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Girl Talk #10
Falling in Like
Can you like a boy and yet not like him at the same time?
Allison's not too happy about having to tutor the class troublemaker, Billy Dixon. But soon she discovers that you can't always judge a book by its cover.
Allison's not too happy about having to tutor the class troublemaker, Billy Dixon. But soon she discovers that you can't always judge a book by its cover.
121 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1990
109 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 9, 2010
Cewek pinter ketemu cowok badung? Klise.
Tapi tetep aja saya suka banget. Hmpfh!
Tapi tetep aja saya suka banget. Hmpfh!
March 11, 2012
Walau critanya simple banget, cm memoriable bngt..
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July 2, 2024Falling In Like
Allison has signed up for a tutoring program and finds out she’s supposed to be tutoring Billy Dixon. She doesn’t know anything about him but Sam thinks he’s gorgeous and Randy says he’s cool. But his first impression on Allison is anything but. There’s a disruption in the lunch room between two guys. Billy Dixon is one of the guys and has gotten in the face of a guy who *he* bumped into (and talks down to the guy who wears glasses). Allison immediately knows that this guy will *not* make things easy.
Their first session doesn’t go well. Billy doesn’t believe Allison is the teacher. She has to explain to him it’s a peer tutoring program. Then when she tries to expect him how to multiply fractions, he does the problem in his head and shows her up by getting it right when she gets it wrong. Allision ends up crying and he ends up walking out on her. Despite him saying that he thought junior high would be different but there are still the same old prejudices (good students, troublemakers) and no body cares. Allison realizes she does care and she’s going to be the best tutor and Billy will pass seventh grade if it’s the last thing she does!
At Fitzie’s they all discuss ways to get Billy to study. Katie says she can get the hockey team to help. Allison doesn’t think Billy can be scared or forced. Randy says that since he doesn’t like school maybe they can study at Fitzie. Allison thinks it would be too loud, but Randy says that’s the way *she* studies. She likes listening to her Walkman. Allison prefers it to be totally quiet. She wonders if she should invite Billy to her house to study and then the thought kind of startles her. Sam, Nick, and Jason come in and tell them the old bowling alley that got shut down reopened. Then he challenges the girls to a bowling match. Allison says she’s never bowled before but Randy says she’ll learn (and be good at it). So Allison vows that she’ll find a way to learn to bowl and find a way to get through to Billy.
At the next session, Billy surprises Allison by knowing a lot of what will be on the social studies test. But what was in the reading he didn’t do because he says he doesn’t like reading? Then he gets her to switch to math. Again he quickly figures out the answer to a word problem. Allison finds out he hasn’t turned in anything because when he did he got O’s and got accused of cheating. Billy’s style is more figuring out the problems in his head. He refuses to do the English and science work and is about to leave, when Allison invites him to study the next time at her place and he agrees to it. Allison starts to have a serious case of butterflies.
Allison finds out when her brother asks him to read a book (from her mother) when he reads the wrong words that he might have a reading disorder. She worries that he’s mad at her because he walked out angry. Her mother tells her he’ll have to take a test and that she should speak to their teacher. Billy tho shows up at the bowling rink when they have their bowling competition. He says he’s there waiting on his brother. Allison admits to him she isn’t doing great and he teases that maybe *she’s* the one that needs a tutor. So the next time she’s up, he stands behind her ang gives her some guidance. She knocks over six pins. With his help, she knocks down another two. (This is a practice for the girls before the real game). Greg gets mad when the girls get in the lead and says that Billy can stop helping Allison and then accuses Allison of cheating. Billy starts to get mad, but Allison steps between them before a fight can pop off. Allison then proves she can get a strike on her own but when she turns around (wanting to show Billy) he’s gone.
The teacher says that Billy should be tested and Allison wants to be the one to tell him. Allison tells her friends at lunch she thinks Billy has dsyexia and may have to take a diagnostic test. He might have to be retrained. Sabrina and Katie tell Allison they think Billy has a crush on her. Allison thinks if he does its just because she’s his tutor. They think it might be better for a teacher to tell him in case he gets upset, but Allison knows it should be her.
When Allison tells Billy, he accuses her of thinking he’s stupid and says he thought she was different. He gets defensive and says he doesn’t need any help so she can tell Mrs. Stacks forget it. Then he walks off. She tells her friends it didn’t go to well. Randy asks what she’s going to do and she says she can't force him to take the test. Randy tells her she can’t give up on him and Allison knows she’s right. She decides to go over to his house that afternoon. Allison finds Billy the next day in the basement with six other boys playing pool. Billy definitely isn’t acting like he likes Allison in front of the other guys. The other guys tho (his brothers) are all friendly to her and start asking her questions. Kevin even asks her to go to the dance with him. Allison can feel Billy’s hatred of her and makes up an excuse that she has to leave to go home (to the other guys disappointment), Billy tho stops her before she can get out the house. He asks why she’s in such a rush in sarcasm. Allison starts to cry and Billy asks doesn’t she want to go back downstairs and talk to her new friends. Allison doesn’t know what he's talking about nor why he’s being so mean. (Clearly jealousy). He then puts his hand under her chin and raises her head to meet his eyes. But she pulls away and leaves.
