The Twelve Days of Dash & Lily

September 26, 2016
Dash and Lily met and fell for each other over the holidays in 2010’s Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares, and this rowdy sequel picks up one year later as the teens’ relationship is showing signs of stress. Lily is concerned about her grandfather’s health (he suffered a heart attack and a bad fall) and about Dash’s true feelings for her; as a result, her typical holiday exuberance is all but gone. The authors again alternate between Dash and Lily’s first-person perspectives, which are peppered with sharp banter and up-to-the-minute New York City references, and they send Lily on another clue-driven tour of the city. Like its predecessor, it’s a full-fledged rom-com, though the rommy moments (Lily’s heart-to-heart with her mother about relationships, Dash watching happiness sneak its way back into Lily’s life) can sit uncomfortably beside the commy ones, which include a tomato juice squirt gun duel, X-rated gingerbread cookies, and an event that becomes known as the Great Glitterskating Massacre. Ages 12–up. Agent: (for Cohn) Jennifer Rudolph Walsh, William Morris Endeavor; (for Levithan) Bill Clegg, Clegg Agency.

September 15, 2016
Grades 8-11 It's been a year since Dash and Lily traded messages in the red Moleskine notebook tucked away on a shelf at The Strand bookstore, but their seemingly rock-solid romance starts to show some cracks when Lily's family is upended by her grandfather's devastating heart attack. Dash is dealing with his own family issues, and his perennially disappointing dad isn't helping matters one bit. The result is a less-than-jolly countdown to Lily's favorite holiday, and it's looking like it will take a Christmas miracle to bring her out of it. Is her humbug boyfriend up to the task? The fourth book by Cohn and Levithan follows the now-familiar format of alternating chapters filled with quirky, lovable characters and amusing dialogue set against the vibrant Manhattan skyline. The abundant in-jokes, references to New York landmarks, and easy familiarity makes clear the indulgent fun these authors have in joining forces. The perfect read for winter break, this light and breezy holiday romance is sure to please longtime fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

November 1, 2016
It's been a year since the two teens met and fell in love in New York City (Dash & Lily's Book of Dares, rev. 1/11), thanks to a red Moleskine notebook and its scavenger hunt clues. Now it's Christmastime once again, but, at a balmy seventy degrees, it sure doesn't feel like it. Lily blames global warming for her bah-humbug mood, but she's had a rough year, what with Grandpa's heart attack and subsequent operations, so it's up to Dash to bring on the holiday cheer. This sequel isn't quite the carefree, flirtatious romp that the first book was. There are plenty of lighthearted, silly moments, but the stakes are higher now, as Lily begins contemplating mortality, change, and what it really means to love and be loved. tanya d. auger

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)