This book is excellent. Give it two thumbs up. It's great for ages 6-14, or maybe 100! This is a funny and exciting book. And it can show how things can seem bad, but turn out good. And great for the whole family! I'll make this short, because noone likes reading long reviews. That's all!

Written entirely with journal entries and letters, this is a wonderful account of a young girl learning how to be a writer, a friend and discovering unexpected truths about herself.

Elizabeth Beech is a sophomore when her English teacher gives her the name of an editor in New York who is "generous to beginners". She makes it her personal assignment for Elizabeth to give her the first chapter of a book she is writing because she thinks she has talent.

Julia, the editor, tells Elizabeth that she can send her a chapter but advises her that the chances are slim that it will be able to be published. When she reads the first chapter tho, she is impressed with it and more letters are exchanged.

Julia encourages Elizabeth in her writing and over time, they become very good friends. Elizabeth finds herself telling Julia things she has never told anyone. They even arrange to meet.

But eventually, things spin out of control and Elizabeth is forced to find that words can not only be entertaining but very hurtful. She hurts Julia and Julia suddenly disappears. Elizabeth is left to wonder if she can repair what is the most important friendship of her life.

This book shows what doubts writers go through but also shows the importance of true friendship. Written for 12+, this is a great book for any age.

--After taking her teacher's suggestion to write to a friend's sister, Julia Jones, an editor in New York, fifteen-year-old Elizabeth Beech is surprised and pleased to receive a reply. The two develop a close relationship which is backboned by Liz's confusing life which is echoed in her writing, and Julia's thoughts on her childhood, which has started to come back to her more than ever since Julia's parents have been in the hospital and she has gained control of the house she grew up in. --Since I am a writer and want to write novels when I grow up, I could identify with nearly everything said in this imaginative and nicely written novel. --Marisa

I thought that Letters to Julia was a wonderful book. I liked how you wrote in three different ways. I also liked it how you really developed Liz and Julia's friendship and then we slowly saw it break apart.

I gave this book two stars because it was more bad then good. I mean the kids could have met a little differently. that's because who meets someone on vacation that they don't know and they just saw shoot a guy, and after he sees the one kid shoot the man he talks to him like they have been friends forever. Then they start hanging out every day.
The only good part is the mystery behind the fake man and how it ends. It ends completely different then I thought it would. At first you'll think the old man is a kingpin drug dealer, but i guess you'll have to read it to find out how it ends.

To read at any time, but don't want one really long novel, then this is the book for you.
I give Following Fake Man four stars for being a really good book, but more suspence would have made Following Fake Man a five star book in my opinion. Following Fake Man is about a boy named Homer Whinthrop who has to go live in Maine for a few weeks because his mother wanted a vacation and she chose her old home in Maine for the vaction. Whenever Homer wants to know about his father, his mother won't tell him and she has a unique way of not answering his questions. Wwhen they get to the vaction spot, Madeleine, the housekeeper, almosts hits an old mysterious man and Homer's mother yeaps out like she knew the man. Homer doesn't know that he will meet his first real friend and find out more about the Fake Man that Homer's family hit when they arrived. Homer will finally find out about this fake man, his mother's willing to hind the answers, and how his father's death is all figured in all of this.

A compassionate and exciting novel, Following Fake Man tells the story of a boy who is yearning to know the truth.
Homer Winthrop is a moody city boy from Boston, MA. His father died when he was two, and his mother suddenly has migraine headaches or is struck dumb when he askes about his father. But this summer, things are different. Homer, his mom, and his housekeeper all go on a vacation to Herring Cove, ME, his father's hometown. Once there Homer meets Roger Sweeney, and they both get wrapped up in a mystery complete with disguises, supposed smugglers, and Homer's father's past. In the end NOTHING is what they expect.
I really enjoyed reading about Homer's progression through his mysterious past. Anyone with a 'sweet tooth' for mystery would!