Fame, Glory, and Other Things on My To Do List

Fame, Glory, and Other Things on My To Do List
First edition cover
Author(s)	Janette Rallison
Cover artist	Angela Martini
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre(s)	High School, Comedy, Romance novel
Publisher	Walker Publishing
Publication date	September 2005
Media type	Print (Hardback)
Pages	192 pp (first edition, hardback)
ISBN	ISBN 0-8027-8991-9 (first edition, hardback)
OCLC Number	58919705
LC Classification	PZ7.R13455 Fam 2005

Fame, Glory, and Other Things on My To Do List is a high school romantic comedy by Janette Rallison.

Contents 1 Plot introduction 2 Plot summary 3 Characters in Fame, Glory, and Other Things on My To Do List 4 Major themes 5 Allusions/references to other works 6 Allusions/references to actual history, geography and current science 7 Release details

Plot introduction

The story takes place in the small town of Three Forks, New Mexico. Jessica,a junior at Three Forks High, meets a boy who just moved in from Los Angeles, who happens to be the son of a famous actor. If she can get his dad to appear for her school play, Romeo and Juliet, which will change, then it may open the door for her to become a famous actress— her lifelong dream!

Plot summary

Jessica accidentally got into Jordan's identical car on the Wal-Mart parking lot, and he immediately took a liking to her (and for some strange reason, he wants to borrow her car but won't tell why). When Jessica finds out his father is the famous Christopher Hunter, Jessica decided that if she would get his dad to attend the school play and he would notice her wonderful talent and he would open the doors for her to Hollywood. The only way she could come up with to get him to come was for Jordan to appear in the play. Then he might give him some acting tips, too...

Rumor spread that Mrs. Shale, the drama teacher, was not able to afford Romeo and Juliet, so there would be a reader's theater of Hedda Gabler instead. Jessica tells the drama teacher that Jordan's dad is Christopher Hunter accidentally so that the school will do Romeo and Juliet. Jessica tells the teacher not to say anything about it though. Jessica has realized how much Jordan and Kate, her best friend, were alike...she thought maybe they could get together...then she could focus on winning Brendan, her ex-boyfriend back from Lauren. She decided to have Kate join the play, too, which would force the two to meet each other. The two then met, and Kate decided that she liked Jordan. She invites both of them over, to work on the play, and has her sister call her because Wal-Mar "needs" Jessica to take another shift. She was just going to go to someone else's house, but Jordan offers to drive her to Wal-Mart. He also tells her that he will pick her up in four hours.

Stuck at Wal-Mart, she takes a stall in the Ladies Room and practices Romeo and Juliet for four hours without a ride. Three hours forty-five minutes later, she comes back out to normal Wal-Mart. Her boss comes by and asks Jessica to check the bathroom because some people were saying a drug addict was in the bathroom speaking weirdly. Jessica, embarrassed, says that she was just in the bathroom and did not hear such a thing. Jordan comes and picks her up.

Jessica then invites Jordan over to practice lines, and they share a kiss. Kate becomes angry at her.

Characters in Fame, Glory, and Other Things on My To Do List

• Jessica – a blonde and a junior in high school who is 17 and works at Wal-Mart and drives a silver Honda Civic. She has a very common name, which she despises. Her dream is to become a famous actress. Jessica is very accident prone and embarasess herself very easily. She is a dedicated acress, even growing out her hair so she will be perfect for the role of Juliet. The novel is written in first person from her perspective.
• Brendan Peters – is a football player who just broke up with Jessica to go out with Lauren Riverdale. And Jessica is still trying to win him back from her.
• Lauren Riverdale – is a cheerleader and that means she is stuck up and has no sense of fashion. Like, the school colors, purple and gold, go together just fine, but the uniforms are purple and yellow...Jessica would never be caught wearing those two colors together. She hates Lauren with a passion.
• Jordan Hunter – a new boy from Los Angeles. He wears a ponytail, has one gold earring, and his parents are divorced. His dad is the famous actor Christopher Hunter, who won't be coming in until the day after Thanksgiving. Jessica thinks that if she can get Christopher Hunter to come in a month sooner, he might come to the school play and she might get "discovered." And maybe Jordan will discover her, too. Jordan just hopes no one discovers who his dad is.
• Nicki – is Jessica's little sister that can't keep her big mouth shut; as soon as she finds out the latest on Jessica's embarrassing moments or love life, she calls and IM's all of her friends.
• Jessica's parents – are the stereotypical parents: Her mom is worried about stalkers every time Jessica steps foot out of the house, and her dad wants her to be more responsible and learn how to fix her car and stuff.
• Jordan's parents – are divorced, but if his mom would take his dad back if she knew he had changed, his dad would take his mom back if he knew she would take him back if he told her he'd changed. Like that will ever happen.
• Kate – is Jessica's best friend, who hates all guys ever since her parents divorced. She is very liberal and thinks Jessica has some sort of lucky charm about her that makes her stay petite and stumble across things like fifty dollar bills blowing down Main Street.
• Mrs. Shale – is the theater teacher. She's fat, and she always wears black. And black turtlenecks don't do anything for fat people. Jessica is her favorite student in the class, and she's one of the only four who didn't sign up just for the elective so they wouldn't have to take band, orchestra, art, or choir.
• Mary East – is the daughter of the school superintendent...that's the only reason she got the lead in Oklahoma! last year— well, and her looks...but she doesn't even stand a chance for trying out as Juliet...her hair isn't long enough!
• Andre, Jeff, and Tye – are the class criminals of drama class. They aren't there to learn about theater, just to get easy credits.
• Mr. Cranston – is the manager at Wal-Mart. And he's not too happy about Jessica's theater practice schedule.
• Mr. Poure – is the proud principal of Three Forks High. And he won't allow any racial slurs or name-calling in his school's play. That would give them a bad name.

Major themes

Comedy, Romance, High School Life, drama

Allusions/references to other works

The main plays referenced in this work are Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story, and Oklahoma!

Allusions/references to actual history, geography and current science

Jessica works at Wal-Mart, drives a silver Honda Civic (and so does Jordan). Jordan's dad drives a Jaguar.

Release details

• 2005, USA, Walker Publishing, ISBN 0-8027-8991-9, September 2005, hardcover (first edition)