Ronnie, Fleur, and Claude--collectively known as the LBD or "Les Bambinos Dangereuses"--are denied permission by their parents to attend a music festival. In true LBD fashion, the girls decide to stage a concert of their own. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

In British author Dent's fun, breezy novel, 14-year-old narrator Ronnie Ripperton and her two best friends (who collectively refer to themselves as "Les Bambinos Dangereuses or the LBD, as we're known universally") can't get permission to go to a summer rock concert, so they decide to throw their own, featuring the best bands from their school. They deal with funding problems, a negative headmaster and the band Catwalk, led by prima donna Panama Goodyear, whose members threaten to slander the LBD unless Catwalk is the headlining act. This all proves stressful for Ronnie, who anticipates a "potentially hideous, snowballing sense of personal failure." Making matters worse, her parents are fighting, and Jimi Steele, the guy of her dreams, has hooked up with the pretentious Panama. Though a funny and realistic narrator, Ronnie gets tongue-tied around Jimi, and fights with her dad over her revealing wardrobe. At her lowest point, she spends a weekend in bed reading a trashy novel all of which she relates humorously in British slang. Readers will appreciate her friendships with the LBD's Fleur and Claude; the girls give each other a hard time occasionally, but when one of them has a problem, "there's three people feeling it." The ending comes as no surprise and involves some events that stretch credibility but, like the rest of the novel, it's satisfyingly entertaining all the same. Ages 12-up. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr 7-10-The three LBDs (Les Bambinos Dangereuses) want to attend the Astlebury Music Festival but, alas, are forbidden to go. Ronnie, Fleur, and Claudette have hit a wall and their parents refuse to budge, so it's no music, no partying, and, most of all, no "million totally lush festival-going boys." The three 14-year-olds devise a plan, though-they will stage their own music festival as part of the school's Summer Garden Party-but the project details prove much more difficult than they anticipated. Complicating matters are boyfriend lust, a school principal, temperamental artists, and, of course, parents. The characters are well drawn and appealing with their typical teenage foibles, and the plot, which moves at a steady pace, is a nice mix of humor and seriousness. Dent's first novel is a delightful read and easily makes the transition from England to America. Fans of Louise Rennison's Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging (HarperCollins, 2000) and Ann Brashares's The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Delacorte, 2001) will welcome this book.-Janet Hilbun, formerly at Sam Houston Middle School, Garland, TXCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr. 7-9. LBD (Les Bambinos Dangereuse) are gorgeous Fleur, smart Claude, and everygirl Ronnie, who narrates the story. Together they make things happen, including a music festival at their school. It's their idea; they organize it from beginning to end, and, fortunately, their job includes finding cute boy bands to participate. Kids who have read Louise Rennison's books will find Ronnie's voice almost identical to that of Georgia Nicolson, right down to the snogging. And though Ronnie may not be writing in a diary, her depiction of teen life in England hits all the same notes: the boys; the parents (with the twist that her mother is keeping a secret about being pregnant); the slang-filled, sharp-eyed take at the events swirling around her. With the unfolding ups and downs of the music festival moving the action, this is a fun, if derivative, read. For a similar title, see Cherry Whytock's My Cup Runneth Over, below). IleneCooper. From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

1. Life is harsh ...	1
2. Banging the drum of love	21
3. The thlot pickens	39
4. The best of times ... the worst of times	73
5. Give us a tune then ...	95
6. An extra-special song	127
7. Another bright idea	147
8. A pizza bad news	170
9. Hold the front page	189
10. A special visit	204
11. Blackwell (really) live	229
12. So, in conclusion	266

Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.