Keeping Cool

The Callahan Cousins #3

by Elizabeth Doyle Carey

Look out, Gull Island! Neeve,Phoebe, Kate and Hillary - the 12-year-old Callahancousins - are staying at their grandmother Gee's ramblingseaside estate. A whole summer without any parents!As the idyllic summer continues the girls discover thatbeing joined at the hip isn't all it's cracked up to be.When the usually shy Kate launches a quest to become 'thecool' girl in town, her over-the-top antics threaten topull the cousins aparthellip;..

Genres: Childrens

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Liz Carey is the author of 43 published books for young readers. She was also the Publisher and co-founder of Dunemere Books, a boutique publisher of travel fiction; a former children's book editor (Golden Books, Workman, Planet Dexter) and bookseller (The Harvard Bookstore in Cambridge, MA). Liz lives on Long Island with her husband, three sons, a high-maintenance cat named Yankee and a chunky Pug named Noolah. Please visit www.elizabethdoylecarey.com.

Reviews

[Arshia Zehra · Rating 5 out of 5]

i totally luved it....At first Kate's all abt being cool by ear piercing,getting herself tanned etc.....but den she realizes tht if u do wht u love den u will always be cool and confident 2 other ppl....so she again starts to do da things she loves such as knitting,baking etc.....and ppl call her a scaredy cat whereas she is not....her act of saving Sloan Bicket and having the quality of befriending her was pretty awesome as not even her cousins had managed to do tht......as Sloan was the cousins' enemy but Kate did it!!!! Kate is truly cool although not in da way she expected 2 be at first.....=D

[Bekah]

I am hoping to read this book but I am reading the second one in the collection. I skiped out on the first one because I got it for Christmas when I was about nine and it had the lords name in vain so I thought I would get in troble if I read it so we gave it away.

[Annabel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this whole series. They are funny, and well- written. I am hooked!

[Liam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have enjoyed this when I was younger and given it 5 stars lol

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to it on cd

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book for tween girls.

[Jenben8426 · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the 3rd in the Callahan Cousin series. This time we see Gull Island through the eyes of Kate who is a little bit shy and timid and not quite sure of herself. When Kate decides that she needs to become more "cool" things heat up between her and the other cousins. In the end Kate must learn what "cool" really means and how being cool can actually do more harm than good.

This book was just okay. I felt there was just writing for writing's sake and perhaps the book could have been shorter. There were some good lessons to be learned--especially for 10-12 year old girls including how to gain confidence, liking who you are, branching out and trying something new, obeying the adult figure in your life (specifically in this book was their Grandmother), making friends, and sticking together. But the book also plants in the mind some not good adventures such as piercing one's own ears and swimming after dark in the ocean (ignoring the warnings of the adult in the book) among others. At least there were natural consequences of these actions so hopefully any girl that reads it wouldn't think hey that's a cool idea.

[Danielle Routh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though I'm not the target audience for this book or series, I feel like the story's message could have been portrayed in a subtler and briefer manner. I'm also getting really annoyed by how often Carey feels the need to iterate certain behavioral traits of the girls, like how Hillary isn't used to "girly drama" or Phoebe's tendency to use unusual words. I did appreciate the character development of Sloan in this installment, though.

2025: Bumping this up to three stars--a little more distance between me and middle school has helped me appreciate that, even if Kate's journey is so slow as to be a bit frustrating, it's incredibly realistic in that way. And this book does a great job of giving Kate growth and respect among the cousins.

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great lesson about not changing yourself just so others will like you, I think every girl needs to hear this message all the time :) however kate has some serious shy probs which were a bit annoying. And the cousins were a little bit annoying to Kate like mean! But maybe that's just because the book was from Kate's perspective and that what she saw..hmm interesting how different people see things differently. So 3.5 stars.

[Sahar · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is history...its awesome i love the way kate wants to change herself and be cool but in the end she realizes that she's better off with her personality and cooking painting and knitting is her passion ....i love the way she makes friends and gives company to Sloan Bicket who is her and her cousins enemy who looks very cool and confident indeed but is a friend less sad teenager

[Lulu · Rating 4 out of 5]

kate is waaaaay too obsessed with being cool.....

[T · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really didn't feel that there was much to recommend here.

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good. Kate annoyed me in the beginning, but I'm glad everything worked out for her and she discovered who she really is.