pre-teen worthy reads.

Technically I am a high school English teacher, but I do get the occasional seventh and eighth grader assigned to my study halls, which is why I keep series' like The Popularity Papers by Amy Ignatow on hand for those little nuggets who straggle in. The Awesomely Awful Melodies of Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang which is Book 5 of the series, is the perfect middle school read.

In this installment, Lydia and Julie are back from their summer road trip, gearing up for the seventh grade, and continuing their quest for popularity. Well, more Lydia's quest after she decides to start a band and reinvent herself as a rock star. For those of you who don't know, The Popularity Papers reads like a journal with multiple colors, fonts, blurbs, and pictures, including descriptions of teachers, friends, and family members. The series is very cute and very with the times. Highly recommended by this (sometimes) thirteen-year-old at heart.