Billy calls and apologizes and says he thought she was flirting with his brother. Then he realizes she wouldn’t do that. He then says he doesn’t want her to go out with his friends and then asks her out to the movies. She says yes and then asks about the test. He says he talks to the teacher and agreed to do the test and he’ll tell her how it went. Now, she’ll get off his case. Of course, she then starts a phone chain and tells her friends. She tells Randy she’s scared. She’s never been on a date before. Randy says they have three days to get her ready.
On their date, Allison and Billy go to Fitzie’s. It’s crowded so they sit with his brother and his friends. Then they go to the movies. Billy holds her hand the whole time. The auditorium is packed and the movie goes by quick. Before he leaves he kisses her on the cheek and Allison just stares after him in disbelief.
My Thoughts:
Billy didn’t really leave all that great an impression on me because of the way he was first introduced. All the others (even Allison herself) seemed to excuse the guy he called ‘four eyes” in the lunch line because they thought he was attractive or acted cool. They blew off that he was a jerk to this kid because “he was a little rough around the edges”. But sometimes, you have to look past the outside stuff to what’s inside. Billy has a VERY BAD temper! Sometimes, I think sometimes females tend to when they like someone turn a blind eye to red flags that show them who a person *really* is when they start going out with them much later. Now, maybe whose to say that Allison won’t be a good influence on Billy? I hope this is what happens. I just couldn’t get with Billy and Allison as a couple. If the point was to steer us in that direction she she (the author) shouldn’t have painted the picture that he was a a jerk from the beginning. Sometimes first impressions are kind of hard to forget.
Rating: 5
Can people really improve on bowling *that* quick? I’ve only gone bowling once in my life. An old boyfriend once took me and I don’t remember myself being very good at it and that didn’t change no matter how much he tried to teach me. I never had any interest in going again so there went my short-lived experience with bowlng. Other people in my family tho have really gotten into it from going with friends just for fun to being on a competitive bowling team. That ball was always just a lil too heavy for me.
Allison has signed up for a tutoring program and finds out she’s supposed to be tutoring Billy Dixon. She doesn’t know anything about him but Sam thinks he’s gorgeous and Randy says he’s cool. But his first impression on Allison is anything but. There’s a disruption in the lunch room between two guys. Billy Dixon is one of the guys and has gotten in the face of a guy who *he* bumped into (and talks down to the guy who wears glasses). Allison immediately knows that this guy will *not* make things easy.
Their first session doesn’t go well. Billy doesn’t believe Allison is the teacher. She has to explain to him it’s a peer tutoring program. Then when she tries to expect him how to multiply fractions, he does the problem in his head and shows her up by getting it right when she gets it wrong. Allision ends up crying and he ends up walking out on her. Despite him saying that he thought junior high would be different but there are still the same old prejudices (good students, troublemakers) and no body cares. Allison realizes she does care and she’s going to be the best tutor and Billy will pass seventh grade if it’s the last thing she does!
At Fitzie’s they all discuss ways to get Billy to study. Katie says she can get the hockey team to help. Allison doesn’t think Billy can be scared or forced. Randy says that since he doesn’t like school maybe they can study at Fitzie. Allison thinks it would be too loud, but Randy says that’s the way *she* studies. She likes listening to her Walkman. Allison prefers it to be totally quiet. She wonders if she should invite Billy to her house to study and then the thought kind of startles her. Sam, Nick, and Jason come in and tell them the old bowling alley that got shut down reopened. Then he challenges the girls to a bowling match. Allison says she’s never bowled before but Randy says she’ll learn (and be good at it). So Allison vows that she’ll find a way to learn to bowl and find a way to get through to Billy.
At the next session, Billy surprises Allison by knowing a lot of what will be on the social studies test. But what was in the reading he didn’t do because he says he doesn’t like reading? Then he gets her to switch to math. Again he quickly figures out the answer to a word problem. Allison finds out he hasn’t turned in anything because when he did he got O’s and got accused of cheating. Billy’s style is more figuring out the problems in his head. He refuses to do the English and science work and is about to leave, when Allison invites him to study the next time at her place and he agrees to it. Allison starts to have a serious case of butterflies.
Allison finds out when her brother asks him to read a book (from her mother) when he reads the wrong words that he might have a reading disorder. She worries that he’s mad at her because he walked out angry. Her mother tells her he’ll have to take a test and that she should speak to their teacher. Billy tho shows up at the bowling rink when they have their bowling competition. He says he’s there waiting on his brother. Allison admits to him she isn’t doing great and he teases that maybe *she’s* the one that needs a tutor. So the next time she’s up, he stands behind her ang gives her some guidance. She knocks over six pins. With his help, she knocks down another two. (This is a practice for the girls before the real game). Greg gets mad when the girls get in the lead and says that Billy can stop helping Allison and then accuses Allison of cheating. Billy starts to get mad, but Allison steps between them before a fight can pop off. Allison then proves she can get a strike on her own but when she turns around (wanting to show Billy) he’s gone.
