Tammy Swoish

HOT SCOTS, CASTLES, AND KILTS, by Tammy Swoish, was a delightful and entertaining book. This semi-supernatural tale of a modern teenager going over to Scotland, with not many contemporary luxuries, will keep you captivated until the very end.

The character of Sami was down-right adorable. She was so quirky and fun I could not help but smile while reading. Sami was a typical teenager who was brought up with everything that was needed to be comfortable in these times, but that was soon changed when she went overseas to help rescue her family land. The way Sami handled her new surroundings was hysterical. Also, the relationship between the charming and wealthy Adan and the awkward and love-struck Sami was absolutely endearing. Sami's faithful sidekick, the stubborn and rough Fiona, was a barrel of laughs when she relentlessly ridiculed the McClintogg's. All of the characters were light-hearted and an absolute joy to read.

I really enjoyed the cover of this book. It was bright and cheerful which matched the general style of Sami. I also liked the diary-style that this book was formatted in, it made this a fast-paced but interesting read.

I want to share my favorite quote from the book because it made me laugh out loud. This quote expressed the awkwardness and personality that Sami encompassed.

"Every swallow sounded like I was trying to force down a boulder of meat. I wasn't sure if the romantic atmosphere had somehow heightened my sense of hearing, or if I was just now realizing what a pig I was. " ~p. 93

Overall this was a fantastic book. It was a nice upbeat story with a little supernatural mixed in.… (plus d'informations)

Reviewed by Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen for TeensReadToo.com

Sami Ames is off to discover her Scottish roots, the ones that she never even knew she had. Turns out she has relatives over in Scotland, and they need a little help sprucing up the MacKensie Manor so they can turn it into a tourist attraction.

After several long, tedious hours on the plane with her snoring mother by her side, Sami arrives in Scotland, but the first night isn't as great as she thought it would be. Sami and her mother will be living in a cottage near the manor for 30 days -- and the cottage isn't as up-to-date as she thought it would be. With no shower, no stove, and no electricity, these are going to be the longest days of Sami's life.

Once she visits the actual manor, Sami is pretty impressed with the infinite rooms it contains, and would rather stay there than in the cottage. As Sami continues to help out with the renovations, she begins to see some of the chores and responsibilities that others have to take on that she never needed to do.

Aside from meeting her weird cousin, Fiona, and a ghost (which, surprisingly, are not all that rare in Scotland), Sami befriends a very cute Scottish boy, Adan McClintogg. Even though he is very charming, his last name doesn't help him out -- his family isn't on good terms with Sami's family. All Sami needs to do is make both families come to terms with one another, but it isn't so easy to forgive and forget.

Narrated through journal entries, Sami's adventure in Scotland aren't just hilarious but also charming and very adorable. With well-developed characters that all have a mind of their own, readers will be happy to witness not just one, but two love stories in the making. HOT SCOTS, CASTLES, AND KILTS is a vacation you will never forget.… (plus d'informations)

Citation: Swoish, T. Hot scots, castles, and kilts. 2008. New York: Delacourt PRess
Grade Level: 6th- 9th grade
Category: Fiction/ Fantasy. Fairy tale like.

Read Alouds:
Reader’s theatre style for all ghosts sightings at the cottage
45-46 Intro to the “hot Scot”
46-49 Clan wars description
102-108 The art of making soap leads to scars.
172-176 The meeting and the embarrassing moment.

Summary: Sami Ames takes a trip to Scotland with her mom to help some distant relatives make their overgrown farm a working farm for tourist to come and live like people in feudal Scotland did. Sami and her distant cousin Fiona hit it off after many weird encounters, but the clan war between the Mackenzie’s and the mcciltoggs keeps Sami from her hot scot. The thing that brings everyone together is the ghost of the Mackensie manor who forces the families back together.

Theme: The theme that is most prevalent to me is, Love who your heart chooses, and also helping someone better their life will in turn better yours.

Discussion Questions:
1. Compare and contrast Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to this book?
2. What was symbolic about the ghost?

Reader Response: This was a fun, fast-paced book that would be a great pairing to Scottish or feudal era novels despite the lighthearted nature of the title. I think it would be a great novel for all students—not just girls—and the diary style of the writing makes it both easy to read and enjoyable to anticipate what is to come.… (plus d'informations)