All booked up for summer - Top 10 Books

Girls' Life, June, 2002

1. THE MISFITS

by James Howe

* Atheneum, $16

"Loser! Geek! Fatso!" Joe, Addle, Skeezie and Bobby are tired of being bullied. So, they set out to squelch the popularity tyranny by running for student council in hopes of enacting change. Running as the No-Name Party, they campaign for kids who have been teased endlessly.

2. DARBY

by Jonathon Scott Fuqua

* Candlewick, $15.99

Imagine sneaking in the woods just to hang with your 8FF. That's what buds Darby and Evette have to do because in 1920s South Carolina, it just isn't proper for a white girl and black girl to be seen together. So when Darby, who's white, becomes a "real newspaper girl," her article about how everybody ought to get respect for being friendly instead of being black or white" causes an uproar that divides her whole town.

3. MONEY HUNGRY

by Sharon G. Flake

* Hyperion, $15.99

Raspberry Hill is obsessed with money. She thinks about it, talks about it, schemes to make it, even smells it. But she's not some rich snob. In fact, she and her mom live in the projects--a step up from the abandoned van they lived in last summer when they were homeless. Can Raspberry's money-making fixation solve her probs?

4. BLUBBER

by Judy Blume

* Atheneum, $17

Wendy and her four-girl entourage are total bullies! They pick on everyone, especially Linda (cruelly nicknamed "Blubber"). When one of the meanies passes a nasty note, Linda must suffer through the constant taunting that follows. But the girls get caught and assume Linda blabbed, so Wendy plots her own version of revenge--and no one can foresee how it will all end.

5. SCARED STIFF

by Willo D. Roberts

* Aladdin, $4.99 paperback

Brothers Rick and Kenny know their Ma would never leave them alone, so where is she? They set out on a mission, first exploring the abandoned Wonderland Amusement Park. They come upon some suspicious stuff and, suddenly, some scary men are chasing them. Do the men have Ma? This roller coaster mystery will keep you hanging on 'til the end.

6. BRIAR ROSE

by Jane Yolen

* Starscape, $5.99 paperback

Becca Berlin has always been fascinated with her grandmother Gemma's story about the sleeping princess Briar Rose. But she never took it seriously--until Gemma whispers, "I am Briar Rose," just before she dies. When the Berlins discover an engraved box full of clippings, photos and a ring connected to Gemma's mysterious past, Becca is desperate for answers. Will she find the truth, and will it live up to the fairy tale?

7. THE ORDINARY PRINCESS

by M.M. Kaye

* Puffin, $5.99 paperback

Her Serene and Royal Highness the Princess Amethyst Alexandra Augusta Araminta Adelaide Aurelia Anne (that's Amy for short) isn't exactly what you'd call a classic beauty. In fact, she's downright plain-looking. But, hey, her personality totally rocks! So when her folks King Huldebrand and Queen Rodehesia try to marry her off to some stuffy prince, she goes AWOL (that's Absent With Out Leave--as in, she slides down a vine from her castle turret and takes off into the forest). This is a riches-to-rags-and-back-again story that'll steal your heart.

8. WAITING FOR CHRISTOPHER

by Louise Hawes

* Candlewick, $15.99

Feena is a girl who's a bit of a loner. She buries herself in books and takes comfort in being an observer. But when she witnesses a mother abusing a toddler in a parking lot, she takes matters into her own hands--by kidnapping the baby! Will Feena be able to figure out the "right" thing to do?

9. PRINCESS IN LOVE

by Meg Cabot

* Harper Collins, $15.99

Life's not so peachy for princess Mia of Genovia in this third installment of The Princess Diaries. Preparing to rule her own country is tough, especially since all she thinks about is dumping her BF because she's totally crushing on someone else. Can she capture her crush's attention? With some secret love letters, she just might.

10. BAD GIRLS IN LOVE

by Cynthia Voigt

* Atheneum, $15.95

Best buds Mickey and Margalo are hardly bad girls, so don't let the title freak you out. But when the cast for the school play is announced at an auditorium assembly, things change. Mickey's world turns upside down when Shawn Macavity s introduced as the lead. She recognizes his name, but the tall hottie doesn't look familiar. This can't be the same shy, sorta nerdy Shawn from last year, can it? And can Margalo handle her friend's first crush?