Booktalking "Want to Go Private?" by Sarah Littman
Fourteen-year-old Abby is starting ninth grade, and nothing is more comforting to her than venting about her daily trials and tribulations to BlueSkyBoi, aka Luke Redmond, on chezteen.com. No one understands her high school angst and anger at her best friends and parents better than him, and she would do anything to make Luke happy. He whispers sweet nothings into her ears and sends her fancy gifts. She anxiously awaits texts from him and looks forward to video chats with him. Time with Luke supersedes school work, family and friends... even sleep.
Abby met BlueSkyBoi in an Internet chat room.
Seventh grade sister Lily is jealous of "perfect Abby" and is desperate for her parents' attention. Abby's parents are angry and concerned about her slipping grades in school. Best-friend-since-second-grade Faith misses Abby and makes futile attempts to spend time with her. Billy had a fun date with her at the movies, and he cannot understand why she is blowing him off.
Abby becomes unglued whenever Luke is not online.
Want to Go Private? by Sarah Littman, 2011
This is a brilliant, eye-opening novel. I was glad to find a realistic fictional portrayal of how online sexual predators lure their prey. Hopefully, this book will help prevent children from becoming victimized by such people.
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