World Famous Comics: I Heard A Rumor (How I Survived Middle School)
I Heard A Rumor (How I Survived Middle School)
By: Nancy Krulik Publisher: Scholastic Inc. Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Scholastic Inc. Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 112 Publication Date: September 01, 2007 Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Product Description: Can you keep a secret? Are you the go-to girl when your friends have a secret to share? Can you be trusted to keep the info under wraps, or are you known for your loose lips?
The debut of the Madame X gossip column has turned Joyce Kilmer Middle School upside down. Whoever Madame X is, she's got her finger on the pulse of the school . . . and the power to turn friends against one another by spreading rumors. Now that Madame X is dishing about things only Jenny and her friends could have known, Jenny is sure of one thing . . . Madame X must be one of her friends!
Dr. Holstein, Positive Psychologist looks at I Heard a Rumor The Truth: I'm a Girl, I'm Smart and I Know EverythingAs a positive psychologist and author of a book, The Truth, (I'm a girl, I'm smart and I know everything), also geared to helping girls, tweens and teens, via a fictional diary, hold on to the best of themselves as they grow up, I am always interested in other fiction books designed to entertain and help girls adjust to new school settings. This is certainly just such a book. It is filled with the anxieties and feelings that go with the emotional, social dilemmas that girls face at these ages. Particularly the feelings of being 'out' rather than 'in' certain popular circles, are almost universal feelings. In fact, I've seen 'popular' girls in my treatment room who also have those feelings. Emotions are so raw at the Middle School age, that almost anything can set off a host of extra emotions, not all of which are comfortable. So I see this book and the series as a positive addition to a Middle School girl's life.
Another aspect of the book that I consider very valuable is the opportunity for the reader to to to the series's website, www.middleschoolsurvival.com and participate in quizes, read other diary entries, share stories, etc. What a great idea! And what a beautiful, well-functioning website.
My daughter loves this series My 11 year-old daughter had stopped reading, which bothered me greatly, until she found one of the books in this series. She loved it! She read the book cover to cover and asked for more. I was happy to oblige and ordered three more books. Now we take turns reading these every night at bedtime, plus she reads them on her own. Thank you, Nancy Krulik, for writing this series of entertaining and pertinent books for this age group. I wish these books had been around when I was facing middle school. Please keep them coming!
I Wish These Books Were Around When I Was in Middle School Middle school was long ago for me, however, I have told every middler schooler I know about this series. It's awesome. The characters are very realistic and the problems genuine.
Jenny McAfee is simply trying to survive middle school. She is up against a best friend who has turned enemy (sometimes) and a group of kids known as the Pops. The Pops don't know how to have fun, but they know how to put on makeup and gossip. However, when the gossip turns out to be about them, they turn on each other.
This book is fun and loaded with some great tips. The website is up and running as well!
Courtesy of Teens Read Too Nancy Krulik once again helps calm the nerves of new middle schoolers by combining a fun story with helpful bits of advice on how to survive the many trials of life.
Jenny McAfee swears by the help she gets from middleschoolsurvival.com, and again she uses it to get her friends back on track. First it's Chloe who is acting strange. She is sort of keeping to herself and turning down any and all invitations to do cool stuff after school. When asked about the upcoming dance, she is vague and lacks enthusiasm. What's up?
According to the quiz Jenny finds on her favorite website, Chloe is hiding a romantic relationship from her friends. When that information suddenly appears in the school newspaper in Madame X's gossip column, Jenny and her friends are shocked.
Chloe confronts everyone with the truth - her father lost his job so the family finances are not prepared to handle the fun stuff like dances. She insists that she feels badly that she won't be able to join her friends, but she assures them she is not hiding anything from them anymore.
Jenny decides to consult her website for a solution to Chloe's problem. The solution seems to be to earn the money needed to buy a new dress for the dance. That begins a series of bungled attempts to start a business to help Chloe. The idea may be a good one, but the girls' skills -- or lack of skills -- say otherwise. They may not earn much money, but their attempts provide great comic effect.
Aimed at younger readers, Krulik's HOW I SURVIVED MIDDLE SCHOOL series will most definitely have a following. Her situations are realistic enough to seem plausible, and her use of the website and its helpful quizzes are sure to attract many tween readers.
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