Self-Portrait

Three Girls in the City #1

by Jeanne Betancourt

From award winning author Jeanne Betancourt the 1st in a series telling the story of 3 girls who meet at a photo workshop in NYC and learn a lot about who they are - and what real friendship is.

NYC, 2002. Three13 year-old girls meet at a summer photo Carolyn, fresh from Wyoming, motherless and scared; Joy, who has everything plus a bad attitude, and Maya from Harlem, strong, proud and surprised to find herself liking these 2 mismatched girls. Just as these 3 discover they're friends despite their differences, Carolyn's father decides to send her back 'home' to Wyoming. Then, in her first flush of street-smart confidence, Carolyn gets scarily lost on the subway - and it's Joy and Maya who find her - and show her dad that New York City is the home they've been looking for.

Genres: Young Adult, Childrens

176 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

When I was growing up I never thought of being an author. I was a terrible speller and didn't want to write any more than I had to. I wanted to be a tap dancer when I grew up. After a few years of teaching junior high and high school, I wrote my first novel. It was a surprise to discover that I liked making up stories and writing them down. I liked it so much that eventually I stopped teaching and became a fulltime writer.

Besides novels for children and young adults, I've also told stories by writing scripts for television and the movies.

I live on the top floor of a sixteen-story building near the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. From my apartment I have a view of Manhattan that includes the Empire State Building and the Plaza Hotel. In my free time I draw, paint, and read. I still love to dance.

Some people think that a writer's life is lonely. But when I'm writing a story I don't feel lonely because I am actively involved with lots of interesting people – the characters in my books. I love knowing that some day readers will get to know these characters, too. If you are one of my readers I hope you have as much enjoyment in reading my stories as I have writing them.

Reviews

[Lilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great series of books that tells how you can become best friends who are completely different from you.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three Girls in the City - Self portrait
By Jeanne Betancourt
Review by Emily Schultz

Three girls. Friends. Well…
Maya, Carolyn, and Joy are all girls taking the same photography workshop, they get paired together and things are like a rollercoaster from there.
I liked this book a lot and I would recommend it to someone who likes a little mystery and a wacko friendship style, kind of book.
The three girls are assigned to take pictures of their self, family, and their neighborhood.
Some say planning is key but not in this book. Actually planning is a difficult thing for the three girls. They go on mini-like adventures and some are AWESOME but some just go downhill. Carolyn’s father is over protective of Carolyn and gets the other girls to almost babysit Carolyn.
I would probably read this book only once but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t good.

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing.These three 13 yr old girls are totally oppisites.Later in the book they become best friends.

[ThundertheKilljoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. This was kind of just an easy break book for me. Sadly, this week I didn't get much reading time so I am disappointed than I hadn't finished this sooner.

[Shayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three Girls In The City Self Portrait By Jeanne Betancourt 162 pages

Three girls in the city is about how you can be someone you never thought you would be. Caroline is new to New York because she just moved from Wyoming. Caroline is not sure she likes it in New York. Caroline is tall and has red hair. Maya has lived in one part of New York for her hole life. Maya is tall, her skin color is light brown, and her hair is black. Joy is not so joyful. Joy is tall and has brown/black hair, Joy is not so confident in herself about how she looks. When these three girls meet at the photograph shop they never think they will become best friends.

I recommend this book for anyone that likes adventure. I give this book a 4 star rating. This book is realistic fiction.

[Maré · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been re-reading books I loved when I was younger because I'm back home. I remembered loving this series when I read them so I was pleasently surprised to find out they are actually VERY GOOD! I loved it haha. I thought it was very inclusive+diverse and a fun read for pre-teens. I also think it would adapt pretty well as a movie.
Too bad I don't own the last two books in the series, I'm very curious on how it ends.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is all about fate- three girls who move to new york city from different states just happen to be taking the same photography classes and all see the same guy and decide to do a project on him because he has peircings everywhere. The girls are all as different as could be but end up spending a lot of time together and become friends all because of this strange guy and their project!

[Ruth Martinez · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about three girls who live in New York City, they are very good frinds. The trouble started when one of them started feeling discriminated for her skin color, she thinks that she is different because of that, but the other two girls don't care they like her friend for the way she is not for the skin color. This book shows how is to live in New York City. is very good book.

[Marshaunte · Rating 1 out of 5]

. this is book is about three girls taking some time to rome free in the city

[Zoren]

This was a really good book. It was about three girls in New York City. They take photography workshop, but they dont know each other. They became close when they had to be partners on an assignment.

[Ashley Zander · Rating 4 out of 5]

wish i had the second one now, cant keep reading without it

[Shani · Rating 5 out of 5]

I forgot all about this series until I came across it again today. Funny, because I still remember how much I loved it. I think I'll have to read them again...

[Ja'KeriaMoore]

i never read it the book it want let me read it