Kissing Tennessee by Kathi Appelt

Mason and Carrie Marie can't get up the courage to ask each other to dance. Russ's girlfriend has died, and now he's just trying to live without her. Peggy Lee has grown up with Tennessee--how can she ever think of him as more than a friend?

In these moving tales and others, Kathi Appelt captures the sometimes amusing, sometimes touching missteps of some unforgettable students, who come together one last time for the most memorable night of their young lives.

     Kissing Tennessee was a compilation of stories all revolving around the events of the Stardust Dance. All the stories are told from different points of view and all having their own essential purpose. They all hold the sort of wistfulness that you feel when talking about the past whether it be good or bad. The book also has no off limit subjects. A boy struggling with The Question of his sexuality. Sisters who want to be teenagers with a father who thinks lipstick makes you a Jezebel. The book both begins and ends with a poem that both entertains and brings you to the heart and gently lets you go. This book was a quick read, but memorable all the way through.