Page] - A page dedicated to some of Ann’s writings.
 * 2) [|Sisterhood of the traveling pants (the movie)] - about the movie, cast, and fun trivia.
 * 3) [|Official Sisterhood Site] - Includes about the books, author, fun stuff to do, movies, and newsletter.
 * 4) [|Sisterhood of the traveling pants PART 2 (the movie preview)]
 * 5) [|Another Site of Ann Brashares] –biography, news and events, and a blog.
 * 6) [|The last summer (of you &me) –] book review, customer comments, and synopsis of book.
 * 7) [|More books by Ann Brashares]

--Julie Shoults