• Age: 10 to 14
• Grade: 5 to 9

New York City Public Library Books for Teens, 2003 Recommended List

A girl's best friend!p align=left">Erin Morris had the perfect summer planned. She would volunteer at the ASPCA, and prove she's old enough to own a dog. But then her dad loses his job and everthing changes. Despite her plans Erin finds herself shipped off to her grandmother's for the summer.

Erin's upset, but her grandmother is fun, and it'll be great to see her friend Cassie again. Best of all Erin will get to spend time with Grandma's black Lab, Lavender Blue. When her grandmother asks her to train him for the dog show, Erin is overjoyed. What a great way to show her parents that's she ready for a dog of her own.

Then of course, Erin relizes that she'll be the one showing Blue. How can she possibly perform in front of all those people--they might make fun of her hairy legs or her mousy hair. Her friend Cassie suggests a "reinvention, and, after surviving a depilatory disaster, and a horrible henna incident, Erin's just as ready for the ring as Blue.

p align=left">Life seems almost perfect when she and Blue take first prize at the show, but then a terrible accident teaches Erin the most important lesson of her summer. It doesn't matter how she looks, or what other people think--for Erin, true friendship and love hold A Taste of Perfection.

Laura Langston is the author of several books for children and adults. Lesia’s Dreamrecently won for the kobzar literary award, Canada’s newest national book award. It wasalso nominated for three other children’s choice awards. Mile-High Apple Pie, her recentpicture book, was nominated for the oLA’s Blue spruce award; The Fox’s Kettle was nominated for a Governor General’s award for Illustration; and Pay Dirt! was nominated for the red cedar and silver Birch awards. A former writer and broadcaster for the CBC, Laura Langston also writes regularly for Canadian Gardening magazine and has authored a book on herb gardening. She lives in Victoria, British Columbia. Visit her website at www.lauralangston.com.

Laura Langston's profile page

"Beautiful Blue, the black lab, is sure to win the heart of every young reader,
Recommended."

"Dog lovers will learn a lot, and adolescent girls are sure to enjoy the makeover motif--the resolution is realistic and satisfying."
— School Library Journal

"Author Laura Langston pens some very funny scenes about Erin and her friend's attempts to "re-invent" Erin by using a depilatory on her legs, putting a henna rinse on her hair and burying garlic in the garden to get ride of her warts. Sometimes I laughed and sometimes I cried. A book with a complete range of emotions!"
— The Standard, St Catharines

"Middle-grade dog lovers will enjoy the interaction between Erin and Blue and the information about training and showing dogs...Langston peppers her story with the trials of growing up, including Erin's parental moratorium on leg shaving and her own attempt at coloring hair. Girls will relate to Erin in many ways, as she tries to perfect herself and Blue."
— Voice of Youth Advocates