And perhaps that's why I give this book at best 3 stars. Annette and Patricia Romanowski (perhaps the names should be the other way around, one gets the sense reading this -- given much of the vocabularily used and the quality of the writing -- that Romanowski, not Funicello wrote most of it; nothing against Annette, but I have a hard time believing a woman with just a high school education writes this well) really cherry-pick way you learn about.

Fine, I understand that's the nature of celebrity "autobiography," but this one goes too far. It over-focuses heavily on certain stories (her adolescent relationship with Paul Anka, making it out to be a lot more than it probably was) and completely ignores others.

As example, some of the messy "politics" that went on in the cast of the original Mickey Mouse club -- everything is warm and fuzzy in Annette's version -- remain unmentioned.

The book also glosses over Annettes entry into the American International Beach Party movies. In the book, Annette implies Walt Disney simply offered her a script one day for a film named "Beach Party." Well, the story isn't quite that simple:

Annette's entry in the series came partly because she and Walt Disney knew she desperately needed a change in career direction. By early 1963, Annette was 20 and had clearly grown out of her "kiddy" positioning as a Mouseketeer. Walt did his best, but could only find so many internal opportunities for a "grown up"" Annette. She'd appeared in a handful of live action movies for Disney, and still made occasional appearances on his Sunday TV show, but this wasn't leading to any starring role opportunities outside of his company. Also, a pop singing career that started in 1959 and produced a handful of hits had slowed down (by early 1963, Annette hadn't charted in almost 3 years). As a result, when AIP approached Walt, looking for an affordable, beautiful brand-name leading lady who could sing for their new, trendy "surfing" movie, he immediately saw an opportunity to fix his "what-do-I-do-with-Annette" problem. With his blessing (Annette was still under contract to Disney,) a deal with AIP was quickly finalized.

But you'll never hear about any of that in this book.

Also, Annette repeats an infamous "urban legend" about the Beach Party series.

Since she was still under contract with Disney while appearing in these movies, Annnete claims Walt Disney insisted in negotiations with AIP that she never be involved in any "suggestive" sequences. Specifically, she says Walt insisted she could not be filmed wearing anything that "showed her navel." Annette goes on to state that through the course of 6 Beach Party movies, she never wore anything that showed her navel "out of respect" for Mr. Disney.

Well, irrespective of what Walt supposedly requested/desired, Annette apparently forgot about the bathing suits she wore during early scenes in both Muscle Beach Party and Bikini Beach: in the former, a white supposedly "tummy-covering" two piece, and the latter an honest to goodness blue and white bikini. Both of these at times clearly left her navel 100% uncovered and readily viewable to anyone who isn't asleep (the "navel appearance" is brief and somewhat subtle in Muscle but obvious and extensive in Bikini, particularly in the scenes where Annette first gets involved with Avalon's "Potato Bug" character). As far as navels go, Annette's is nice, but hardly anything to get all hot and bothered over (particularly in the context of the distraction produced by all the other undulating, bikinied females floating around in those scenes). Frankly, one is really left wondering what all the fuss was about.

The book also completely ignores Annette's post Beach Party career at American International Pictures, an intriguing period that had a lot to do with her "retiring" from acting when she did.

Botttom line: one ends up respecting the author - she is indeed is the class act and lady you always presumed - but frustrated, knowing there's a lot more to her story.