Little Blue Envelopes

13 Little Blue Envelopes and The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson tell the story of Ginny and the trip she’s sent on by her crazy, runaway aunt, Peg, who has suddenly died. 13 Little Blue Envelopes begins the story with Ginny receiving a letter from her aunt giving her the rules for this adventure she’ll be taking. If she accepts these rules, she is to go to New York to pick up a package filled with clues for her journey. Ginny’s hesitant, she doesn’t normally take random journeys and especially not by herself, but goes along with it. She is whisked away to England where she meets her aunt’s friend, Richard. In following the instructions of the second letter, Ginny meets Keith, a struggling writer/actor who helps her in some of the legs of her journey. Keith goes with Ginny to Edinburgh to find an artist friend of her aunt’s and meets up with her again in Paris. Following this, the letters send Ginny to Amsterdam and Copenhagen, and her trip finishes in Corfu. Along the way Ginny meets more of her aunt’s friends, sneaks into a cemetery in Paris, gets taken in by a very touristy American family, sees the midnight sun, and joins some Australians for the final leg of her trip. In Greece, Ginny’s belongings are stolen and she doesn’t get to find out what is in the last letter. Being stranded in Greece, Ginny calls Richard to help her return to England and then home. Back in England, Ginny discovers secret paintings of her aunt’s which are then put in an auction where they sell extremely well. Ginny’s trip teaches her a lot about her aunt and herself and, despite the disappointing end in Greece, she feels the trip was a success.

The Last Little Blue Envelope picks up shortly after the end of 13 Little Blue Envelopes. Ginny is attempting to write her college application essay and struggling when she gets an email from Oliver in England who found her backpack when he was in Greece, and has her letters. She packs up her things and heads to England over Christmas break to get her letters and to follow the tasks in the thirteenth letter. Oliver tags along with Ginny, and Keith and his girlfriend Ellis come along as well. This time Ginny has to find pieces for her aunt’s last work of art, finding a piece in each Paris, Amsterdam, and Dublin. Along the way Ginny struggles with her old feelings for Keith, as well as any new ones she might have for Oliver.

Both books are quick, fun reads that allow you to take a bit of a European vacation yourself. Johnson’s style is very easy to read and her descriptions of places and events make you feel like you’re there right alongside Ginny and the people she meets. While the books aren’t very deep, they show how important self-assurance can be and how one journey can change everything. These books would be good for anyone in high school, leaning more for girls but fun for anyone.