The teacher says that Billy should be tested and Allison wants to be the one to tell him. Allison tells her friends at lunch she thinks Billy has dsyexia and may have to take a diagnostic test. He might have to be retrained. Sabrina and Katie tell Allison they think Billy has a crush on her. Allison thinks if he does its just because she’s his tutor. They think it might be better for a teacher to tell him in case he gets upset, but Allison knows it should be her.
When Allison tells Billy, he accuses her of thinking he’s stupid and says he thought she was different. He gets defensive and says he doesn’t need any help so she can tell Mrs. Stacks forget it. Then he walks off. She tells her friends it didn’t go to well. Randy asks what she’s going to do and she says she can't force him to take the test. Randy tells her she can’t give up on him and Allison knows she’s right. She decides to go over to his house that afternoon. Allison finds Billy the next day in the basement with six other boys playing pool. Billy definitely isn’t acting like he likes Allison in front of the other guys. The other guys tho (his brothers) are all friendly to her and start asking her questions. Kevin even asks her to go to the dance with him. Allison can feel Billy’s hatred of her and makes up an excuse that she has to leave to go home (to the other guys disappointment), Billy tho stops her before she can get out the house. He asks why she’s in such a rush in sarcasm. Allison starts to cry and Billy asks doesn’t she want to go back downstairs and talk to her new friends. Allison doesn’t know what he's talking about nor why he’s being so mean. (Clearly jealousy). He then puts his hand under her chin and raises her head to meet his eyes. But she pulls away and leaves.
Billy calls and apologizes and says he thought she was flirting with his brother. Then he realizes she wouldn’t do that. He then says he doesn’t want her to go out with his friends and then asks her out to the movies. She says yes and then asks about the test. He says he talks to the teacher and agreed to do the test and he’ll tell her how it went. Now, she’ll get off his case. Of course, she then starts a phone chain and tells her friends. She tells Randy she’s scared. She’s never been on a date before. Randy says they have three days to get her ready.
On their date, Allison and Billy go to Fitzie’s. It’s crowded so they sit with his brother and his friends. Then they go to the movies. Billy holds her hand the whole time. The auditorium is packed and the movie goes by quick. Before he leaves he kisses her on the cheek and Allison just stares after him in disbelief.
My Thoughts:
Billy didn’t really leave all that great an impression on me because of the way he was first introduced. All the others (even Allison herself) seemed to excuse the guy he called ‘four eyes” in the lunch line because they thought he was attractive or acted cool. They blew off that he was a jerk to this kid because “he was a little rough around the edges”. But sometimes, you have to look past the outside stuff to what’s inside. Billy has a VERY BAD temper! Sometimes, I think sometimes females tend to when they like someone turn a blind eye to red flags that show them who a person *really* is when they start going out with them much later. Now, maybe whose to say that Allison won’t be a good influence on Billy? I hope this is what happens. I just couldn’t get with Billy and Allison as a couple. If the point was to steer us in that direction she she (the author) shouldn’t have painted the picture that he was a a jerk from the beginning. Sometimes first impressions are kind of hard to forget.
Rating: 5
Can people really improve on bowling *that* quick? I’ve only gone bowling once in my life. An old boyfriend once took me and I don’t remember myself being very good at it and that didn’t change no matter how much he tried to teach me. I never had any interest in going again so there went my short-lived experience with bowlng. Other people in my family tho have really gotten into it from going with friends just for fun to being on a competitive bowling team. That ball was always just a lil too heavy for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 27, 2022
I read this to vet it out for my daughter and check if it’s age appropriate. It’s a cute, clean story that centers on a girl tutoring a typical “hot bad student” from a rough home. This series was written in the late 1980’s, early 1990’s and it definitely shows in the slang, media and styles referenced in the story, but it mostly makes it feel like a vintage read instead of weirdly dated.
Topics: first crushes, first dates, learning disability (dyslexia), challenges in education in small communities
The writing is a bit simple for the age group of the main characters (7th grade in the US), but I think it’s an appropriate read for 5th grade and up.
Topics: first crushes, first dates, learning disability (dyslexia), challenges in education in small communities
The writing is a bit simple for the age group of the main characters (7th grade in the US), but I think it’s an appropriate read for 5th grade and up.
January 28, 2023
I really like the friendship between Allison and Randy. That was the highlight of the book for me. What I could’ve done without was the obsession over Billy’s “blue-grey” eyes. What, is he a Wakefield that we need to natter on endlessly about what color his eyes are?
Want to read
May 18, 2021Cara bacanya gimana pls
December 27, 2014
Allison falling for the "bad boy" is something no one saw coming! It's okay, girl. He's very sweet once you get past his rough exterior and obviously dotes on you - something we see throughout the rest of the series from her friends' POVs. This kid has it bad for her!
July 9, 2013
these books were like reading a diary each book was different though it was like you were in school again.
June 24, 2016
all books from this serial were with me in my childhood and puberty-time ;) and in that time it was great. One time...I will read it with my daughters
July 17, 2020
CULTURAL REFERENCES: Walkman headset; Nightmare on Elm Street movie
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews